THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, February 17, 1995 TAG: 9502170671
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
The slumping Hampton Roads Admirals suffered a major blow Thursday when right wing Rick Kowalsky, an ECHL All-Star and the team's third-leading scorer, was called up by Cornwall of the AHL.
Kowalsky played for Cornwall last season, but his call-up this late in the season was unexpected.
``They said when I came here they would be looking at me,'' Kowalsky said. ``But at this point, I didn't expect to hear from them.''
Kowalsky got the word at 2 p.m. Thursday. After hastily packing, he boarded a plane at 3:50 p.m. at Norfolk International Airport.
``They told me they're short a few guys,'' Kowalsky said as he threw pads, sticks and other equipment into a bag.
``They said I'd be there through the weekend and that we'd see after that. It's hard to predict what's going to happen.''
Kowalsky had 28 goals and 24 assists in 47 games for the Admirals. He is second on the team with five game-winning goals.
He had been playing on the first line with John Porco and Rod Taylor, the team's top two scorers. There's no word as to who will replace him on the line, though Kelly Sorensen is the likely candidate.
``Every day is a jungle,'' coach John Brophy said after learning of Kowalksy's call-up. ``He played great with Taylor and Porco. Obviously, it's going to hurt us. He's a good guy for our team.''
The Admirals have lost seven of their last 10 games and host Dayton, third in the ECHL with 69 points, tonight at Scope in their last home game before embarking on a 13-game road trip.
NO EMOTION: Brophy said the Admirals had their best practice in more than a week Thursday, but he apparently is still steaming over a 4-2 loss to Roanoke Wednesday.
He met with the team behind closed doors for about 15 minutes after practice. He then ordered them to report to a Norfolk hotel Thursday night, where they spent the night in an apparent effort to help them avoid any distractions.
``We're not playing with much emotion or passion, and I don't see many people unhappy with losing,'' Brophy said.
``There aren't too many excuses for losing a hockey game because you didn't try, and we didn't try against Roanoke. I don't think any excuse in the world can cover for that, since we're making our living playing hockey.
``We've got a team good enough to win. We've proved we can win. But people don't seem too upset over losing.''
THE OWNER SPEAKS: Rarely does Admirals president Blake Cullen venture into the locker room. ``It's not my place. It's the place for the players and coaches,'' he says.
But he made an exception Thursday, when he met briefly with the players before practice. He said he wanted to ``clear the air'' about the recently announced move by the Professional Hockey Players Association to unionize the ECHL.
``The one point I wanted to make clear is that things aren't changing,'' Cullen said of the perks he provides the team, such as meals and more liberal travel accommodations than are provided by most ECHL teams.
``We're going to do things here the way we've always done them. I told them that our goals are to win a championship and to provide them with the best hockey experience of their lives.''
Players said earlier this week that they were aware Cullen was hurt and angered by the team's overwhelming vote for the union and a decision not to give him a chance to speak before the vote. Some privately voiced the fear that Cullen would reduce or do away with perks.
``All that's in the past,'' Cullen said. ``I'm over it. If there was a bubble of tension, and I suspect there was, I wanted to burst it.''
Apparently he did. Following practice, players streamed into his office to ask for favors or to just to sit and talk.
HOMECOMING: Dayton will have a familiar face in its lineup tonight. Pat Cavanaugh, a former Admiral and a local resident who works with youth hockey in Virginia Beach in the offseason, will start at forward.
Cavanaugh has alternated between Dayton and Peoria of the IHL this season. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Right wing Rick Kowalsky had 52 points in 47 games for the
Admirals.
by CNB