Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Unstable ownership situations spell doom for Aviators, Wizards for duration of season

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Thursday, December 16, 1999

Unstable ownership situations spell doom for Aviators, Wizards for duration of season

By Mark Button
Caller-Times

The Western Professional Hockey League on Wednesday suspended operations of both the Abilene Aviators and Waco Wizards for the remainder of the 1999-2000 season.
   Former Waco owner Rick Dames, a Corpus Christi resident, is not surprised.
   "I knew this would happen when I couldn't find a buyer for this hockey team," Dames said. "I had one (buyer) say 'yes,' but after we agreed upon a deal he started stalling around. It's my belief now that he never had the money."
   Dames attempted to manage the Wizards from Corpus Christi, and hired Stu Kehoe as his general manager to handle the day-to-day operations. Kehoe was unable to produce potential buyers for Dames and wrote a bad check to the Wizards' home arena, the Heart O' Texas Coliseum, for $58,333.
   "I will never own a business again that I do not personally run the day-to-day operations," Dames said.
   Dames finally defaulted on the Wizards Tuesday, after sinking more than $400,000 into the team.
   Both Waco and Abilene had unresolved ownership situations.
   "The WPHL made a significant effort to resolve both of these situations in the past several weeks, but with the very short time frame we had, we were unable to complete finalization of an agreement to ensure professional hockey would continue in Abilene and Waco this season," said WPHL President Rick Kozuback.
   The league will revise the remaining schedule.
   A supplemental draft of the Waco and Abilene players was held Wednesday night. Corpus Christi had the sixth and 27th picks.
   IceRays general manager Bill Davidson applauded the league's action.
   "I think it was a good decision," Davidson said. "These two teams were hurting the rest of the league. When you're a hockey player and go into those other buildings, it kind of hurts the hockey players and they start talking to their friends, saying there are a couple of weak teams. That may tarnish the league's reputation."
   The WPHL will remain a three-division league, with the Central Division now consisting of four teams; the Austin Ice Bats, Central Texas Stampede, Corpus Christi IceRays and Fort Worth Brahmas. The Eastern and Western Divisions each will remain at six teams.
   The playoff format is unchanged, but the revised alignment does alter one thing that impacts the IceRays. In the six-team Central Division, Abilene and Waco were the last two teams.
   The Ice Rays are still in fourth, but today that's also last place.



Staff writer Mark Button can be reached at 886-3613 or e-mail at buttonm@caller.com

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