Owner doesn’t care, share

While watching former Youngstown SteelHounds skating with members of the Mahoning Valley Phantoms at the Aug. 24 fundraiser for Jason Baird, one couldn’t help but wonder if cooperation sooner between those organizations might have prevented professional hockey from being stripped from Youngstown.

We’ll never know. For now, it appears professional hockey may have had its swan song at the aching-for-customers Chevrolet Centre.

There are many reasons that the three-year-old arena no longer has an anchor tenant, but owner Herb Washington’s stubbornness is at the top of the list.

On June 2, the Central Hockey League kicked the SteelHounds out over non-payment of league fees (talk about the ultimate trip to the penalty box).

Former employees estimate Washington lost at least $1 million during the his three years as owner. Based on the empty seats and dark loges at most of the games, that estimate is probably conservative.

You can’t blame Washington for being tired of losing money. A very good SteelHounds team like this year’s squad couldn’t fill the seats with customers.

Since being ousted, Washington has done little to reassure the SteelHounds’ diehard (but limited) fans that he can put his dormant team into another league in 2009.

Washington initially explored joining the six-team International Hockey League for this fall, but the league was urging a three-year commitment. Washington chose to not invite league officials for a visit.

The SteelHounds’ other professional option is the ECHL (once known as the East Coast Hockey League), but that league’s buy-in fee is around $1.4 million.

After what happened between the Washington and the CHL, the ECHL would want the money up front. Uh oh.

“Hopefully, one day, hockey will be back,” former SteelHounds coach Kevin Kaminski told the 1,000-or-so fans at the Baird fund-raiser. “Obviously, you have a top-notch facility here that brings so much to the downtown. People have to come out and support it.”

Former Hounds find new homes

After hearing very little from Washington after the ouster, Kaminski wisely went job hunting. He’s now the coach of the CHL’s Mississippi RiverKings.

General manager Joe Gregory was hired by the American Hockey League’s Norfolk Admirals. The AHL is the league directly below the National Hockey League.

Both contributed their time and talents to the fundraiser.

The players are finding new teams. Goaltender Andy Franck will be in goal for the CHL’s Oklahoma City Blazers. The Corpus Christi Rayz have signed forwards Chris Richards and Ryan Bennett. Defenseman/forward Adam Smyth again will play for Kaminski. Baird signed with the IHL’s Muskegon Fury about a week before he was burned over 60 percent of his body in a lawnmower accident.

Bennett, who played for the SteelHounds in 2006-07 and returned to the team in March, said, “Youngstown is a good hockey city.

“You had a good showing for a special cause that came out of nowhere,” said Bennett referring to the fundraiser that produced $34,000.

Bennett said he planned to return to the SteelHounds before the team was benched.

“I liked it here when I was here last year and it is very unfortunate that what happened, happened,” Bennett said. “Hopefully, maybe next year, they will get a team. It’s a good area, a beautiful rink, great people. And they should have hockey here.”

Hockey could return to Youngstown

Phantoms owner Bruce Zoldan, who attended the Baird fundraiser in support of his amateur players, says he’s prepared to help bring hockey back. First, Washington would need to show he can share.

Uh oh.

In 2006 when Zoldan wanted to stage the North American Hockey League’s showcase at the Chevy Centre, Washington refused permission. With professional sports exclusivity for the arena’s first year and hockey exclusivity for 10, Washington was within his rights.

But his decision was a slap in the face to the community that hasn’t begun to pay a dime off the building’s expensive mortgage.

Zoldan believes a junior team playing at the level above the NAHL could sell enough tickets to break even. Playing amateurs in a travel-friendly league would cut costs considerably compared to the CHL roadtrips to Texas, Colorado and Louisiana.

If the Baird fundraiser was professional hockey’s finale here, it was a grand party as the diehards were able to salute their favorites one last time for a great cause.

“It brought back a lot of good memories [especially now] with no hockey here,” Richards said.

And no one embarrassed the community or the organization with the “Refs Suck” sign that was seen in the owner’s box during the playoffs.

XTom Williams is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at williams@vindy.com.