THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 3, 1996 TAG: 9602030463
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
Chris Phelps, the Hampton Roads Admirals' All-Star defenseman, will miss at least four weeks after breaking his jaw in two places Tuesday against the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks.
The Admirals placed Phelps on the 30-day injured list Friday and activated defenseman Claude Fillion. Depending on his pace of recovery, Phelps could be moved to the team's 60-day injury list.
Phelps was injured during the first period of a 2-1 loss to the Tiger Sharks when defenseman Alexander Savchenkov elbowed him in the head. Savchenkov received a two-minute penalty, a call that has infuriated Admirals president Blake Cullen.
Cullen wants to appeal the penalty, contending that it was far too lenient considering the nature of the infraction. He tried to take the first step in that process by reviewing game film provided by Tallahassee. Each home team is required to produce three tapes of the game - one for its records, one for the visiting team and one for the league in case of a controversy. But the only plays provided Cullen were of the shootout.
Cullen has asked ECHL commissioner Pat Kelly to acquire films of the entire game.
Phelps likely won't be able to do any skating during his recovery period. He will be able to participate in off-ice conditioning.
MORE INJURIES: Top goaltender Mark Bernard was held out of Friday night's game against Nashville after aggravating an old shoulder injury during the final moments of Thursday's practice session at Scope. He took therapy on the injury and is expected back in the lineup tonight against Roanoke. . . . Serge Aubin's elbow injury is more serious than first anticipated, and it's likely he'll miss more than the two games initially expected.
DOUBLE JEOPARDY: Cullen is none too pleased with Kelly over a decision the commissioner made regarding Raleigh IceCaps goaltender Geoff Finch.
Ed Broyhill owns both the Wheeling and Raleigh teams. Finch has played for both; for Wheeling last season, for the IceCaps this season.
After Finch beat the Admirals 5-3 on Jan. 26, Cullen protested to Kelly that Finch shouldn't be allowed to shuttle from one Broyhill-owned team to another at the owner's whim.
Kelly ordered the IceCaps to make Finch available to the rest of the ECHL. No team claimed him, and Kelly ruled Finch eligible to return to Broyhill's employ.
``The point wasn't that we wanted him,'' Cullen said. ``The point is that a situation like that shouldn't exist.'' ILLUSTRATION: Chris Phelps
by CNB