MINOR LEAGUE HOCKEY SteelHounds and Barons join forces

The Youngstown team is now a farm team of the AHL franchise.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Just like the Mahoning Valley Scrappers' baseball team is a farm team of the Cleveland Indians, now the new Youngstown SteelHounds hockey team has hooked up as an affiliate with the Cleveland Barons.
This new relationship between the SteelHounds of the Central Hockey League and the Barons of the American Hockey League for the 2005-06 season is being viewed as a mutually-beneficial move, one that can help both teams to grow, improve opportunities for players and attract more fans.
That was the gist of the press conference held Wednesday afternoon at The Core in downtown Youngstown that was attended by both SteelHounds and Barons front-office officials, who believe the new partnership will benefit the advance of hockey not only locally but throughout Ohio.
"With this partnership and affiliation with the Cleveland Barons, it further gives our team and our league credibility in the hockey world," said SteelHounds GM George Manias. "This partnership will help from a marketing standpoint, as we can have some great ticket promotions between our two teams."
NHL connection
Manias said the Barons also give the SteelHounds an NHL connection because they are the top minor league affiliate of the NHL's San Jose Sharks, and are owned and operated by SVS & amp;E, the same company that owns the Sharks.
"Our goal is to grow this into an AHL affiliation and then we want to grow it into an NHL affiliation with the San Jose Sharks," Manias said. "But we have to prove ourselves first."
Barons president Michael Lehr said he is glad to see the expansion of hockey in Ohio, especially Youngstown.
"Youngstown is a great market for us to partner with and we are proud to serve as their AHL affiliate during the SteelHounds' inaugural season," said Lehr. "Our organizations share common goals and philosophies."
Lehr recalled that when he was a boy and Herb Washington, the SteelHounds' owner, was a designated runner with the Oakland A's in 1975, that Lehr made Washington a member of his pretend baseball team.
"He was on my dice team and although he never batted in the major leagues, he batted .700 on my team as a centerfielder, and I had his baseball card," said Lehr, who asked Washington to sign the baseball card and also a puck for the first time. "You are a hockey guy now so please sign your first puck."
Washington joked as he signed the baseball card, "The guy in the [card] picture is a lot better looking." And while signing the puck, he quipped: "It's just like signing a baseball, only a flatter. It's a lot easier."
Into Barons' territory
Michael Mudd, the Barons' vice president of hockey and business operations, said the SteelHounds bring the CHL into Barons territory.
"I think this is an outstanding situation in Youngstown. Most of the CHL teams are from out West and Youngstown is right down the road. We will be able to scout players. It gives us an alternative," said Mudd.
SteelHounds coach J.F. Laforest added, "The affiliation with an AHL team presents us with several opportunities that will benefit our organization and our players."
Ticket options available
Bob Hoffman, the SteelHounds' director of media relations and promotions, announced all of the various season and group ticket options available to fans. More ticket information may be obtained by calling the SteelHounds at 330-747-PUCK.
The team's 16-game home season at Youngstown's new Convocation Center will begin Nov. 4 against Oklahoma City at 7:05 p.m.
The SteelHounds also announced that The Vindicator has joined Competitive Edge Sports Medicine to become the SteelHounds' two premier presenting partners for the 2005-06 season
"We signed a deal with The Vindicator to create a premier partnership with them," said Manias. "We will tag them with everything we do and we are going to be tagged with them in their promotions like Newspapers in Education and at the Canfield Fair."
Manias said the SteelHounds players will begin coming into town starting Thursday and that 14 players have signed out of a possible roster of 18. Training camp will open Oct. 10.