DATE: Tuesday, November 11, 1997            TAG: 9711110433

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: HARRY MINIUM

                                            LENGTH:   73 lines

ADMIRALS REPORT

IHL woos Admirals, but league carries too big a price tag

NORFOLK - W. David Andrews, senior vice president of the International Hockey League, has urged the Hampton Roads Admirals to consider jumping to his league rather than to the American Hockey League.

Andrews called Admirals owners Mark Garcea and Page Johnson last week after reading in The Hockey News that the team likely will jump to the AHL. Johnson and Garcea asked Andrews to send them information on the IHL, but they acknowledge that there's little chance the Admirals can afford to play in the high-priced league.

IHL expansion franchises cost $6 million, compared with $2 million in the AHL. Budgets are also far more expensive than in the AHL.

The IHL considers itself something in between a minor and major league. It has a 20-game national cable TV contract with the Fox Sports Network. Its salary cap is $1.4 million, compared with $8,000 per week for the ECHL, and its players are largely veterans with NHL experience or Europeans not yet ready for the NHL.

The IHL has successful teams in major league markets such as Detroit, Chicago, Houston, Orlando and Cleveland, but also is located in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Grand Rapids, Mich.

``I don't want to say a definite no at this point because it's always good to keep your options open,'' Johnson said. ``But it looks too expensive for our market and our arena.''

Scope's seating capacity of 8,962 would be fourth-smallest in the IHL. The league's average attendance was 7,729 last season, compared with 6,924 for the Admirals.

Ceman's hatless trick

Rookie Dan Ceman walked out of Scope bareheaded Saturday night in spite of tallying the first hat trick of his professional career.

Ceman sailed the puck into an empty net with 28 seconds remaining in a 6-3 win over Wheeling to record his third goal of the night. Usually, hats come cascading down the ice after a hat trick. But by then, many in the Scope crowd of 7,156 had left.

``I'm just happy to have gotten the goals,'' said Ceman, who was the Ontario Universities Athletic Association West Division MVP last season when he had 25 goals and 40 assists in 26 games for the University of Windsor.

He is playing on the Admirals' first line with Alexander Kharlamov and center Victor Gervais, yet he had just one goal in eight games prior to Saturday.

``I've had a lot of chances and just haven't put the puck in the net,'' said Ceman, who also has five assists. ``I knew as long as I was getting chances it would come, so I didn't get down on myself.''

Coach John Brophy said Ceman was overdue, as is Marty Clapton, who led Brown University in scoring with 30 points in 29 games but has one goal in nine games for the Admirals.

``Both of those guys scored a lot in college,'' Brophy said. ``They'll both score a lot here.''

Slap shots

Although the Admirals (6-2-1) are tied for second in the ECHL's Northeast Division with Richmond (6-5-1), three points behind Wheeling (8-5), Hampton Roads has the second-best record in the league. The Admirals trail Wheeling only because they have played fewer games. The Admirals' winning percentage of strong debut for the Admirals last weekend, with a solid defensive effort in a 2-1 win over Charlotte and three assists against Wheeling. . . . Defenseman Jason Mansoff continues to have a hot hand, with goals against both Charlotte and Wheeling. He has seven points in eight games. . . . Trainer Stu Bender says the most serious injury over the weekend occurred to office manager Verna Mansfield, who tripped Saturday while walking down some steps. She is on crutches after severely twisting her left ankle and knee. . . . Sebastien Charpentier leads all ECHL goalies in record (3-0), goals-against average (1.00) and save percentage (95.3 percent). . . . The Admirals are off until Friday, when they host Roanoke. Louisville comes to Scope on Saturday.

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