Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Merger talks rock C.C. hockey

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

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Sunday, March 18, 2001
Merger talks rock C.C. hockey
WPHL-CHL alliance could mean change
By Javier Becerra
Caller-Times
As representatives from both the Western Professional Hockey League and Central Hockey League continue to work to resolve the issues standing in the way of a possible merger, WPHL officials are certain of only one thing:
   The WPHL isn't going anywhere.
   "Merger or not, we're here to stay," said Steve Cherwonak, director of communications for the WPHL. "We have way too many franchises that are on solid footing. That guarantees our future."
   As talks between the 13-team WPHL and 11-team CHL continue, owners and general managers from the Western Professional Hockey League hope to hear a decision at the league's annual meetings April 1 in Phoenix.
   A merger would end the five-year run of the 13-team WPHL, which is comprised of eight franchises in Texas, three in Louisiana and one each in New Mexico and Mississippi. The 11-team CHL, which includes the San Antonio Iguanas, is in its ninth season and has franchises scattered across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Indiana, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee.
   When the Western Professional Hockey League announced last month that it was negotiating a possible merger with the Central Hockey League, the questions surrounding the joining of the two leagues surfaced quickly:

Which teams would make up the different divisions?

How many of the current combined 24 teams would survive the merger?

Where would the salary cap be set?

How many games would be played?

Would the new league be ready for the 2001-02 season?
   "If we have to merge to save pro hockey, then do it," Corpus Christi IceRays player Dustin McArthur said. "Guys just can't be moving their families and setting up a new camp all the time.
   "I think it would be neat to join leagues," he said. "There would be new cities and new arenas, and it would maybe bring up the caliber of play."
   The CHL, despite having fewer teams, offers bigger cities and venues, including San Antonio and Oklahoma City, both with populations that top one million. Indianapolis and Tulsa both have populations of more than 700,000.
   The WPHL, meanwhile, boasts Austin (population 587,873) and Fort Worth (502,369) as its largest cities. While Bossier-Shreveport's CenturyTel Center is the league's largest arena with a seating capacity of 12,307, the CHL has two arenas - the Oklahoma City Blazers' Myriad Convention Center (13,479) and the Indianapolis Ice's Conseco Fieldhouse (13,000) - that are bigger.
   The smallest Central Hockey League venue? That would be the Von Braun Center in Huntsville, Ala., a 6,552-seat facility. The WPHL's average arena, meanwhile, seats 6,975.
   Both leagues have had two teams suspend operations this season. The Tucson Scorch had its franchise license revoked by the WPHL just before the start of the WPHL season. Then the Central Texas Stampede shut down in December, forcing the league to revise its schedule for a second time.
   Last month, the CHL announced the termination of its franchises in Texarkana and Topeka, Kan. Texarkana's Border City Bandits ended their season Feb. 13 with their seventh consecutive loss.
   Two days after their termination, the Topeka ScareCrows filed a temporary injunction, which allowed them to resume play and finish the season.
   The recent troubles aren't new for either league.
   Central Texas' demise marked the sixth WPHL franchise to fold in the past 15 months. The WPHL also had franchises in Alexandria, La., and Little Rock, Ark., halt operations following the 1999-2000 season. Two years ago, the Fort Worth Fire - a charter CHL member - ceased its operations.
   Monty Hoppel, general manager of the WPHL's Odessa Jackalopes, said the rapid growth of hockey has caused much of the disarray.
   "Every league has teams that struggle, and we're one of those, too," Hoppel said. "Hockey has expanded so fast and went into a lot of markets that maybe it's just time to look at how things are being done."
   Financial difficulties also threatened to end the seasons of two of the WPHL's Louisiana franchises, the Monroe Moccasins and Lake Charles Ice Pirates. Cherwonak said the WPHL has launched an effort to resolve the problem.
   "We're restructuring things significantly so that we do not have any more mid-season fallings," Cherwonak said. "The problems (with Monroe and Lake Charles) were created a few years back, and we are now in the process of cleaning them up. Those issues will always be out there; it's the nature of the business. It's no different than the NBA and NFL.
   "Our main concern right now is to strengthen the franchises that are having problems," he said. "We don't want to drag down our good franchises."
   While both the Moccasins and Ice Pirates have remained in operation, Corpus Christi IceRays majority owner and general manager Bill Davidson said the rumors have touched more than just the teams involved.
   "It's disappointing when people are questioning if we're going to be around," Davidson said. "I'm happy the league is taking the right steps to help curb the growing pains. We went from six to 12 to 18 teams, and when growth happens that rapidly, some teams are going to falter."
   Brad Beery, general manager of the Indianapolis (Ind.) Ice, said the CHL's recent troubles do not give an accurate indication of the league's overall health.
   "The CHL is extremely healthy. But I'm sure from the outsider's point of view, especially with Border City and the issues in Topeka, there is reason to have concerns," Beery said. "This is a strong league. We have quality ownership groups in place, and most of the markets have good teams. We as a team feel very confident of the state of the league."
   Geographically, a merger between the WPHL and CHL likely would eliminate some teams from the new league. A trip from Indianapolis to Corpus Christi would cover more than 1,300 miles, as well as put a serious strain on travel expenses.
   With the Ice - who already share practice and game time between 8,200-seat Pepsi Coliseum and 13,000-seat Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis - set to begin work on a new $50 million arena, Beery said the franchise is prepared to play in any league next season.
   That doesn't necessarily mean the same should hold true for all 24 teams in the WPHL and CHL, he said.
   "Quite honestly, I think you have to have a little bit of natural selection," Beery said. "There's no need for us to go on a tour of Texas. When it's all said and done, the sport will be healthier. No one wants to see teams go out of business, but it's a fact of life."
   Most officials with the WPHL agree that a merger would create a natural rivalry between Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth. The addition of WPHL franchises in Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley for the 2002-03 seasons would further bolster what would be considered as the new league's central division.
   "That makes for a very nice division," Cherwonak said. "There's already a few pencil marks as to how it could go."
   Aside from former WPHL president Rick Kozubak and CHL president N. Thomas Berry Jr., who are heading the negotiations, no one from either league knows much of how talks are going, officials said.
   Hoppel said he feels that the WPHL's team management is being kept in the dark by league officials during the negotiations.
   "There's been no discussion on it at all," Hoppel said. "It's got to be the right situation for both leagues. The teams are all across the map, and I don't really understand what the division lineup would be and who would play who.
   "If it makes sense for the teams and everybody thinks it's a good deal, I think eventually it would happen," he said. "I don't know if it makes sense or not because we haven't seen any specifics."
   Davidson, however, said he understands if the leagues continue to remain quiet.
   "They're not going to step out publicly and announce something if there's no concrete information to tell the teams," Davidson said. "Like any other merger, they happen to make things stronger. It's purely a business decision for both leagues. If it happens, it will provide something new for the fans, new for the town and new for the teams."

Staff writer Javier Becerra can be reached at 886-3734 or by e-mail at becerraj@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]