THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 29, 1996 TAG: 9605290541
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GULFPORT, MISS. LENGTH: 53 lines
The East Coast Hockey League's board of governors is expected to approve a three-year contract with the fledgling players union and to redefine the role of commissioner Pat Kelly at meetings this week, sources say.
Larry Landon, president of the Professional Hockey Players Association, spoke to the governors Tuesday at the Grand Casino Resort, where the league is holding its spring meetings. Landon and league president Rick Adams discussed provisions of the contract, which has been approved by the players.
The deal includes a slight raise in the salary cap, increased sharing of playoff revenues with players and a league-wide health insurance plan to be administered by the players association. Players will also receive a share of novelty sales.
The players association and league have been negotiating for more than a year after players voted last spring to affiliate with the union. The deal has been signed by union officials and needs only the signature of Adams to become official.
Kelly, meanwhile, will remain in Charlotte when the league's office moves from that city to Princeton, N.J. He will retain control of league referees and linesmen and will do scheduling, but other administrative duties will be assumed by Adams. The office is moving to Princeton to be near Adams' home.
The league's championship cup will be renamed the Pat Kelly Cup in honor of Kelly, who has been the league's only commissioner in its eight-year history. The cup was known as the Jack Riley Cup, in honor of the former American Hockey League president, for the previous eight seasons.
AROUND THE ECHL: Trenton, N.J., which had been scheduled to enter the league in 1997-98, likely won't join until 1998-99. Political infighting has delayed construction of an arena in downtown Trenton. ... Greenville, S.C., is expected to come into the league as scheduled in 1997-98. Work is on schedule for that city's downtown arena. ... Pensacola, Fla., home of the transplanted Nashville franchise, has hired Al Peterson, the former Boston Bruin, as its head coach. ... Columbus is looking for a coach after Moe Mantha left to coach in the Ontario Hockey League.
CANCELED: A Roller Hockey International exhibition game between Philadelphia and New Jersey tentatively slated for mid June at Scope has been canceled.
Philadelphia, coached by Hampton Roads Admirals assistant coach Al MacIsaac, features several former and current Admirals. The game was canceled when Admirals president Blake Cullen became involved in negotiations to sell the team. The sale was approved Tuesday by the ECHL.
NOT FINAL: The sale of the Admirals from Cullen to Mark Garcea and Page Johnson technically won't be finalized until early next week, even though a deal has been cut and paperwork signed. A closing, similar to a closing on a house, is expected to be held next Tuesday or Wednesday.
The following day, Cullen said, he will hold a press conference and Garcea and Johnson will move into his offices. by CNB