THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Monday, January 13, 1997              TAG: 9701130190
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A6   EDITION: FINAL 
SERIES: THE NHL IN HAMPTON ROADS
SOURCE: Stories researched, written and compiled by staff writers
        Harry Minium, Karen Weintraub, Ed Miller, Mylene Mangalindan, Battinto
        Batts, Lon Wagner, Larry Bonko and Carl Fincke.
                                            LENGTH:   41 lines

RHINOS 101: WHAT'S NEXT

The NHL owners are expected to make a decision on who will be awarded expansion franchises sometime from mid-February to early summer. What's ahead:

New York presentation: George Shinn, would-be owner of the Hampton Roads Rhinos, makes his pitch to the NHL Board of Governors' Tuesday at 9 a.m. in New York.

Approving the deal: City councils and county boards of commissioners in 15 regional municipalities will have to sign off on the arena deal between Shinn and the Hampton Roads Partnership that calls for a $1.50 contribution per resident per year for 30 years. The General Assembly will have to approve sales taxes collected at the arena being used to repay arena debt. In the end, the region would have to sign an arena contract with Shinn, formalizing the ``agreement in principle'' reached last Thursday.

Addressing regionalism: In order to get area cities to agree to participate in an arena deal, Norfolk, because the arena will be built there, might need to come up with a package that gives everyone something. Norfolk recently hired consultant Rick Horrow, who has submitted a proposal to the Partnership in which he would be hired to develop a consensus to regionally fund a package of projects that might include the arena, light rail and a Virginia Beach convention center.

Private-sector fund raising: The Hampton Roads Partnership, which is leading the arena effort, will have to secure $30 million from the private sector to help reduce the public's debt load. That money would come from selling naming rights and from companies selected to sell concessions and beer.

Ticket and suite sales: The NHL is expected to require all expansion candidates to have sold 12,000 season tickets and 40 luxury suites before being considered for a franchise. That means the Rhinos will continue to pitch season tickets and luxury suites to the Hampton Roads community.

KEYWORDS: NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE FRANCHISE