Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 19, 1993 TAG: 9310190013
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"It was a bad nightmare," the majority owner and president of the Roanoke Express said.
"It's opening night on Oct. 19, we have 500 people in the stands, and we lose 10-zip."
Well, today is Oct. 19. And barring something short of a catastrophe, Gagnon shouldn't fret about his worst dream becoming reality.
With his early worries now erased by two exhibition home games that produced a pair of wins and a combined 7,573 spectators, Gagnon said Monday that he's hoping for a crowd "between 5,000 and 6,000" for the Express' 1993-94 ECHL regular-season opener against the South Carolina Stingrays. Opening faceoff is 7 p.m. at the 8,372-seat Roanoke Civic Center.
"I'd like to have a sellout, but with it being a Tuesday night, I think 5,000 to 6,000 would probably be more realistic figures," Gagnon said.
The 5,022 crowd figure announced for Saturday's final exhibition game - the largest turnout for a Roanoke minor-league hockey game since 1976 - was skewed somewhat by the fact that 2,101 spectators were admitted on free tickets distributed by Express management. Civic center manager Bob Chapman said 1,681 tickets were sold at the gate Saturday, not including the club's 1,225 season- ticket holders.
"We gave away some tickets because we wanted to promote hockey to the people who have never been to the games," Gagnon said. "Take away those and we still had a good crowd, though. Some of those people might have come even if they hadn't gotten a free ticket, who knows?"
No free tickets have been distributed for tonight's game. And playing on a weeknight, not to mention going head-to-head against Game 3 of the World Series, certainly doesn't make it the easiest of drawing dates.
"Still, I'll be disappointed if we draw less than 5,000 people," Gagnon said. "This is our season opener and most clubs in this league automatically sell out their first game."
On the ice, the Express has had success, winning two of its three exhibition games. Roanoke never resembled a first-year outfit in its final preseason test Saturday, dominating a talented Knoxville team 6-3.
"This bunch has come together very quickly," Express coach Frank Anzalone said. "We just have to keep improving and have fun. If we do that and the community is good to us, we'll be OK. We're not going to blow up the league, but we should be solid."
Anzalone waived goaltender Pat McGarry late Monday afternoon to pare his roster to the regular-season limit of 18. McGarry was one of the players picked by the Express in the June dispersal draft.
\ ICE CHIPS: Anzalone's final roster includes three goalies - Rocco Trentadue and San Jose Sharks farmhands Dan Ryder and Bryan Scheon. Anzalone said he will keep three goalies until he finds another defenseman. He spent Monday night combing the ECHL waiver in hopes of picking up a sixth defenseman. . . . Like the Express, the Stingrays are a first-year club. South Carolina, coached by ex-Buffalo Sabres star Rick Vaive, was 0-2 in the preseason, losing 6-0 to Raleigh and 4-1 to Greensboro. . . . ECHL Commissioner Pat Kelly, league president Bud Gingher and hockey baron Henry Brabham will participate in a ceremonial dropping of the puck before tonight's opening faceoff.
by CNB