Sunday, January 17, 1999
Crown only place to see IHL all-stars
BY DAVE HELLER
Enquirer contributor
If you want to see the IHL All-Star game, you have no choice but to go to the Crown. Unlike most other hockey all-star games, the IHL's midseason exhibition won't be televised.
FOX Sports Net carried the IHL All-Star game last season, but the league and the network couldn't agree on supplying the necessary time to broadcast the game. The AHL, a league on the same level at the IHL, will have its All-Star Game televised on ESPN2. The East Coast Hockey League, a level below the IHL, had its game shown on tape delay on ESPN2. Even the Western Professional Hockey League, a league well below the quality of the IHL, had its All-Star game televised on FOX Sports Southwest.
FOX Sports Net stations, such as FOX Sports Ohio, often broadcast their itineraries, such as local college basketball games. IHL teams had 155 regular-season games scheduled on TV this season, including 78 on various FOX Sports stations.
“The relationship with FOX hadn't worked out to our liking,” IHL President and CEO Doug Moss said.
Moss said the league is talking to ESPN about broadcasting next year's game.
The league wasn't willing to move its game, either. Moss liked the idea of having the game on a Sunday during a holiday weekend. Plus, next Sunday is the NHL All-Star game and the Super Bowl is in two weeks. Moss thought February was too late for the game, although the last two IHL All-Star games were both held in February and each drew more than 10,000 fans. Moss and other IHL officials didn't want to put the game on a Friday or Saturday because IHL teams rely on weekend games for most of their ticket sales.
“This is a weekend league. You have to play (regular season games) on the weekend,” Moss said. “This will give some of the younger fans in the league a chance to come to an All-Star game. To play on a Tuesday (like last year's All-Star game), with school the next day, that makes it more difficult.”
Between 8,000-9,000 fans are expected at tonight's game, although Cyclones President Doug Kirchhofer is hopeful the nice weather will boost the attendance. But this is not a money-making event for the Cyclones. Kirchhofer said the club has planned to either break even or make a slight profit.
“It's an opportunity to showcase our team, our building and our city to fans from around the IHL, to people from the NHL and to sponsors of the IHL,” Kirchhofer said.
Said Utah President and CEO Tim Mouser: “We've talked about hosting (the All-Star game), but I don't know if I can sell it. I don't know if I can sell you coming to see players that you don't know. I don't know who plays for Fort Wayne; how do I expect my fans to? It all comes back to selling tickets — can you sell tickets to it.”
History indicates a high-scoring, non-defensive game. Three of the last five All-Star games have seen the two squads combine for 20 or more goals.
In addition to Cyclones All-Stars Gilbert Dionne and Scott Morrow, the game will include ex-Cyclones Jason Cirone and Scott Thomas and ex-Miami U. goalie Richard Shulmistra, all of whom will be playing for the Western Conference.
Eastern Conference
(* - starter; stats through Friday's games)
(goalies - wins-losses-shootout losses; goals against average)
Zac Bierk, G, Cleveland, 9-4-2, 2.80 GAA, .923 save pct. Marty Turco*, G, Nichigan, 11-8-4, 2.32 GAA, .930 save pct. (players are goals-assists-points) Keith Aldridge, D, Detroit, 24 games, 8-12-20 Viacheslav Butsayev, C, Fort Wayne, 39 games, 16-24-40 Peter Ciavaglia*, C, Detroit, 39 games, 17-23-40 Gilbert Dionne*, LW, Cincinnati, 38 games, 17-26-43 Stan Drulia, RW, Detroit, 39 games 10-28-38 Guy Dupuis*, D, Fort Wayne, 34 games, 3-10-13 Dave Hymovitz, LW, Indianapolis, 42 games, 24-21-45 Brad Lukowich, D, Michigan, 39 games, 5-12-17 Scott Morrow, LW, Cincinnati, 42 games, 19-10-29 Curtis Murphy, D, Orlando, 38 games, 10-13-23 Pat Neaton, D, Orlando, 36 games, 2-8-10 Brian Noonan, RW, Indianapolis, 41 games, 15-22-37 Robert Petrovicky, C, Grand Rapids, 37 games, 21-25-46 Mike Prokopec*, RW, Detroit, 39 games, 15-9-24 Todd Richards, D, Orlando, 38 games, 5-13-18 Brad Shaw, D, Detroit, 39 games, 7-21-28 John Sim, C, Michigan, 38 games, 8-16-24 Maxim Spiridonov, Grand Rapids, 36 games, 11-16-27 Steve Walker, LW, Detroit, 39 games, 12-17-29 Players selected but unable to play Dave Bassegio, D, Cleveland Mark Beaufait, C, Orlando Chris Joseph, D, Cincinnati Andrei Trefilov, G, Indianapolis.
Western Conference
(* - starter; stats through Friday's games)
(goalies - wins-losses-shootout losses; goals against average)
Manny Fernandez, G, Houston, 13-0-5, 2.41 GAA, .903 save pct. Richard Shulmistra*, G, Manitoba, 11-7-4, 2.82 GAA, .910 save pct. (players are goals-assists-points) Niklas Andersson, LW, Chicago, 31 games, 8-22-30 Patrik Augusta, RW, Long Beach, 43 games, 20-24-44 Bill Bowler, C, Manitoba, 41 games, 12-31-43 Jason Cirone, C, Kansas City, 40 games, 21-11-32 Brett Hauer, D, Manitoba, 41 games, 9-33-42 Greg Hawgood*, D, Houston, 38 games, 7-33-40 Patrice Lefebvre, RW, Las Vegas, 19 games, 2-14-16 Steve Maltais*, LW, Chicago, 42 games, 23-25-48 John Purves, RW, Utah, 40 games, 13-20-33 Andy Roach, D, Utah, 46 games, 6-23-29 Karlis Skrastins, D, Milwaukee, 38 games, 3-12-15 Cam Stewart, LW, Houston, 31 games, 25-13-38 Scott Thomas*, RW, 41 games, 21-14-35 Tom Tilley*, D, Chicago, 38 games, 2-28-30 Kimmo Timonen, D, Milwaukee, 29 games, 2-13-15 Jeff Tory, D, Houston, 41 games, 15-26-41 Rob Valicevic, RW, Houston, 33 games, 13-21-34 Brian Wiseman*, C, Houston, 36 games, 10-48-58 Players selected but unable to play Pat Jablonski, G, Chicago Dan Lambert, D, Long Beach Dan Ratushny, D, Kansas City Patrik Stefan, C, Long Beach; Mark Mowers, C, Milwaukee.
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