THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 2, 1995 TAG: 9511020502
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
It began as a mole on his back, then developed into a tumor. By the time doctors discovered the melanoma, it had seeped into Billy Hall's spine.
By then nothing could be done. Last June, six months after the cancer was diagnosed, the strapping junior defenseman from Toronto was dead.
It crushed Aaron Downey, Hall's teammate at Halifax, Nova Scotia, for nearly two seasons. ``He was my best friend,'' Downey said.
Downey made a pledge during training camp this season that if he made the Hampton Roads Admirals, he would find a way to honor Hall.
So last week he walked in Blake Cullen's office and asked the Admirals owner if he could change his number. He had been given 21 by the team. He asked to wear 49, a combination of the numbers he and Hall wore as teammates.
Such requests have never been granted by the Admirals after the season has begun. Too confusing for the fans, players are told. But in this case, Cullen quickly agreed.
``I talked with my parents and my girlfriend about doing this and they encouraged me to do it,'' Downey said.
``His parents don't know yet, but I'm going to call them. I'm sure it will touch their hearts.''
Hall was a Toronto Maple Leafs fan and spoke of Admirals coach John Brophy, who coached the Leafs for three seasons.
``He'd love to be here playing for Broph, in a nice arena like this,'' Downey said. ``He's the one who should be here. He deserved this.
``It was so hard to let go of him. He was such a great guy. I think of him every day.''
And every time he skates on the ice.
OBSTRUCTED: Brophy is smarting from the frequency of obstruction calls in his team's first seven games. Though the Admirals' penalty minutes are down considerably from last season, the ECHL has adhered to an NHL edict that obstructing a player away from the puck be deemed a penalty.
``I see NHL games all the time on TV and I don't see too many obstruction penalties called,'' he said. ``They've already stopped calling it. They haven't stopped in our league. We have 40 (penalty) minutes before the game starts.
``You know, they never change the rules in football. You can hit a guy as hard as you like and nobody cares. But we've got a basketball guy (NHL commissioner Gary Bettman) who's in charge of hockey. Who knows what he wants? I guess he wants us to be like basketball. Maybe he'll start giving us three points for every goal.''
AHL UPDATE: The specter of an American Hockey League raid of ECHL cities continues. The Richmond Times-Dispatch recently reported that officials from the Baltimore Bandits, an AHL expansion team, contacted Richmond Coliseum officials about moving an AHL expansion team into Virginia's state capital.
The Baltimore offer was rebuffed because the ECHL defending champion Renegades already have a lease on the building.
Last season the AHL attempted to persuade Hampton Roads, Richmond, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, Roanoke and South Carolina to jump leagues. Only Greensboro took the leap, and the Monarchs' success has been spotty. The Carolina Monarchs, as they are now known, drew 3,707 for their opener and are averaging 4,302 per game, about 1,500 less than they averaged in the ECHL.
SLAP SHOTS: David St. Pierre, the Admirals' top scorer, is listed as probable for Friday's game with Richmond at Scope. He has a pulled hamstring. Trainer Rick Burrill said defenseman Bob Woods (pulled stomach muscle) and Downey (bruised hand) are ``day-to-day. We won't know until Friday.'' . . . Trevor Halverson and St. Pierre will take calls from listeners tonight on the Admirals Report on WTAR, AM-790, at 7:05. . . . Goaltender Corwin Saurdiff remains hospitalized with colitis, but is still improving, Burrill said. . . . Goalie Darryl Paquette chose a good time to record his first professional shutout last Friday at Scope. A scout from the Washington Capitals was in town to see the 6-0 Admirals victory. Paquette is under contract to the Portland (Maine) Pirates, the Caps' AHL affiliate. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Aaron Downey's new jersey number honors an ex-teammate and ``best
friend'' who died of cancer.
by CNB