Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - IceRays' president assumes identical post with Buzzards

Marketplace \| Services \| Contact Us \| Community \| Arts & Entertainment \| Local Guides

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Tuesday, September 12, 2000

IceRays' president assumes identical post with Buzzards
Davidson, also the IceRays' GM, will now be in direct control of two WPHL teams
By Mark Zuckerman
Caller-Times
Corpus Christi IceRays president and general manager Bill Davidson has been named president of the El Paso Buzzards' new ownership group, the league announced Monday.
   In taking over the El Paso organization, Davidson now will be in direct control of two of the Western Professional Hockey League's 15 teams.
   Despite the new position, Davidson said he will devote the majority of his time and attention to the IceRays, with "very minimal" day-to-day control of the Buzzards.
   "I think it's more of just a figurehead position," Davidson said from El Paso, where he was introduced as the Buzzards' new president on Monday. "My primary focus is the IceRays."
   Davidson's control over two league franchises could be viewed as a conflict of interest, though both he and the WPHL insist that will not be the case.
   The league boasts two franchises - New Mexico and Shreveport - owned by the same man, Mike Plaman. To combat against potential conflicts, the WPHL has enacted a few rules, such as prohibiting the two teams from making player trades.
   "We try to keep ownership and hockey management separate for the two teams," said Steve Cherwonak, WPHL director of communications.
   Monday's announcement ended three weeks of uncertainty for the El Paso franchise. Tejano Sports Inc., the previous ownership group, announced plans to suspend operations on Aug. 21 until a proposed arena is built, a project that, if approved by the El Paso City Council, would be completed in two years.
   Under the new ownership, however, the Buzzards will field a team for the upcoming season, which begins Oct. 12.
   WPHL president Brad Treliving asked Davidson to assist with the El Paso situation because of his successful business efforts with the IceRays, the league's franchise of the year in 1999-2000.
   "We believe he is the most qualified person and will get the job done," Treliving said.
   "I really felt that the league and the IceRays organization would have been tarnished by another team in the league leaving," Davidson said. "I guess I felt flattered that they asked me to use the business system that we created to help El Paso.
   " . . . We're just putting our business message in place out in El Paso," Davidson said. "It's really not a conflict of interest. My home's in Corpus Christi."


Staff writer Mark Zuckerman can be reached at 886-3747 or by e-mail at zuckermanm@caller.com

| Talk about this story | Next Story | Home |

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

[ Printer-friendly version ]
[ Subscribe to newspaper ]

SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND

[an error occurred while processing this directive]