ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 30, 1997 TAG: 9703310132
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HOCKEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR.
Before J.F. Tremblay could have any kind of success with the Roanoke Express, he had to break through the language barrier.
It wasn't just his English that the French-speaking Tremblay had to brush up on, although that was part of it. Learning new hockey words was his foremost linguistic pursuit.
Words like ``system'' and ``trap.'' To play coach Frank Anzalone's brand of hockey, one needs to know the definition of those words.
``I'd never played the trap before,'' said Tremblay, a rookie wing who appears to be coming into his own after a disappointing start to his professional career.
``Everything was new to me. The system was new. It took a long time to understand everything, but I like it now. It's a good system. I just had to learn it.''
Tremblay had to wait a long time to get his chance with the Express. During training camp, it appeared Tremblay would become a crowd favorite with his flying fists and aggressive style. A month into the season, though, one would have needed radar to find him.
The struggling Tremblay was scratched for 14 consecutive games at one point in November and December when the Express was at full strength.
Wrist, ankle and rib injuries also forced him to miss games.
As forwards Jeff Cowan, Eric Landry and Wayne Strachan were called up to the American and International leagues, Tremblay saw more ice time and began to get his game in order. He's still aggressive, but he's more under control than earlier in the season, when he was looking more to fight than to play.
His 131 penalty minutes are fourth-most on the team even though he has played just 33 games, less than half of the schedule. He has a half-dozen goals and assists, with two of those goals coming last week against Richmond and South Carolina.
``I feel more comfortable,'' he said. ``Frank has given me a chance to get in the lineup regularly. Getting a chance to play has helped my confidence.''
Tremblay has learned a lot in his first season, including English. He said he had trouble expressing himself because of a limited vocabulary. He speaks English much clearer now.
``Earlier, I was pitiful,'' he said. ``I understand a lot, but I had trouble explaining myself. I just picked it up during the season.''
He's picking up on a lot of things.
ATTENDANCE BOOM: The East Coast Hockey League surpassed the 4 million mark in attendance this season for the first time in the league's nine-year history. The addition of two franchises (Peoria, Mississippi) and the continued success of Southern franchises helped the 23-team league eclipse last season's record of 3,604,984 fans when the league had 21 teams. The league should finish around the the 4.2-million mark.
The second-year Louisiana IceGators continue to lead the pack with a league-record average of 11,411 fans per game. This weekend, the IceGators should become the first team in ECHL history to draw more than 400,000 for a season.
Attendance was also aided by the move of a pair of franchises. The Erie (Pa.) Panthers relocated to Baton Rouge, La., and have averaged 6,003 fans per game. The Nashville Knights migrated to Pensacola, Fla., and have averaged 6,129 spectators.
The top 10 leaders in attendance were evenly split among the East and South Divisions. The East placed four teams in the top six - South Carolina (7,384), Charlotte (7,125), Hampton Roads (6,889) and Richmond (6,580). Roanoke was No.10 with a 5,488 average.
HAT TRICK OF HAT TRICKS: Wheeling's Steve Gibson became just the fourth player in professional hockey history to register hat tricks in three consecutive games when he did it March 16-21. Three of the players to turn the trick did it in the ECHL. Gibson, a 1992 draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers, is on a nine-game goal-scoring streak and has 18 goals in his past 13 games.
LENGTH: Medium: 73 linesby CNB