THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 7, 1994 TAG: 9408070217
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
The Russians are coming to Scope this winter, if the Hampton Roads Admirals have their way.
The Admirals have reached a verbal agreement to host the Soviet Wings on Jan. 4. The Wings, based in Moscow, will tour the United States Dec. 26 through Jan. 10.
However, Admirals president Blake Cullen says he won't officially add the Wings to his schedule until a signed contract is in hand, and that could take several weeks.
It would be the first time the Admirals have played an opponent outside of the East Coast Hockey League.
If played, the game will be included on the Admirals season-ticket package. Cullen says the price of season tickets will not be increased because of the exhibition.
``The game will be a bonus for our season-ticket holders,'' he said.
The Admirals have sold more than 4,000 season tickets and expect to surpass the team record of 4,100. Season tickets cost $210 and include 34 regular-season games, two exhibitions and the proposed game with the Russians.
The Admirals don't know much about the Russian team, but the Wings likely will provide Hampton Roads with a formidable challenge.
They are coached by 52-year-old Russian hockey veteran Igor Dmitriev. Current NHL players Viktor Gordiouk and Yuri Khmylev (Buffalo), Dmitri Mironov (Toronto) and Sergei Nemchinov (New York Rangers) all played for the Wings prior to coming to the NHL.
Cullen says he and coach John Brophy hope the Admirals can make a European or Asian exhibition tour next season.
``We'd love to do it,'' he said. ``I think it would be great for our players.''
WHEELER GONE: Shawn Wheeler, who scored 31 goals and had 43 assists for the Admirals last season, will be a player-assistant coach for the ECHL's Columbus Chill this season.
The Admirals attempted to re-sign Wheeler, a 28-year-old native of Mount Vernon, N.Y.
``But Shawn wants to go into coaching,'' Cullen said. ``We have a good assistant coach (Al MacIsaac). We wish Shawn well.''
League rules forbid teams from having both an assistant coach and a player-coach. The Admirals probably would have made Wheeler a player-assistant had the rules allowed.
``I think it's a stupid rule,'' Cullen said.
FRONT LINE: Forward Rod Taylor, who had 55 goals and 39 assists in 72 games, likely will return to Hampton Roads. Brophy is trying to line up tryouts with International Hockey League teams for Taylor, but the Lake Orion, Mich., native has agreed to return to Hampton Roads if he doesn't land in a higher league.
Victor Gervais, another veteran forward who had 22 goals and 53 assists in half a season with the Admirals, has a contract with the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the IHL and won't return to Hampton Roads.
At present it appears the Admirals' first line will be composed of Taylor, Andrew Brunette (12 goals, 18 assists in 30 games) and Jim Brown, who spent most of last season with the Newmarket Royals of the Ontario Hockey League. Brown had 44 goals and 45 assists in 62 games for the Royals. He had eight goals in eight games for the Admirals.
Brunette and Brown were teammates in Newmarket, in suburban Toronto.
``That's one reason they played so well together for us,'' Cullen said.
The Admirals open training camp in early October. Brophy says he will attend September training camps of the NHL's Washington Capitals and AHL's Portland (Maine) Pirates, with whom the Admirals have working agreements, in search of players.
PLAYOFFS: Cullen brought the ECHL rules committee to Norfolk recently to hammer out a proposed playoff format.
The committee, which includes commissioner Pat Kelly, proposed that 12 teams, the top four in the three divisions, each receive playoff bids. Three division champions would be crowned in the first two rounds.
The third round would include two teams, with one divisional champ receiving a bye based on overall records. The final round would include that team and the third-round winner.
A final playoff format must be approved by the 18 team owners, who meet Aug. 23-26 in Columbus.
Cullen concedes that there is significant support to include 16 teams in the playoffs.
``I don't think that's a good idea,'' he said. ``You're only leaving two teams out. Why even play the regular season? We've got to have some purpose for the (regular) season.''
AROUND THE ECHL: The ECHL All-Star Game will be held Jan. 24 in Greensboro. It was held at Scope last season. ... The Richmond Renegades have signed working agreements with the NHL's Hartford Whalers and the IHL's Minnesota Moose. The Renegades had been affiliated with the New York Islanders, who have signed an agreement with the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks. ... The Roanoke Express have renewed their working agreement with the San Jose Sharks. by CNB