Centre's GM does not have answer

Matt Hufnagel said that he hasn't been informed of the tournament's status.
VINDICATOR STAFF REPORT
YOUNGSTOWN -- Matt Hufnagel, general manager of the Chevrolet Centre, said Thursday he has not been informed of any decision regarding the North American Hockey League tournament at the Chevrolet Centre April 24-29.
The NAHL Board of Governors was supposed to announce Thursday where they will stage their annual tournament, but no announcement has been made.
Bruce Zoldan, owner of the NAHL's Mahoning Valley Phantoms, would like the tournament to be staged at the four-month old Chevrolet Centre with the Phantoms as hosts.
But Herb Washington, owner of the Youngstown SteelHounds, has not given permission for the tournament to be staged there.
Right of refusal
As part of the SteelHounds' contract with Global Entertainment, which runs the Chevrolet Centre for the city, Washington has the right for one year to deny other professional sports promoters from staging events in the Chevrolet Centre.
Last Friday, Washington issued a statement that he wouldn't allow the tournament because the SteelHounds might still be playing in the playoffs.
But with 13 games remaining, the SteelHounds trail Wichita by about 12 points in the race for the Central Hockey League Eastern Conference's final playoff berth. The CHL regular season ends March 25. A team gets two points for a win, one point for an overtime loss and zero points for a loss.
Zoldan offered a counterproposal to Washington's rejection last Friday, saying that if the NAHL event was staged in Youngstown and the SteelHounds were still playing, then the junior hockey tournament would move any conflicting games to The Ice Zone in Boardman.
Zoldan said Washington has not responded to the compromise.
Zoldan said the NAHL is considering several regional sites for the tournament, including Wheeling, W. Va.; Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland; Columbus; and Alpena, Mich.