Monday, March 27, 2000
Cyclones stalwarts Dionne, Simon unsigned for next season
BY JOHN P. WISE
Enquirer contributor
Two of the IHL's top scorers are Cyclones. Neither has a contract for next season.
Captain Gilbert Dionne and center Todd Simon, however, seem content to lead the team to the playoffs and worry about their futures later.
“It's a touchy situation,” said Dionne, whose 73 points before Sunday's game were tied for the league lead. Only a few weeks ago, he voiced displeasure about his uncertain future with the team. That prompted a meeting with the team brass, coach Ron Smith and President Doug Kirchhofer. “I agreed to wait until the end of the season to talk about my contract.”
Simon, whose shorthanded goal helped Cincinnati earn a shootout win Saturday at Orlando, insists nothing is personal. He said his relationships with Smith and Kirchhofer are fine.
“Doug's always walking around smiling and asking me how things are going,” Simon said. “Ron's a little bit quiet, but he's given me a chance to play here for the last three years. I think I've done a good job in that time.”
Kirchhofer has maintained things don't need to be addressed until after the season. “I don't see anything wrong with it,” he said.
MIGHTY DUCKS: Team President Pete Robinson will wait until the offseason to find John Walton's replacement to call the Ducks' games on WVXU-FM (91.7).
Walton resigned Thursday and called his last game Friday at Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Robinson and team vice president Don Helbig called Saturday's and Sunday's home games. Robinson sat with Walton about 25 times over the last three years and did color commentary for a period or two. But Helbig admits he's a rookie. “It's not the ideal situation for me,” he said.
BLUE JACKETS: Columbus' NHL expansion team is poised to make a key announcement this week. The league requires an expansion franchise to sell 12,000 season tickets, and the Blue Jackets are nearing that plateau.
Blue Jackets publicity per sonnel have blanketed the Ohio markets with minor league hockey teams this year. Between Cincinnati, Cleveland and Dayton, Blue Jackets promotion booths will have been spotted at about 35 games by season's end.
“For us to be successful in the long-run, we have to be regarded by the NHL as a statewide team,” Blue Jackets' Vice President of Marketing David Paitson said.
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