Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, October 5, 1995 TAG: 9510050037
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
All three players expected to be elsewhere this season - Smith and Stewart signed contracts with International Hockey League teams, Herr had a job offer - but all three were back with the Express when the East Coast Hockey League team's training camp began this week at the Triangle Sports Complex.
``When Smitty, Stewie and myself came back, we came back for a reason,'' said Herr, a veteran forward who scored 24 goals in 48 games with the Express last season. ``We came back because this is a good organization with good coaching.''
The return of those three provides a boost to coach Frank Anzalone's squad, which should be a contender for the ECHL's East Division title.
Stewart and Smith anchored Roanoke's defense last season. Both were expected to be in the IHL this season, but Stewart left the Indianapolis Ice 10 days ago and Smith was one of the last players cut by the Milwaukee Admirals.
``We were planning to have life without these guys,'' Anzalone said. ``We felt we would have a pretty good hockey team without them. But they definitely give us a boost.''
Stewart left Indianapolis because he feared a lack of playing time. He considered returning to his home in Norwood, Ontario, to help operate his family's automobile dealership.
``We're in the process of building a new dealership, and I thought I could help with that,'' said Stewart, whose great-grandfather started the family business 70 years ago by selling Model A's.
``That's all I've known - cars and hockey,'' he said.
Stewart, who led Roanoke's defensemen in scoring with 14 goals and 46 assists last season, said he felt he would be the sixth or seventh defenseman for Indianapolis.
``I've been through that before,'' he said. ``That's how it was when I played in Phoenix my first two years [as a professional]. ... If I'm close to the end of my career, I want to play a lot. I don't want to sit on the bench.''
Smith, a two-time ECHL All-Star with the Express, had a two-way contract that would have sent him to the expansion Madison (Wis.) Monsters of the Central League. That contract was contingent on a vote by the IHL owners to expand rosters over the 23-player limit.
When that proposal failed, Smith was free to come back to Roanoke.
``I still could've played in Madison,'' he said. ``But I knew my best chance of playing on a successful team was here.''
Now, Smith wonders if this season will be like 1994-95, when he was recalled seven times by Roanoke's IHL affiliate, the Minnesota Moose.
``If that's going to happen, it's going to happen,'' said Smith, who acknowledged last season he was exhausted by the travel required by the seven promotions. ``I'm a hockey player. I'll put up with what I have to to find my spot.''
Herr thought he had a spot as a corporate insurance broker in Huntsville, Ala., until a week ago, when he was told by the firm the job wouldn't be available until the spring of 1996.
``It wasn't that I didn't get the job; the timing wasn't right,'' said Herr, who may attend law school after he gets married next year. His fiance, Bethany Massey, still lives in Huntsville.
``I told them [at the firm] that I'll talk to them when the playoffs are over,'' Herr said. ``I hope that will be as late in the spring as possible.''
ASSIGNED SEATING: Unlike many other ECHL teams, the Express did not raise ticket prices. Instead of a price increase, team management changed the seating arrangement for some of the cheaper tickets, specifically the senior citizen and student tickets.
Those tickets still will be $5, but they can only be used for seats in the sections at either end of the civic center.
``Because of the new players' union and other cost increases, a lot of teams have raised prices,'' said Pierre Paiement, the Express' general manager. ``We didn't want to do that, but we did have to make some changes.''
Other ticket prices are $8.50, $7.50 and $6. Tickets for children 12 and younger are $4 except for Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when they are $3.
The team will hold an open house for fans from 5-8 p.m. Oct.9 at the civic center.
For information, call the Express office at 989-4625.
by CNB