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By SCOTT REINARDY sreinardy@leader.net
Wednesday, February 09, 2000 Page: 3B
Although Peter Vandermeer was returned to his ECHL team in Richmond, Va.,
on Sunday, he was practicing with the Penguins on Tuesday at First Union
Arena.
Vandermeer’s demotion apparently was just a demotion on paper.
The ECHL’s leader in penalty minutes was given a six-game suspension for
running into a goalie in his final game with Richmond on Jan. 29. Three days
later, Vandermeer was signed to a 25-game contract with the Penguins.
Still, the ECHL reviewed the videotape and gave Vandermeer a six-game
suspension. The AHL also reviewed the tape and decided his actions didn’t
warrant a suspension. The AHL is not obligated to honor the ECHL’s rules.
So Vandermeer played for the Penguins in two games against Hershey during
the weekend, not scoring or being penalized. On Sunday, he was sent back to
Richmond to serve the first game of his suspension, but never actually went to
Richmond.
“The coach down there and Glenn (Patrick) talked about it and that’s a
deal they worked out,” Vandermeer said Tuesday. “And it sounded pretty good
to me, also.”
Vandermeer said the paper transaction will take place five more times so he
can serve his suspension.
“Then I’ll be legal everywhere,” he said.
Vandermeer said he expects to be in the lineup this weekend.
GETTING A CHANCE: Penguins defenseman Pavel Skrbek has never met
Pittsburgh’s new associate head coach Ivan Hlinka, but certainly knows his
reputation.
Hlinka was the coach of the Czech Republic national team and coached the
Czechs to the gold medal in the 1998 Olympics.
Skrbek is a native of Kladno, Czechoslovakia
“I don’t know him personally but everyone knows him at home,” he said.
The prospect of Hlinka replacing Herb Brooks at Pittsburgh’s coach after
this season is a pleasant thought for Skrbek.
“Maybe now I’ll finally get a chance.”
ICE CHIPS: Forward Greg Crozier practiced for the first time without a face
shield Tuesday. He had been wearing a full or partial shield since breaking
his left cheek bone on Jan. 12. … Defenseman J.P. Tessier is nursing a
slight hip flexor and a bruised right thigh and did not practice Tuesday. …
Defenseman Chris Kelleher did not practice Tuesday because of illness.
AHL PLAYER OF WEEK: Albany River Rats right wing Steve Brule has been named
the Sher-Wood AHL Player of the Week for the period ending Sunday, Feb. 6.
Brule recorded 10 points (3-7) in four games last week including his 200th
career assist Sunday night.
Brule began the week recording a point (one goal, three assists) on each
Albany tally in the River Rats’ 4-3 overtime victory over the
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He added an assist on the club’s lone goal
Friday night at Louisville and two points (one goal, one assist) the next
evening in Cincinnati.
The Albany captain finished the week with a three-point effort (one goal,
two assists) in Albany’s 5-3 win over the Panthers on Sunday.
Other players nominated for the Sher-Wood AHL Player of the Week include:
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton right wing Steve Leach, Cincinnati center Bob Wren,
Hamilton left wing Dan Cleary, Hartford right wing Brad Smyth, Hershey right
wing Christian Matte, Louisville defenseman Brent Thompson, Philadelphia
center Todd White, Portland left wing Jeff Toms, Providence center Andre
Savage, Quebec center Jesse Belanger, Rochester center Domenic Pittis,
Syracuse left wing Steve Kariya, Saint John left wing Jeff Cowan, and St.
John’s right wing Adam Mair.
PENGUINS SELLOUT: The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins recorded their 10th
sellout of the season on Friday when they took on the Hershey Bears in front
of 8,217 fans. For the first 24 games this season, the total attendance is
174,621, which is more than 89 percent of capacity of the First Union Arena.
The club has averaged 7,275 fans per game.
The Hershey Bears have led the league in sellouts the last two years with
14 last season and 12 in 1997-98. The highest number of sellouts since the
1986-87 season is 36 by the Cape Breton Oilers in 1990-91.