
DATE: Sunday, March 2, 1997                 TAG: 9703020189

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER

                                            LENGTH:  139 lines

NORFOLK AGAIN ON AHL'S EXPANSION WISH LIST WITH THE ADMIRALS' LEASE EXPIRING NEXT YEAR, THE CITY IS WILLING TO LISTEN.

The American Hockey League once again is targeting Hampton Roads as an expansion site, and unlike two years ago, the city of Norfolk appears willing to listen.

The Maine Sunday Telegram of Portland reports in today's editions that AHL officials say they are courting ownership groups interested in putting an AHL team in Scope, including Mark Garcea and Page Johnson, owners of the Hampton Roads Admirals. Sources say the Pittsburgh Penguins are interested in moving their top farm-club affiliation from Cleveland of the International Hockey League to Norfolk if the AHL expands here.

Garcea and Johnson acknowledge having considered a move to the AHL but say they rejected the idea and remain committed to the East Coast Hockey League.

``We investigated the possibility and determined that the market was not suitable for this league at this time,'' Johnson said. ``Our concerns were cost, mostly in travel and player salaries and the available . . . rivals in the AHL. For those reasons we decided that the East Coast Hockey League was the best league at this time.''

However, the Admirals' lease at Scope expires after the 1997-98 season. Bill Luther, director of civic facilities for Norfolk, says he's willing to talk to other ownership groups interested in replacing the Admirals in 1998-99 with an AHL team.

``If someone wants to talk (about moving an AHL team to Scope), I'll listen,'' Luther said. ``I've always said I'll listen to any group that wants to talk to us.''

Asked if he's talked with groups interesting in putting an AHL team in Norfolk, Luther declined comment. However, sources say Luther has been contacted by two groups interested in moving an AHL team to Hampton Roads.

Groups interested in moving IHL or Central Hockey League teams to Norfolk have also contacted Luther, sources say, but those overtures are not considered as serious.

AHL officials, who could not be reached for comment for this story, have targeted several Southern and Midwestern cities for expansion, including Norfolk; Charleston, S.C.; Cincinnati and Fayetteville, N.C., the Maine newspaper reports.

The AHL is considered minor league hockey's equivalent to Triple-A baseball is home to most of the NHL's top farm teams. The Hampton Roads Admirals are a farm team of the AHL's Portland (Maine) Pirates.

Two years ago, the AHL tried to start a Southern Division by attracting teams from some of the ECHL's larger markets. AHL officials met with representatives from Hampton Roads, Greensboro, Richmond, Roanoke, Charlotte, South Carolina (Charleston) and Raleigh.

The talks broke down over entry fees - the AHL wanted cities to pay $1 million per franchise and give up their ECHL franchises without compensation. Led by Blake Cullen, then owner of the Admirals, all of the ECHL teams except Greensboro elected to remain in the ECHL.

A group that eventually put an AHL team in Lexington, Ky., tried to bring the team to Norfolk, but Luther told them that they could do so only by buying Cullen's franchise, something they were unwilling to do.

The city appears less committed to Johnson and Garcea, who bought the team from Cullen last spring, in part, officials say privately, because the Admirals appear less committed to remaining in Norfolk.

Norfolk and the Admirals' new owners have squabbled over the team's lease. Relations between the Admirals and city officials were further strained by Norfolk's attempt to acquire an NHL expansion team. The city was enthusiastic about the NHL, while the Admirals were perceived to be opposed to the Rhinos, as the team would have been called.

Johnson denied actively opposing the Rhinos, though he acknowledges he did not think the region was ready for the NHL. The NHL announced Feb. 19 that Hampton Roads would not get an expansion team.

Relations hit a new low last month when word leaked that the Admirals were interested in a public-private venture to build an arena in the suburbs if the NHL did not expand to Hampton Roads. Though Johnson said he had nothing to do with the timing of the leak - just days before the NHL was to meet to discuss expansion - it infuriated Norfolk officials.

Johnson and Garcea say they have asked for an extension of their lease through the 1999-2000 season. It would take at least three years for a new arena to be constructed.

Luther said he will meet with Admirals officials soon to begin discussing a lease extension. But privately, city officials say they're hesitant to grant an extension to owners who might then turn around and help build an arena that would compete with Scope and leave Norfolk without hockey.

Garcea and Johnson met recently with Norfolk City Councilman Randy Wright, and on Friday they met with Norfolk economic development director Ron Woolard. Wright would not comment on the meetings other than to say: ``The Admirals belong in Norfolk. I want to do all I can to ensure they remain in Norfolk.''

The AHL brand of hockey would be better than the ECHL, and more expensive. Ticket prices would rise and the Admirals would lose many of their natural rivals. Two years ago, Cullen estimated ticket prices would have risen $8-$10 if he had moved to the AHL.

Carolina, as the former ECHL Greensboro franchise is now known, has fared poorly in the AHL, averaging about 4,000 per game. The team averaged more than 6,000 per game and made money in the ECHL but reportedly lost more than $1 million last season.

The Portland newspaper reports AHL sources as saying they are determined to find rivals for Carolina, which is blaming a lack of geographical rivals for its attendance drop.

One ECHL owner, who asked not to be identified, said it's only a matter of time before two of Greensboro's former ECHL rivals move to the AHL or IHL. Both Raleigh and Charlotte are discussing new coliseums. Raleigh's coliseum has been approved and the ECHL owner says city officials have told him they plan to bring in an IHL or AHL team. The owner also expects Charlotte to follow suit if that city approves a new arena.

Richmond Renegades officials were not available for comment, but team owner Harry Feuerstein said during the AHL's previous courtship of his team that he must be in the same league with Hampton Roads, his team's chief rival.

Carolina is in the AHL's Mid-Atlantic division with Kentucky (Lexington), Baltimore, Philadelphia and Hershey (Pa.). The Baltimore team likely will move to Cincinnati, according to the Portland newspaper. ILLUSTRATION: ABOUT THE AHL

Level of play: The American Hockey League is hockey's equivalent

to Triple-A baseball and includes most of the National Hockey

League's top farm teams. The AHL is a step above the East Coast

Hockey League, in which the Hampton Roads Admirals play.

What it would mean: If an AHL team came to Norfolk, ticket prices

would rise because AHL players draw higher salaries than ECHL

players. Also, the new team would have to create new on-ice

rivalries.

The teams: The AHL has 18 franchises, mostly in the Northeast.

AHL FRANCHISES

St. John's, New Brunswick

Saint John, Newfoundland