THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, May 28, 1996 TAG: 9605280048
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GULFPORT, MISS. LENGTH: 101 lines
Mark Garcea and Page Johnson said Monday that they have finalized a deal to purchase the Hampton Roads Admirals from Blake Cullen.
The sale is expected to be approved this morning by the East Coast Hockey League's board of governors. The change of ownership, the first in the team's history, is the first item on the agenda for the league's spring meetings, which begin today.
Garcea and Johnson, Hampton Roads natives who own the Mariners professional soccer team, and Cullen, who started the Admirals as an expansion franchise seven years ago, all flew to Gulfport on Monday after a long weekend of negotiations that finally sealed the deal.
``We're glad it's over, very glad things worked out,'' said Johnson, who with Garcea has been publicly silent about the sale for nearly five weeks because of a confidentiality agreement they had signed with Cullen. That agreement expired last weekend.
Cullen will attend today's meeting only briefly. After the sale is approved, officials plan a brief ceremony honoring him. He then will depart for business meetings elsewhere.
Cullen, who also was bound by the confidentiality agreement, was unavailable for comment Monday.
The price of the sale isn't known. Cullen had sought $2.8 million for the franchise he purchased for $25,000 in 1989 - considered a risky investment at that time.
Three hockey teams had failed in Hampton Roads before Cullen's arrival, but the Admirals were an immediate success at the gate, won ECHL championships in their second and third seasons, and are generally credited with having sparked a minor-league hockey explosion in the South.
Johnson and Garcea say they plan few immediate changes: Ticket prices will stay at $8 per ticket; the front office and training staffs will be asked to remain, and the team will attempt to extend working agreements with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League.
But they would not commit to keeping John Brophy, the team's fiery, outspoken head coach.
Brophy, the only coach the team has had, remains popular with fans. But the Admirals have stumbled in the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, and Brophy has had numerous brushes with officials that led to suspensions, prompting Cullen briefly to consider firing Brophy before he sold the team.
``We haven't had a chance to talk to John Brophy,'' Johnson said. ``Mark and I haven't talked about it yet. We don't know the man. We'd like to meet him to see what he's all about. We've heard a lot of things about him and are looking forward to meeting him.''
They were scheduled to meet Brophy about 10 days ago, but Garcea was delayed by a canceled airline flight and could not make the meeting.
Brophy said in a telephone interview that he's ``looking forward to meeting them,'' but otherwise declined comment.
The new owners will hire a general manager to run the team.
Cullen, with 20 years of management experience in major league baseball, ran the Admirals himself. Garcea and Johnson will manage the team for several weeks, but they say they have neither the time nor the expertise to be responsible for day-to-day decisions year-round.
``Page has spoken with two or three candidates,'' Garcea said. ``We hope to have an announcement in about three weeks.''
Garcea, a Norfolk native, owns a Virginia Beach electronics firm and a string of Virginia Beach hotels. He also is a minority investor in the Norfolk Tides. Johnson, a Chesapeake native, is a certified public accountant and heads Garcea's Virginia Beach-based investment company.
The other major local bid for the Admirals was from a group led by Norfolk Tides president Ken Young.
Garcea, who will have a majority interest in the team, said he and Johnson purchased the Admirals in part to take advantage of economies of scale - the Admirals and Mariners will share offices and some employees.
``I like the sport, I like the excitement of it and I think it's a good long-term investment,'' Garcea said of the Admirals.
``What makes sense, I think, is the synergy we can have with the Mariners. We can do a lot of things with both teams. One is a summer game, another's in the winter. There are things we can do together.
``Long-range, it can be a very good investment. But it's like sports at any level. There are always risks in any investment. We don't expect to get rich and we know we've got to work with the city and that we've got to make it work for the fans. The fans are our main concern.''
Johnson and Garcea have not met owners from the ECHL's 22 other teams and only last week met ECHL president and CEO Rick Adams, who flew to Hampton Roads for a day.
``It will be good for us to get away this week and establish a game plan, and to meet the fellas,'' the other owners, Johnson said with a laugh.
``We haven't had a chance yet to focus on what we're going to do with the team, and we've got a lot to do in a short time.
``The good news is that the franchise is in great shape. Blake Cullen did a tremendous job with the Admirals. He deserves a lot of credit for what he and his team have done for Hampton Roads.'' ILLUSTRATION: Buyers Mark Garcea, left, and Page Johnson, who own
the Mariners soccer team, say hockey admission will stay at $8 and
the front-office and training staffs will be asked to remain.
Admirals owner Blake Cullen
GRAPHIC
ADMIRAL'S RECENT HISTORY
The Virginian-Pilot
SOURCE: East Coast Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book
[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.] by CNB