DATE: Sunday, April 27, 1997                TAG: 9704270171

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   46 lines

CITY OFFERS THE ADMIRALS 1-YEAR LEASE EXTENSION

The city of Norfolk has offered the Hampton Roads Admirals a one-year extension on their Scope lease. Moreover, city officials apparently have decided not to consider offers from other owners who would like to replace the Admirals at Scope.

Terms aren't known, but Admirals co-owner Page Johnson confirmed that he has received the offer and said the team will respond shortly.

The Admirals have a year left on their lease. The extension would carry the team through the 1998-99 season.

Norfolk Mayor Paul D. Fraim said he will not get involved in the negotiations, which are being headed by Bill Luther, Norfolk's director of civic facilities. But said Fraim: ``We envision this as the first in a series of one-year extensions.''

As recently as last month, city officials were saying privately that they might consider offers from several prospective ownership groups interested in bringing an AHL team to Norfolk. Relations were strained between the Admirals and the city by the region's attempts to bring an NHL team to Norfolk and what officials interpreted as opposition from the Admirals.

City Councilman Randy Wright set up a series of meetings between Johnson, majority owner Mark Garcea and city officials that apparently repaired some of the damage.

In other news, the Hockey News reports that Raleigh has quietly been approved for an AHL franchise once the city completes construction of a 20,000-seat arena. That apparently would force the ECHL IceCaps to move elsewhere when the arena opens in two or three years and would finally give the ailing Carolina Monarchs in Greensboro a natural rival.

Meanwhile, the AHL has apparently won its war with the IHL over putting a team in Hartford, Conn., next season to replace the NHL's Whalers, who likely will move to Columbus, Ohio. That would displace another ECHL team.

The AHL's dormant Cornwall, Ontario, franchise, owned by the Pittsburgh Penguins, will move to Hartford. The Penguins will move their top minor league affiliation from Cleveland of the IHL to Hartford. Cleveland provided the Admirals three players this season, and it's unknown what the effect of the move will have on Hampton Roads.

Pittsburgh had briefly negotiated with the Admirals about a franchise swap that would have put an AHL team at Scope in 1998-99. The Penguins immediately turned to Hartford once the Whalers announced they were leaving.

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