Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 6, 1990                   TAG: 9006060120
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

STATUS UNCERTAIN FOR LANCERS NEXT SEASON

The three-day session at Hilton Head, S.C., adjourned Tuesday night with the Virginia Lancers franchise still in limbo and a group from Troy, Ohio, going home disappointed.

Lancers owner Richard Geery failed to show for the meetings, therefore leaving his ownership rights to the club in jeopardy, ECHL Commissioner Pat Kelly said.

"Richard knew when and where we were meeting," Kelly said. "He did not show. I can't comment further until we talk with our attorneys."

Vinton businessman Henry Brabham, who sold the Lancers to Geery last June, has offered to buy the franchise back from the New Yorker, but he said he has gotten no response.

"It's a hell of a situation," Brabham said. "The owners voted today that if he doesn't do certain things by a certain amount of time, we'll revoke his franchise."

Brabham said Geery owes him some $28,000 for rental fees on the Vinton LancerLot, where the Lancers play their home games.

Two months ago, Brabham said he offered Geery $30,000 for the franchise, or half the price he sold the team for a year ago.

"It's damaged goods now," Brabham said. "Something has got to get done. Somebody, either him or me, should already have things going for next season."

In other business, the nine owners in attendance voted not to grant a new 1990-91 franchise to Troy, Ohio. Troy fell a vote shy of the needed two-thirds majority - six votes.

A source said owners from Hampton Roads, Nashville and first-year franchises Richmond and Louisville voted against Troy.

"Some of the owners were concerned about some things," Kelly said. "Among them were the size of the town (estimated 50,000 in 25-mile radius), the size of the rink and would they draw?

"I also think some of the owners from the bigger cities wanted to wait and see what's down the road."

Kelly said the ECHL will operate with 10 clubs when the '90-91 season begins Oct. 24.

For the first time, the third-year league will be split into two divisions.

One division will include the Virginia franchises of the Lancers, Hampton Roads and Richmond and the Pennsylvania franchises at Johnstown and Erie. The other division will consist of Greensboro, N.C.; Winston-Salem, N.C.; Nashville, Tenn.; Knoxville, Tenn.; and Louisville, Ky.