REBELS STAYING IN TOWN

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

DATE: SATURDAY, February 15, 1992                   TAG: 9202150068
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
REBELS STAYING IN TOWN
Minor-league professional hockey, which 11 days ago appeared to being riding a long slap shot out of the Roanoke Valley, apparently has been saved, at least for another year.
Roanoke Valley Rebels owner Henry Brabham, who on Jan. 4 had two offers to sell and move the team voted down by the East Coast Hockey League's board of governors, said Friday he has reached an agreement to lease the franchise to an out-of-town "management group" for the 1992-93 season.
Brabham, who said he will retain full ownership, refused to reveal the identity of the leasing partner and details of the arrangement.
"When the lawyers get done drawing the papers and they're signed and I have a contract, I will tell everybody who it is and what the deal is," Brabham said. "Until then, I don't want to do anything to jeopardize [the deal].
"The main thing is the team will be here next year. It's a one-year deal, but they want to keep it here, period. They want to build the team up and keep it here. They don't want to move it.
"This is strictly a management deal. . . . I still own the team, but I'm not going to have anything to do with the management. They will operate it and they will run it."
He said the deal doesn't require the league owners' approval.
"Nothing can affect this deal," Brabham said. "As far as I'm concerned, our deal today was final.
"And I'm tickled to death. It's a better deal than I had selling it."

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB