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

DATE: TUESDAY, March 7, 1995                   TAG: 9503070111
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO  
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

PAIEMENT TALKS WITH NORDIQUES

Roanoke Express general manager Pierre Paiement met with an official from the Quebec Nordiques over the weekend in what could be the first step leading to a new NHL affiliation for the Express next season.

Paiement, who traveled to Quebec last Thursday, classified the meeting as ``informal.'' He met with Francois Giguere, the administrative assistant to Nordiques general manager Pierre Lacroix.

``I was there to see if they had an interest in working with our program next year,'' Paiement said. ``It seemed like they were impressed with our organization. Eventually, we hope to deal with them.''

The Express currently has affiliations with the San Jose Sharks of the NHL and the Minnesota Moose of the International Hockey League. The only player Roanoke has received from its affiliations has been center Todd Holt, a player who failed his physical with San Jose but appeared in two games for the Express before he was given a medical reassignment last week.

Memo: ***CORRECTION***

by CNB