THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 12, 1995 TAG: 9501120519
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
Like everyone else in professional hockey, the Hampton Roads Admirals celebrated the end of the NHL's protracted lockout Wednesday. But they did so with a hint of trepidation.
Assistant coach Al MacIsaac is among those who worry that the beginning of the NHL season could mean major personnel losses for the Admirals.
He's concerned that the NHL, looking for guys already in game shape, will raid the AHL and IHL for bench strength.
Moreover, several NHL teams, such as the Washington Capitals, the Admirals' parent club, persuaded some of their marginal players to play in the minors. Once those players are called up, the IHL and AHL will be seeking replacements in the ECHL, and Hampton Roads has the league's hottest team.
``I assume Portland will be sucked dry of players,'' MacIsaac said of the Admirals' AHL affiliate. ``They're going to have to look elsewhere for players, and that means they'll look to us. We could lose players as soon as this weekend.''
Among the players the Admirals fear could be lost are forwards John Porco, Rick Kowalsky, Matt Mallgrave and Rod Taylor, defensemen Ron Pascucci, Brian Goudie, Rob MacInnis and Chris Phelps, and goaltenders Corwin Saurdiff and Patrick LaLime.
Goudie, MacInnis and Mallgrave are under contract to Portland and thus are being paid in large part by the Pirates. Saurdiff is under contract to the San Jose Sharks.
``We aren't going to lose all of those guys,'' MacIsaac said. ``But I suspect we'll lose some of them.''
Personnel losses could hardly come at a worse time for Hampton Roads, excepting the playoffs. The Admirals, in last place in the East Division in early December, have won a team-record eight in a row and are within a point of the first-place Charlotte Checkers, whom they host Friday at Scope.
``The team is hot,'' Admirals president Blake Cullen said. ``They're playing so well. Losing some players now would really hurt.''
The Admirals have the right to reject requests for players from any IHL or AHL team. Yet even if teams not affiliated with the Admirals come calling, they'll get what they ask for.
``One of the first things we tell players when we're recruiting them is that if they have the chance to go to a higher league, we never say no,'' Cullen said.
``That's not the case everywhere. Some teams hold onto players. But we keep our word. We give all of our guys the chance to move up.''
Sometimes the Admirals even push players out the door. Such was the case last season, when the IHL's Cleveland Lumberjacks called and asked Victor Gervais to come up for a short stint after 31 games with Hampton Roads.
Gervais told coach John Brophy that he wanted to stay in Norfolk to help the team win a championship and to rack up stats that might help him land a permanent contract elsewhere this season.
``We told him he had to go, that this was a chance for him to make an impression in Cleveland,'' MacIsaac said. ``We practically forced him to go.''
Gervais wound up sticking in Cleveland. At the end of the season, he signed a three-year deal in a league in which the average salary is $65,000.
Cullen maintains hope that the end of the lockout could be beneficial to his club.
``At first I thought an end to the lockout would hurt us,'' he said. ``Now, I think it could help. It's been difficult for Washington to get players to Portland or to us. They've been so tied up with the lockout.
``Now that it's over, they should be anxious to develop more players. We're hoping that we'll start getting more players as a result.''
But he added: ``We really don't know what's going to happen. We're just guessing. It will take some time for this to all play out.''
Added head coach John Brophy, who coached the Toronto Maple Leaps for 2 1/2 seasons: ``It's great for hockey. I couldn't imagine going through the season without NHL hockey.'' by CNB