Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - IceRays aren't counting on re-signing Regan Harper, but land nine others from last year

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Thursday, September 2, 1999

IceRays aren't counting on re-signing Regan Harper, but land nine others from last year

By Mark Button
Caller-Times

So Regan Harper probably won't play for Corpus Christi this year.
   Not the end of the world, IceRays coach Taylor Hall will tell you.
   "This is not the NHL, where players have multi-year contracts," Hall said. "In this league, a developmental league, you never get all 20 players back. It's great when you can get back all the fan favorites, but it doesn't always happen. The thinking at this level, for coaches, is if you get back six or seven players, that's good. Eight would be great."
   So far, Hall has nine players re-signed from last year's 40-23-6 team that finished fourth in the league and advanced to the postseason quarterfinals, only to be bounced by Lake Charles.
   To date, Hall has forwards Chris Robertson, Mike Tomlinson, Geoff Bumstead, Brent Hoiness, Quinten Van Horlick, Roger Lewis, Brad Wingfield, goalie Jason Genik and defenseman Jody Praznik under contract for next season.
   "I think (forwards) Dave Shute and Pavel Evstigneev should re-sign, too," Hall said.
   For a league designed to develop players and ship them up to league of higher competition, Hall re-signing nine and possibly 11 players is a credit to the passion with which he greets his job, said Steve Cherwonak, WPHL director of scheduling and media services.
   "Most teams want to get back around 40 percent (eight players)," Cherwonak said.
   Ahead of the game, Hall could have 11 back and even more if players like Bob Quinnell, Lorne Toews and Phil Valk fail to make International Hockey League rosters.
   But no still Harper.
   The two-time Western Professional Hockey All Star defenseman has been entertaining offers from teams in other leagues and now it seems he is even looking to return to the WPHL, possibly in Tupelo, where his friend George Dupont this summer took over as coach of the T-Rex, who finished with a league-worst 20-25-4 record last year. Dupont and Harper played twice: in Oklahoma City for the 1996-97 season and again in New Mexico, under coach Hall, for the 1997-98 season.
   Dupont said he has talked with Hall about acquiring Harper (Hall owns Harper's WPHL rights for this season unless Harper is traded), but Dupont spoke with caution.
   "I'm not sure it's going to work out," Dupont said. "There are about seven teams interested in Regan. I've heard of a lot of guys who have said they weren't coming back to a team only to return for a huge contract."
   Harper was unavailable for comment.
   Hall was reserved when speaking of Harper as well, as he did when Harper asked to be traded from the team on April 26. Hall said that while Harper, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound, stay-at-home defenseman, might be the most talented at his spot in the league, Hall "only wants players here who absolutely want to be here, playing for me, in Corpus Christi, in front of our fans."
   If Shute and Evstigneev re-sign, the 11 returners will be among the highest total for any WPHL team. Shreveport, the 1998-99 President's Cup Champion, is returning 11 players. Lake Charles has eight players re-signed.
   Hall said he plans to invite about 30 players to training camp, which begins Sept. 27 at Memorial Coliseum.
   IceCubes
   A HALL TAKES A HOLLIDAY: On Wednesday, Hall announced the signing of Kevin Holliday, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound "aggressive-minded" defenseman. Last year, Holliday split time between Baton Rouge of the East Coast Hockey League and Thunder Bay (Ontario) in the United Hockey League, piling up 406 penalty minutes in 48 games to accompany two goals and five assists.



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

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