No power play, just power struggle between owners

SteelHounds owner Herb Washington can reject other events at the center.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
CITY HALL REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The cooperative effort between the owners of two minor league hockey teams is apparently over about a month after it started.
Bruce Zoldan, owner of the Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the North American Hockey League, sent a letter Wednesday to Chevrolet Centre management expressing disappointment that his league's playoffs will not be played at the downtown Youngstown facility.
The contract Herb Washington, owner of the Youngstown SteelHounds of the Central Hockey League, has with the center gives him the authority to approve or reject all non-SteelHounds hockey events there, said Tom Sadler, president of Global Entertainment Corp.'s facility management division.
The key players
Washington's SteelHounds play their home games at the center, and is the facility's main tenant. Global manages the center for the city and owns the CHL. The Phantoms play at the Zoldan-owned Ice Zone in Boardman.
Zoldan, who also owns the B.J. Alan fireworks company, wrote he "was led to believe" the center could be used for the four-day Robertson Cup tournament in April, a month after the CHL regular season ends.
Sadler said there were discussions with Zoldan about the NAHL playoffs. But Sadler declined to comment on Washington's decision until Global officials talked to the two team owners.
Washington and Zoldan couldn't be reached Wednesday to comment.
But William Weimer, B.J. Alan's vice president and general counsel, said Washington left a voice mail message Tuesday for Zoldan saying he decided to not permit the tournament at the center and didn't give an explanation.
Embarrassment
Zoldan wrote he told the NAHL's executive committee that the center would be available, and has "suffered substantial embarrassment" by having to explain the event can't be held at the Youngstown facility. The tournament will instead be played in Bozeman, Mont.
"It is truly unfortunate that the relationship between your management group and Mr. Washington has degenerated to the point that results in situations such as this one," Zoldan wrote to Roger Swanson, the center's former interim executive director.
The tournament would have been an economic boost to the area and attracted positive media attention, Zoldan wrote.
It was only a month ago that Zoldan and Washington held a press conference to announce a hockey doubleheader held Jan. 21 at the center with the Phantoms playing Team USA followed by a SteelHounds game.
The two said there would be further opportunities to partner and working together would not only be mutually beneficial, but would encourage local youth to skate and play hockey.
Arena pendulum
Zoldan was an early proponent of building an arena in downtown Youngstown, but disagreed with several decisions made by the city regarding the facility and became a vocal critic of the process.
In his letter, Zoldan wrote: "I put aside my personal feelings about the development process and management of the Centre to try to support this downtown Youngstown project. Unfortunately, [this] has put a damper on my enthusiasm."
skolnick@vindy.com