THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 13, 1996 TAG: 9603130655
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Hampton Roads Admirals coach John Brophy has a special review of the latest home movie produced by the rival Richmond Renegades, one he says he'll share with them Saturday night at Scope.
``I'm gonna dump this on their heads,'' Brophy vows.
In his hand, Brophy held a videocassette the Renegades compiled from the Jan. 24 Hampton Roads-Richmond game at Scope and sent to commissioner Pat Kelly. After seeing it, Kelly suspended Hampton Roads defenseman Steve Richards - the least-penalized regular on the team with 29 minutes all season - for Saturday night's game.
After Tuesday's practice, Brophy blasted the Renegades for compiling the videocassette and sending it to the commissioner.
``We've got guys with broken arms, a broken jaw; hey, there's no penalties, no suspensions, for the players who did it. Nothing. But let Richmond go cryin' to the league . . .''
What riles Brophy most is that the Renegades are the ECHL's most-penalized team at 2,992 minutes, an average of 46 per game. The Admirals are third with 2,438 - 325 minutes behind Louisiana, 554 minutes behind the Renegades.
Richmond's Scott Gruhl is third in minor penalties with 81, just ahead of Admirals defenseman Sergei Voronov. Earlier this season, Gruhl had a league-high 22-game streak with at least one penalty. The Renegades' Trevor Senn is second in major penalties with 32 and second in penalty minutes with 442.
``And they're making films to send to the commissioner?'' an incredulous Brophy asked. ``They can take that crap home.
``We can't get a highlight film of them because they never do anything,'' he said sarcastically. ``They've got Einsteins playing their wings. Richmond players lay on the ice after they've been hit. We train our guys to get up. Evidently, they don't.
``I know they're winning - congratulations to them. But don't send highlight films to the commissioner, whining about the way we play hockey when they lead the league in penalties. They act like they've won the damn (Jack Riley) Cup already. Hell, this isn't over yet.''
Kelly said it's hardly unusual for him to receive a videocassette with several controversial plays on it.
``I feel like MGM this year,'' he said. ``I've watched so much film, I'm wearing the glasses that make everything bigger.
``When teams have more than one play they're concerned about, they put more than one play on a tape. I review them and make a ruling off what I see. Simple as that.
``We welcome the tapes. We're building a library that we plan to show our officials at training sessions next year. We'll show them goals, missed goals, penalties, missed penalties, whatever we can to make them better.''
In an unrelated ruling, Kelly levied a three-game suspension against Admirals wing Aaron Downey for his game-misconduct penalty Sunday night against Roanoke. Downey will miss Friday and Saturday's home games against South Carolina and Richmond and Sunday's game at South Carolina. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
``I'm gonna dump this on their heads,'' coach John Brophy said of
the offending game clip.
by CNB