THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 10, 1995 TAG: 9510100377
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Former Chicago Cubs pitcher Ferguson Jenkins will drop the ceremonial first puck Wednesday, Oct. 18, for the Hampton Roads Admirals' home opener against Raleigh.
Jenkins and Admirals president Blake Cullen became friends when Cullen was vice president of the Chicago Cubs. Jenkins, the first native Canadian elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, was an amateur hockey player during the offseason while playing for the Cubs.
``Fergie played in a league at a rink in Chicago much like Iceland,'' Cullen said. ``He scared us to death playing hockey. We were so afraid he'd get hurt. But he loved it.''
Jenkins won 284 games in 19 major league seasons and is a Cubs pitching coach. Cullen said Jenkins will sign autographs during the game.
PLAYER MOVES: Though the Admirals reduced their roster to 21 players over the weekend, one more than the league limit, more player moves are expected prior to Saturday's regular-season opener in Charlotte.
For beginners, the team must cut one of its four goaltenders. Two - Corwin Saurdiff and Shamus Gregga - are under contract to teams in higher leagues and thus can't be cut. Mark Bernard, signed away from San Antonio of the Central Hockey League, is a fan favorite who played on two Admirals East Coast Hockey League champions. Yet rookie Darryl Paquette has been the most impressive player in goal so far in exhibitions and in practice. Moreover, Portland, the Admirals' American Hockey League affiliate, would like to sign Paquette to a two-way contract binding him to Portland and the Admirals.
Admirals officials won't rule out a trade.
Meanwhile, the roster includes four veterans, one more than the league limit of three. The ECHL is expected to liberalize the veterans rule once it concludes negotiations with the fledgling players union. But if the agreement isn't made before this weekend, one of the vets will have to go.
Returning stars Rod Taylor and Trevor Halverson are considered untouchable. So is Bob Woods, who is under contract to Portland and Hampton Roads. That would leave Kelly Sorensen on the chopping block if the rules don't change.
The Admirals expect as many as four more players from Portland and Cleveland, their International Hockey League affiliate.
The Admirals conclude their exhibition season tonight in Roanoke.
TERSE TERMINOLOGY: The expansion Jacksonville Lizard Kings have released definitions of 20 hockey terms in order to introduce North Florida fans to the sport, and the list includes a few on the bizarre side.
Chiclet, according to the list, is the piece of a broken tooth that falls onto the ice.
Cement head? That's a player with the sense of a twig.
Chirping is the act of talking to another player with whom you want a confrontation.
A mush is a player who cannot take a hit or fight.
And a puck bunny? A groupie between the ages of 18 and 30.
AROUND THE ECHL: The ECHL recently voted to admit Trenton, N.J., as an expansion franchise, but there will be no official word until Trenton officials finalize plans for a new arena. Trenton likely would join the league in 1997-98. Greenville, S.C., is scheduled to join the ECHL next season. . . . AHL commissioner Dave Andrews pledged in a radio interview Friday to refrain from luring any more ECHL cities to the AHL. Greensboro jumped leagues last season. However, Andrews acknowledged that he's hoping to put a franchise in Columbia, S.C., which has informally agreed to join the ECHL once its has built a new arena. . . . Wheeling has made general manager Larry Kish its head coach and hired 39-year-old center Ron Wilson as player-assistant coach. Wilson has 693 NHL games under his belt, most with St. Louis and Winnipeg. He had 48 points in 70 games for San Diego of the IHL last season. by CNB