THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 10, 1995 TAG: 9502100675
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
The bad news for Dennis McEwen was expected - he was placed on the 14-day injured reserve list Thursday by the Hampton Roads Admirals.
The good news was unexpected - he has been asked to become an assistant coach in everything but name.
McEwen is one of four veterans on the Admirals' roster, and league rules allow only three. Officials put McEwen on injured reserve because it was the best of several bad choices. The others were to waive him or to waive one of the other veterans.
The Admirals avoided sidelining McEwen last week when he was called up to Portland of the AHL. But he returned Sunday, and the Admirals' veterans problem hadn't gone away.
Coach John Brophy and assistant Al MacIsaac met with McEwen, the only player left from the Admirals' inaugural season six years ago, to give him the word, and to ask him to accept off-the-ice responsibilities.
Wearing headphones, he will sit on press row at Admirals games and speak with MacIsaac. He'll continue to practice with the team, but will be involved in some strategy meetings with Brophy and MacIsaac.
But on Thursday, the headphones didn't work, McEwen said with a laugh.
Nonetheless, he took notes and offered advice to the coaches between periods.
Admirals president Blake Cullen said the Admirals aren't trying to fool anyone by putting McEwen on injured reserve. ``I make no bones about it, he's not hurt,'' Cullen said. ``It was basically the only option we had.''
McEwen said he doesn't believe in players doubling as coaches, but acknowledges that he wants to coach when he retires and that the opportunity was too good to pass.
``I'm just another set of eyes to see what's going on. I can see things they can't from the bench,'' he said.
His feelings about the veterans rule aren't quite as positive.
``It stinks,'' he said. ``The first guy I saw affected by it was Murray Hood. They did everything they could to keep him in the organization. It scared me to death when he had to stop playing because of that stupid rule.''
McEwen hopes to return to the Admirals lineup before the season ends. Veteran Trevor Halverson, who recently returned from an injury, could be called up by Portland.
The Pirates have told Brophy they want to see whether Halverson is fully recovered from an ankle sprain that sidelined him for almost seven weeks before making a decision on whether to recall him. Halverson, a first-round NHL draft choice when he played junior hockey, played briefly in Portland earlier this season.
NO TV: Tonight's game with Wheeling was to be telecast to West Virginia, but officials called Thursday to say the TV crew wouldn't be arriving after all. It seems that most of those in the crew came down with the flu. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Dennis McEwen
by CNB