THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 21, 1995 TAG: 9501210333
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Hampton Roads Admirals coach John Brophy could be faced with making the painful choice next week of having to put one of his four veterans on the sidelines.
Admirals center Trevor Halverson has nearly recovered from an ankle injury and will soon be available to play, probably next Friday when the Admirals host Charlotte.
But Halverson is a veteran, and the Admirals already have the league limit of three on their roster. Veterans are defined by the ECHL as players entering their fourth year of professional hockey.
The other veterans - forward Dennis McEwen, left wing Rod Taylor and defenseman Rob MacInnis - are all playing well on a team that's red hot. And that means one of the four will have to be placed (or left) on injured reserve or traded.
McEwen, who came off injured reserve when Halverson was injured in mid December, has played a key role in the Admirals' recovery from their worst start ever. Hampton Roads is 10-2 since his return, and he is the team captain.
Taylor is the team's leading scorer. MacInnis is one of the team's top defensemen, and is under contract to the Portland Pirates, who would not look kindly upon him being sidelined.
Halverson was the captain while McEwen was out, had 23 points in 22 games and is one of the team's most physical players.
Brophy says he has ``no idea'' what he's going to do. ``A lot could happen before (Friday),'' he said. ``We'll just have to see.''
Asked who he would pick among the four to sideline, he said: ``How do you pick between them?''
McEwen is bitter about the veterans rule, and says it should be abolished. He notes that the ECHL is the only minor league with a veterans rule, and that the Colonial Hockey League is recruiting ECHL veterans.
``We've got four good veterans,'' he said. ``Why should the league give one of us away? Why should one of us to go to the Colonial League or someplace like that?
``There are players in the Colonial who would like to play here, who would make this a better league, but are in the Colonial because of our veterans rule. Kevin Kerr (of Flint, Mich.) leads the Colonial League in scoring. Why do you think he's playing in the Colonial? Because he's a veteran in this league. They don't have a salary cap. They can pay him more, and he doesn't have to worry about a veteran's spot.
``I saw a story on him (in Hockey Ink) and he says in the article that they get good, seasoned players in the Colonial because of the veterans rule in the East Coast Hockey League. He said thanks a lot to the ECHL, that their league is going to blow by ours.
``I don't mind this league being a developmental league. The AHL and to a lesser extent the IHL are both developmental leagues, too. But they're not going to give away a starting spot to a kid who's not better than the veteran. It's almost discrimination.
``If I wasn't tied to the area I'd probably be in the Colonial now. But I live here and I'm not leaving.''
UPDATING LALIME: Goaltender Patrick LaLime says he still hasn't decided whether he will accept a contract offer made earlier this week by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who would assign him to Cleveland of the IHL.
LaLime was also scouted Friday by Montreal and Winnipeg, which would like him to wait until June, when Pittsburgh's rights to him expire. LaLime now doesn't expect to make a decision until next week. by CNB