THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 8, 1995 TAG: 9502080632
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
The International Hockey League's three small-market teams - Peoria, Ill., Kalamazoo, Mich., and Fort Wayne, Ind. - are discussing a move to the ECHL, sources in both leagues say.
One coach with an IHL team, who asked not to be identified, said the three teams are contemplating a move to the ECHL in 1996 or 1997.
The IHL, once a small Midwestern loop, has expanded into a major-market league that may have outgrown the three smaller markets - all with metropolitan populations of less than 500,000.
Detroit, Denver, Houston and Chicago were added this season, and all are averaging more than 11,000 fans per game. San Francisco, Orlando and Los Angeles will enter next season.
New York and several European cities are next on the agenda.
The league bills itself as the Wal-Mart of hockey, with a salary cap (average salary of about $65,000 per player) and a rule that stipulates 5,000 tickets at $10 or less must be available for every game.
But while the move into major markets has increased revenues, it also increased costs. Teams routinely fly across the continent and pay team salaries in excess of $1 million. ECHL payrolls are limited to $6,000 per team per week.
Meanwhile, Peoria (average attendance 5,583), Fort Wayne (7,369) and Kalamazoo (4,074) don't draw as well as the Hampton Roads Admirals, even though their ticket prices are similar. In Peoria the ticket prices are $8, $10 and $12, just slightly more than the Admirals' prices of $6 and $7.
In the larger markets, such as Houston and Detroit, the average price is about $18.
Peoria general manager Dennis Cyr says his team is breaking even, but only because of the enormous fees being paid by expansion teams - currently $6 million per franchise. Thirteen teams split expansion fees of $24 million this year alone.
``Right now we're breaking even because of expansion,'' Cyr said. ``That's not a healthy situation.
``A few years down the road, there won't be any more expansion. We have a few years to go to build a bigger foundation to survive.''
Or move on. He acknowledges that the ECHL would be attractive, but says Peoria might also look at the Colonial or Central leagues.
ECHL commissioner Pat Kelly did not return phone calls to his Charlotte office, but Admirals president Blake Cullen says he's heard that the three IHL teams might come on board.
``There's been a lot of talk about that, but I don't think there has been any formal contact yet,'' he said. ``If they do come into our league, they will have natural rivals.''
Dayton, Columbus and Toledo are nearby in Ohio, and Evansville, Ind., has asked to join the ECHL in 1996-97. A group in Louisville, Ky., is trying to revive that city's dormant ECHL franchise. And Columbia, S.C., Greenville, S.C., Pensacola, Fla., and Jacksonville, Fla., are seeking expansion franchises in the 19-team league.
ORIGINAL ADMIRAL BACK: Dennis McEwen has returned to the Admirals after a brief stint with the AHL's Portland Pirates.
He was called up last Thursday and returned Sunday without playing for the Pirates.
Alas for McEwen, the Admirals face the same veterans problem they had when he left. They have four veterans, and ECHL rules require they carry only three. McEwen must be added to the roster, waived, traded or placed on injured reserve by Thursday, when the Admirals host Erie at Scope.
Coach John Brophy says he doesn't know what he'll do Thursday. ``But none of the alternatives are good,'' he said.
ADMIRALS IN IHL: Seven former Admirals are playing in the IHL, including goaltenders Patrick LaLime (Cleveland) and Corwin Saurdiff (Kansas City), who were called up in January.
LaLime, the starter in Cleveland, had 32 saves in his first game but lost in a shootout to the Detroit Vipers. Former Admiral Kevin Malgunas, who recently signed a 25-game tryout with Detroit, had an assist in that contest.
Pittsburgh general manager Craig Patrick referred to LaLime as the No. 4 goaltender in the Penguins organization in a recent Associated Press story. His top goalie, Tom Barrasso, is out with an injury for two months. If either of Pittsburgh's current goaltenders is sidelined during that time, LaLime will likely move up to the NHL. LaLime is 1-1-1 in three games with a 5.1 goals-against average.
Victor Gervais, another former Admiral, has 41 points in 39 games and is Cleveland's No. 4 scorer.
Saurdiff is 0-1 after three appearances and has not played well, with a 7.53 goals-against average.
Two other former Admirals are playing well in goal. Parris Duffus has a 10-6-1 record and a 3.27 goals-against average for Peoria, and Byron Dafoe is 24-14-6 and 3.70 in Phoenix.
Malgunas has only one assist in 15 games in Detroit. Former Admiral Dave Morrisette has four assists in 39 games for Minnesota. by CNB