ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 7, 1996 TAG: 9601110027
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HOCKEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR.
Two months passed before Brian Gallentine could look at the videotape of the play that ended his professional hockey career.
In the meantime, he occupied his time pressing the rewind button in his memory.
What could he have done differently to avoid the high-stick of Wheeling's Brock Woods during that fateful Oct.29 game? If he had turned his head slightly, perhaps the blade of Woods' stick would not have caught him in the right eye.
If he had been on another line, if he had not tried to capture the puck behind the net, if he had turned his body to absorb Woods' cross-check before the high-sticking, or if he had done any number of things differently ... maybe, just maybe he still would be playing for the Roanoke Express.
Instead, he is at home in Jackson, Mich., still without 90 percent of the sight in his right eye. Doctors have told him they cannot operate on the scar tissue behind the retina and that his vision probably will not return.
It is tough for him not to be depressed, since he spends most of his time at home, thinking about the incident that turned out to be the final play of his hockey career.
``It's weird just sitting here thinking about'' the play, said Gallentine, a 22-year-old wing who was playing in his eighth game as a professional. ``I think back to everything that led up to me getting hurt. What could I have done? I saw the tape a week ago for the first time. It was weird. It looked worse than I remembered.''
The good news is that there are many good days still ahead of Gallentine. He will still be able to perform normal everyday tasks such as driving a car (``I've just got to slow it down a little bit''), go back to school at Western Michigan, help with the school's hockey program and get a good-paying job after he earns his master's degree in integrated supply management.
He just won't be able to play hockey anymore.
``Maybe I'll work for a big corporation some day,'' he said.
Since his injury, Gallentine has been examined by seven doctors - two at the Wheeling, W.Va., hospital immediately after the injury, one in Ann Arbor, Mich., and four specialists in Detroit. The prognosis never gets better.
He will have to have his eye examined every year for the rest of his life because the scar tissue makes him susceptible to glaucoma. He hopes one day to hear of a new treatment, a new surgery that will restore his sight.
``They're always coming up with breakthroughs,'' he said. ``Doctors have told me, `The first chance I hear of anything that will help you, I'll call you.'''
The Express has not forgotten Gallentine, a fast skater who seemed destined to become one of the team's most exciting young players. There will be a Brian Gallentine night on Saturday, when the Express plays Dayton.
A commemorative program will be on sale to help raise money for a trust fund that will help with the remainder of Gallentine's education. Gallentine will autograph his personal poster after that game. Ironically, the photo for that poster was taken in a Wheeling portrait studio only a few hours before he was injured.
``We wanted to do something special in helping Brian maintain a positive outlook on the rest of his life,'' said Pierre Paiement, the Express' general manager. ``It was Brian's decision to go back to school, and I'm confident that the Express and our fans will come through in a big way for one of our own.''
SCHRINER'S CALL: Two serious injuries, a prolonged benching and a stint on waivers finally sold center Marty Schriner on the idea of retirement.
``I guess you could say the writing was on the wall,'' said Schriner, a second-year center for the Express who hung up his skates during the past week. ``There comes a point when the amount of money you're making here [in the minor leagues] doesn't compensate for what goes on. I gave it a shot. It's time to get on with my life.''
It was a disappointing end to what was expected to be a breakthrough season for Schriner, who had 12 goals last season as a rookie but had finished with a flourish. A speedy skater with good offensive skills, Schriner suffered a season-ending knee injury during the last week of the regular season.
Schriner, who had suffered a broken orbital (eye socket) bone early last season, felt he had lost some of his speed after the knee injury. He also felt he didn't play aggressively enough, probably because of the injury factor. He said that might have been a reason Anzalone scratched him from the lineup.
``I'll be the first to say I wasn't playing up to my standards, let alone Frank's,'' said Schriner, who had no goals and seven assists in 18 games this season.
Schriner made the decision to retire after he was put on waivers Dec.27. He said he wasn't told he had been waived until the next day, after he had gone unclaimed. He returned to play against Hampton Roads on Dec.30.
The next day, Schriner did not show up to board the team bus as it departed for a trip to Tallahassee, Fla.
``We all respect Marty Schriner as a person and for his decision,'' Anzalone said. ``Maybe he could have gone about it in a better way, but I'm sure he'll deal with his teammates at a proper time.''
Schriner knew his decision would leave the Express a man short.
``They can cut you, waive you, trade you,'' he said. ``This was a way to go out on my own terms. It was a tough decision. I know it left the team in a little disarray. I'll miss the guys. I've been treated well in this town, but there comes a time when you've got to walk away.''
ICE CHIPS: Hampton Roads assistant coach Al MacIsaac was suspended by ECHL commissioner Pat Kelly after a near-altercation with an Express fan during a Dec.30 game at the civic center. MacIsaac started to go into the stands after a fan who threatened to douse him with beer. On Dec.23, a Roanoke fan poured a full beer on the head of Admirals coach John Brophy. ``The guy said, `You're next, MacIsaac, you're going to get hit,''' said MacIsaac, whose foray into the stands was halted by a security guard. ``I never got close to the guy, but I made it clear if I did get near him, he'd better run and run like hell.'' list by the International Hockey League's Minnesota Moose after he tore the pectoralis major, a muscle that connects the shoulder and chest. Morissette will miss at least three weeks of action, possibly the entire season if surgery is required.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for statistics.
LENGTH: Long : 111 linesby CNB