ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 16, 1996 TAG: 9602160086
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: EXPRESS NOTES
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
If someone had told Duane Harmer a year ago he would be playing professional hockey this season and former teammate Bryan Berard would still be in juniors, Harmer wouldn't have believed it.
After all, Berard was the first player taken in last year's NHL entry draft. The 18-year-old, one of Harmer's defensive partners last season with the Detroit Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League, was expected to make millions with the Ottawa Senators.
Now, seven months after the draft, it is Harmer who is playing professionally and Berard who still is in the OHL. After failing to work out a deal with the Senators, Berard's rights were traded to the New York Islanders, who have yet to sign the promising defenseman.
When Berard finally signs, though, he will make considerably more than the $350 per week Harmer gets from the Roanoke Express.
``He'll be up there making an impact in the NHL,'' said Harmer, a 21-year-old rookie defenseman. ``Bryan's a kid who loves to play the game. He wants to play wherever he can. If he's got a contract problem, it's probably because of his agent.
``He was a great guy to play with. The game was easy when all you had to do was pass.''
Last season, Harmer had 10 goals and 33 assists for the Whalers, the OHL champions. With the Express, Harmer has three goals, including one Sunday in Roanoke's 4-2 victory over the Charlotte Checkers.
Even though a big part of a defenseman's job is to keep the puck out of the net, Harmer would like to see a few more pucks find the net from the blade of his stick.
Harmer, a 6-foot, 190-pound native of Mitchell, Ontario, figured to score more goals this season. His plus-three rating shows he's doing something right, even if he isn't putting the puck in the net with great regularity.
``I thought I would get a lot more points than what I've actually got now,'' said Harmer, who has nine assists. ``You just try to do your job. I'm not a real scorer this year. I'm just trying to keep pucks out of the net.''
A farm boy who learned how to work hard by rising at 6 a.m. every day to milk and feed the cows, Harmer has improved steadily since training camp. He's now a confident puck-handler who may be coming into his own as a scoring defenseman.
``He's got a little bit of cockiness about him offensively,'' said Frank Anzalone, the Express' coach. ``He doesn't take bad shots, plays smart and has a grain of toughness in him. Give him some time. He may get a chance at some point to play at a higher level.''
RISING RAYS: Tonight, the Express can gain ground on another team it trails in the East Coast Hockey League's East Division when it faces the South Carolina Stingrays at the Roanoke Civic Center. The third-place Stingrays, who have gone 21-3-3 since a 7-12-3 start, lead the fifth-place Express by three points (63-60).
``They've helped themselves with trades,'' said Anzalone, whose team has won four games in a row. South Carolina ``is a team that we expect to play well.''
TRADE DEADLINE: The Express doesn't expect to swing any major deals before Monday's trading deadline.
``I guess we'll have to see what's out there,'' Anzalone said. ``I don't know if there's anything that will strengthen us [in one area] without weakening us [in another]. We don't want to do anything to upset the togetherness of this team.''
The Express has been helped by January's acquisition of Karry Biette, Wade Gibson and Dan Murphy. Goalie Matt DelGuidice was on the trading block for a while, but Anzalone would like to stay with his two quality goalies - Daniel Berthiaume and DelGuidice - for the rest of the season.
JUNIORS REACH GOAL: With more than a week to spare, the Roanoke Junior Express youth hockey team raised the $15,000 it needs to play in the Can/Am Challenge Cup in Montreal.
The Junior Express is made up of 15 boys ages 15-17 from the Roanoke Valley youth leagues. The team will compete with 50 clubs from the United States and Canada.
ECHL NEWS: Express president John Gagnon received approval Thursday from fellow owners to purchase an expansion franchise for Biloxi, Miss., next season. League owners voted unanimously during a conference call to make Gagnon the third ECHL owner to own more than one club. ... In other league news, the Erie Panthers were given approval to move to Baton Rouge, La., next season if the club can secure a lease by March 1. ...
Teams will play 71 games next season - 36 at home, 35 on the road with one of the home games against a touring Russian team that will play every team in the league. ... Owners approved a new ECHL All-Star Game format in which the team from the host city will play a team of 18 all-stars from the rest of the league. Next season's game in Charlotte, N.C., will pit the Checkers against an ECHL all-star team.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Harmer. color.by CNB