ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 21, 1996 TAG: 9612230043
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: EXPRESS NOTES
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
Jeff Jablonski got the call he was awaiting, only it was about five years late.
The Baltimore Bandits of the American Hockey League needed some scoring punch to beef up their depleted roster. Jablonski's name - and his scoring totals for the Roanoke Express - jumped out. They invited him to Baltimore for a week-long stint.
It was the kind of offer Jablonski would have jumped at a few years back when he was getting his start in professional hockey. Back before he was married, back before he was a dad, back before he was 29 years old.
A lifetime ago.
``They would have paid a couple hundred bucks a game,'' Jablonski said of the Bandits' offer. ``But it would have been tough on my family. I would've been gone six nights. I'm more interested in doing well here and to keep winning.
``No one is going to offer me enough money to pull me away from here. If something happens at the end'' - when Roanoke's season is over - ``we'll see.''
Until then, Jablonski will seek to add to his team-leading totals of 18 goals and 17 assists. Losing Jablonski, even for just a little while, could have been devastating to an Express squad that played without second-leading scorer Jeff Loder when he was with the Manitoba Moose. The Express still is without defenseman Michael Smith, who is on assignment to the AHL's Saint John Flames.
``He could've gone,'' Express coach Frank Anzalone said of Jablonski. ``I would've allowed him to go. I think it says a lot of this program that we got another call on another player.
``I also admire Jeff Jablonski for the commitment he has to his family and to this organization. He made the decision to stay when I would have let him go up to Baltimore if that's what he wanted.''
SMITH'S STATUS: Smith should complete his stint with the Saint John Flames this weekend and return to Roanoke next week.
Smith will play with the Flames against the Springfield Falcons tonight and is expected to be with the Express when it plays host to Richmond on Dec.27.
TONIGHT'S GAME: Two teams whose fortunes have changed over the past month meet tonight at 7:30 at the Roanoke Civic Center when the Express takes on the Raleigh IceCaps.
Roanoke has gone 9-2-2 after a 5-8-1 start and is staying within striking distance of the teams it trails in the East Division. The IceCaps, meanwhile, are 6-12-2 since a 6-2 start that propelled them into the division lead in early November. They are just one step above cellar-dwelling Knoxville.
Still, the IceCaps have Roanoke's number, having beaten the Express in both meetings this season. Raleigh has been near the bottom of the East for more than two seasons, yet Roanoke is just 5-5-2 in its past 12 games against the IceCaps.
``Raleigh enjoys playing here,'' said Anzalone. ``They love our building. The games are getting ugly now. I don't know if it's holiday doldrums or what. We've got to regroup before'' tonight.
SCOREBOARD, SCOREBOARD: The civic center will unveil its brand new scoreboard tonight, replacing the 25-year-old model that had been in the building since it opened in 1971.
The old scoreboard had experienced many technical problems during the past few years. The new board includes a color matrix system that will reproduce graphics and will be part of a network that includes message boards on the civic center's concourse.
``It's absolutely state of the art,'' said Jim Evans, assistant manager of the civic center. ``It's much bigger than the old board and should be a good marketing tool.''
The $230,000 cost of the system will be paid for by advertising fees generated by the scoreboard manufacturer, Evans said.
``There's no expense involved at this point,'' Evans said. ``There will be maintenance costs over the years, of course, but as of now there's no cost to the city.''
LENGTH: Medium: 76 linesby CNB