THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 19, 1995 TAG: 9510190492
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 97 lines
Two things were evident Wednesday night when the Hampton Roads Admirals took the Scope ice for their regular-season home opener.
First, the working agreements the Admirals signed last summer with clubs from higher leagues have worked out better than coach John Brophy could have dreamed. Led largely by players who were assigned to Hampton Roads, the Admirals held off the Raleigh IceCaps, 6-4, to run their record to 2-0.
Second, the Admirals have become something of poster boys for multiculturalism. With five French Canadians and two Russians on their roster, the Admirals need interpreters to communicate, yet seemed to click like clockwork in spite of the language differences.
Assistant coach Al MacIsaac persuaded an Old Dominion University professor who speaks Russian to help defensemen Alexei Krivchenkov and Sergei Voronov and their families get settled in Wednesday morning after they arrived in Norfolk. Both were optioned to Hampton Roads by the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. Neither speaks a word of English.
The interpreter left before gametime, but Admirals forward Trevor Halverson said: ``Nobody needs to tell them how to play hockey. They're Russians. They know the game.''
So, it would seem, do the French Canadians. David St. Pierre and Claude Maltais, Quebec natives who played on the first line with Halverson, both sparkled in their home debuts. Maltais had a goal and three assists while St. Pierre had four assists, including three deft cross-ice passes that led directly to goals.
Two more French Canadians also played well. Serge Aubin, who arrived with the Russians, added a goal and an assist. Claude Fillion also had a goal.
All four are among nine players under contract to Pittsburgh or Portland of the American Hockey League, with whom the Admirals signed working agreements this summer.
``The working agreements have been great,'' Brophy said. ``We've got nine players out there we probably wouldn't have and who would be playing for somebody else.''
That St. Pierre was playing at all was something of a surprise. He hadn't skated since the Admirals 4-2 victory at Charlotte in their opener last Saturday after pulling a groin muscle.
``I can't skate, I can barely walk,'' said St. Pierre, who speaks fluent English and serves as an interpreter for some of his Quebec teammates.
``I will play much better when I can skate.''
Halverson added two goals, both on assists from St. Pierre, on a night when the Admirals pelted the Raleigh goal with 39 shots, but had some defensive lapses.
``We're going to score some goals,'' Brophy said. ``We know that. Once we learn to keep the puck out of our net, we'll be fine.''
The Admirals appeared on their way to blowing out the IceCaps (0-2) in the first period when Maltais, Halverson and Jeff Kostuch all scored in the first 10:31.
Raleigh coach Kurt Kleinendorst then called a timeout, and the IceCaps responded with goals by Spencer Meany and Brad Willner to make it 3-2.
The Admirals dominated the second period and led, 5-2, early in the third when Raleigh mounted another comeback. Mike Dennis made it 5-3 on an unusual goal - it hit the board behind the net, rebounded forward, hit goaltender Corwin Saurdiff and bounced into the net. It was the second goal of the night that took a funny bounce and went in after hitting Saurdiff.
``They got some cheap goals,'' Brophy said. ``They were bouncing around and just took a bad bounce.
``But Saurdiff played well. He had some great saves.''
Raleigh made it 5-4 at 13:36 when Jim Powers knocked in the rebound of a missed shot. However, Saurdiff snuffed out the potential tying goal at 17:00 when he slapped away a breakaway slap shot from Steve Potvin.
Aubin then put the game out of reach at 19:08 when, with Raleigh goaltender Sergei Tkachenko on the bench, he stole the puck from an IceCap and knocked a backhanded wrister into the net.
Perhaps the only disappointment of the night for the Admirals, especially the younger players who had heard tall tales about the rabid crowds at Scope, was that a relatively quiet crowd of only 5,805 was on hand.
``It's a Wednesday night. I'm never disappointed with a crowd in Norfolk,'' Brophy said.
``Friday night's our big night here. We're 2-0 with Charlotte coming in Friday. They'll come to see us.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photos]
PAUL AIKEN
The Virginian-Pilot
Serge Aubin of the Hampton Roads Admirals takes to the air after
being tripped Wednesday night. The Canadian contributed a goal and
an assist before 5,805 fans at Scope, as the brigade of players
assigned from the AHL and IHL turned in strong performances.
PAUL AIKEN
The Virginian-Pilot
The Admirals' David St. Pierre, right, who had a sparkling
four-assist night, tries to work the puck around Raleigh's Lenny
Pereira.
by CNB