ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 22, 1997 TAG: 9701220054
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C.
TYPE: ECHL ALL-STAR NOTES
The East Coast Hockey League has a dream to one day, in the not-too-distant future, add a new team that actually will play its home games on the East Coast.
The only certainty to come from Tuesday's meeting of the league owners is that the ECHL once again will expand in the suddenly fertile Gulf Coast region. On the same day the league announced it was awarding its 1998 All-Star Game to hockey-mad Lafayette, La., ECHL president Rick Adams said a new franchise will begin play next season in New Orleans.
The ECHL also heard a proposal to put a team in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Upper Marlboro, Md., in Prince George's County. Owners will hold a conference call in approximately 10 days to decide whether or not to approve the new club.
``Hopefully, Maryland will be viewed as the first extension up the Atlantic Coast,'' Adams said.
The league eventually would like to work its way northward to Trenton, N.J., which was supposed to join the league this season. The Trenton club's entry was approved by the league a year ago, but there have been problems in finding money to build an arena there. Owners on Tuesday agreed to give the franchise another two years of exclusive territorial rights before looking elsewhere in New Jersey for a club.
``The league approved their request to approve them as `arena-pending,''' Adams said. ``They have exclusivity in that region, and they'll begin paying dues now.''
The announcement that New Orleans would become the league's 24th team was not a major surprise considering the prospect of getting into the Big Easy had been discussed for months, but it potentially pits the booming ECHL against the International Hockey League in a Battle of New Orleans.
The IHL has stated clearly that it wants to move into New Orleans once the city constructs a new arena, which could come within two years. The ECHL's New Orleans team - tentatively called the Brass - will play at aging Municipal Auditorium.
It will become the league's sixth expansion team since 1995 and will give the ECHL seven teams along Interstate 10 in the Southeastern United States.
Lafayette, home of the Louisiana IceGators, is one of those places. Lafayette was awarded the '98 All-Star Game based on its record-setting attendance. The IceGators are averaging a league-high 11,289 fans per game in the Cajundome.
``We are very proud to host this prestigious event,'' said IceGators general manager Dave Berryman. ``We will strive to fill the building to capacity.''
Adams said other groups have expressed interest in gaining expansion franchises in Wilmington, Del., and Reading, Pa. The league is pursuing a goal of having 30 teams by 2000.
``That's a fair statement,'' Adams said.
GAME TIME: The other big event of the day was the league's All-Star Game, in which the homestanding Charlotte Checkers beat a team of league All-Stars 7-6 before a crowd of 7,087 at Independence Arena. It was a record attendance figure for an ECHL All-Star Game.
The game was the first pitting the defending champs against a team of the league's best players, and it was won when Kimbi Daniels scored with 15:14 left to snap a 6-all tie. Although the game was a bit more physical than standard all-star fare, there were no penalties and it was an offensive feast until the defense tightened in the final 15 minutes.
Jeff Jablonski of the Roanoke Express scored a goal at 16:56 of the first period for the All-Stars, who never led. David Brosseau and Darcy Mitani led Charlotte with two goals each. NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 71 linesby CNB