3 teams exit CHL; players in limbo

Youngstown will select its players in an expansion draft.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- When the Central Hockey League owners gather in Phoenix in two weeks, Youngstown's Herb Washington will be the new kid on the block.
But three old school owners from the 2004-05 season won't be present.
At the moment, 14 of last year's 17 CHL franchises are expected to put teams on the ice in October for the league based mostly in the Southwest (nine of this year's teams were in Texas).
But the San Angelo (Texas) Saints and Topeka (Kansas) Tarantulas have folded. And the New Mexico Scorpions of Albuquerque are shutting down for a year because of an arena financing problem.
Washington's Youngstown SteelHounds are joining the league as an expansion team. The CHL is owned by Global Entertainment Corporation, the same company that is building the Youngstown Convocation Center on Front Street.
With teams releasing the rights to this year's players, the CHL could have assigned some to the Youngstown franchise, which is on its second general manager and still is searching for a coach and players.
But the league has chosen to make the players from those three disbanded teams free agents, meaning any minor-league ice hockey team can sign them.
Unusual
Brad Treliving, CHL president, said losing three teams is unusual for the league, which is preparing for its fifth season since it merged with the Western Professional Hockey League in May 2001.
"Years ago, we looked into the possibility" of assigning free-agent players' rights to new teams, Treliving said, adding that determining a fair way of distribution was a stumbling block.
Treliving called the loss of the Topeka and San Angelo markets "unfortunate. There were not enough bodies in Topeka and San Angelo support [ice hockey]."
While no one knows whether Youngstown will support minor-league hockey, Treliving said the new facility is better than those the CHL is losing and should be a drawing card.
"Ultimately, we hope this is a small step backwards so we can move forward," Treliving said.
Starting fresh
George Manias, the SteelHounds new general manager, is glad the league is not forcing his team to take the released players, saying he'd rather not inherit anything but start from scratch. He's considering hiring a coach from outside the CHL to bring in different players.
Manias, who was a GM with two teams in the United Hockey League, took over as SteelHounds boss after Grant Buckborough resigned last week to return to Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees in Hidalgo, Texas.
Treliving said changing GMs prior to a team's first season creates "a unique situation, but ultimately I think it's for the best.
"We're fortunate to have someone right there in the market who was a finalist for the job to begin with," Treliving said.
Manias was employed with Global as a consultant for the convocation center's construction.
The SteelHounds' new GM says he has narrowed his coaching list to two and expects to announce the coach next week.
Manias said the SteelHounds' being located so far from the rest of the league is good and bad in recruiting players.
Travel certainly will be much more extensive for Youngstown players when every road trip will be no closer than Kansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
On the other hand, because so many ice hockey players are Canadian, playing for a team not far from Canada could be a drawing card, Manias said.
Key facts
Treliving said each CHL team has a weekly salary cap of $8,500 and the average age of league players this year was 23.3 years. And no team can have more than four players with 260 games played.
The youngest players are 20 coming out of college and junior programs while the oldest tend to be 33.
In Phoenix, where the league's headquarters are, the owners will determine division realignment and whether to play a balanced schedule. Most likely, because of Youngstown being so far from Texas, an unbalanced schedule will be selected.
An expansion draft will be conducted and the SteelHounds will be allowed to select the rights to five players, none from the same team.
The 2004-05 schedule should be released in mid-July.
Treliving said Washington is not behind in his schedule to play the CHL the $1 million entry fee.
"Herb is in good standing with us and has operated the franchise as we thought he would," Treliving said.
Washington, a former Oakland Athletic who owns 21 McDonald's Restaurants in the Mahoning Valley, and Buckborough did not return calls seeking comment.
williams@vindy.com