THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 31, 1995 TAG: 9505310615
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
A leadership shakeup is imminent in the East Coast Hockey League.
Sources say commissioner Pat Kelly will turn over many of his administrative duties to assistant commissioner Rick Adams, who will be promoted to the new position of president and chief executive officer.
Kelly will retain his title, receive a two-year contract extension and continue many current duties, including composing league schedules and supervising game officials, the sources said. He also will continue to mete out fines and suspensions to players and coaches. But Adams will become the league's chief administrator in most other areas, including business operations.
Adams and Kelly were unavailable for comment. However, sources with two ECHL clubs indicate that Adams' elevation will be announced later this week.
Adams, 31, is a UCLA graduate and has a law degree from Rutgers. He worked briefly with the Philadelphia Flyers and was an assistant coach in the Western Hockey League. He has been with the ECHL one season. He lives in Princeton, N.J., during the offseason.
Kelly, 61, spent 38 years as a player, coach and general manager before becoming the ECHL's first commissioner seven years ago. He accumulated 800 coaching victories, most of them in the old Eastern and Southern leagues, and guided the Colorado Rockies (now the New Jersey Devils) into the Stanley Cup playoffs before retiring to lead the ECHL.
The ECHL has grown from five to 21 teams under Kelly, and expansion franchises that cost $25,000 six years ago now sell for $1.5 million.
MOVING ON UP: The Admirals might be moving their offices from their cramped quarters near Scope's underground garage.
Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim promised the Admirals upgraded offices and locker facilities during the winter, and the team responded by asking that new offices be constructed in what are now two meeting rooms. Admirals president Blake Cullen also requested that the locker facilities be moved to the opposite side of Scope.
But city officials don't want to lose the meeting rooms and have suggested that the Admirals consider moving into city-owned offices at an undisclosed downtown location. City officials say it's a win-win proposition because the Admirals would be in a more visible location and the traffic generated by the hockey team would help adjacent businesses.
``But we'll do whatever Blake wants,'' assistant Scope director John Rhamstine said.
The prospective move is among several issues being negotiated by Cullen and Scope director Bill Luther. Cullen has asked for a three-year lease. Previously, he operated on a year-to-year lease.
FTOREK UPDATE: Former Virginia Red Wings star Robbie Ftorek was named Coach of the Year in the American Hockey League after guiding the Albany River Rats to the Atlantic Division title.
Last week he added a Calder Cup to his resume by beating Fredericton in the AHL finals, four games to none. The River Rats were 12-2 in the playoffs.
Cullen confided recently that Ftorek nearly was asked to become the Admirals' first coach. Cullen was trying to get in touch with Ftorek when he had a chance discussion with John Brophy, who recently had been fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs and was in Chesapeake for a women's golf tournament.
A few days later, Ftorek finally returned Cullen's call, only to be told Brophy had just been hired.
``Robbie said we hired the right man and wished us luck,'' Cullen said.
SCHEDULING UPDATE: The Admirals will open on the road next season. Because of a church convention at Scope, the building won't be available until Oct. 20, a week after the ECHL season begins.
The Admirals open training camp at Scope on Oct. 1, will hold an intrasquad game Oct. 4, at Scope, then will meet Roanoke in two exhibitions, including one at Scope on Oct. 6. The Admirals then must move their training camp elsewhere, and probably will go to the Washington Capitals' facility in Piney Orchard, Md.
The regular-season schedule won't be released until mid-July. by CNB