Echl

Gary Fisher, secretary-treasurer of the Skipjacks, said yesterday that season-ticket deposits on a prospective East Coast Hockey League team in Baltimore will be refunded within two weeks.The Skipjacks, who are moving to Portland, Maine, next season, have been holding deposits in anticipation of an ECHL team coming here. But the Baltimore Hockey Advocates announced Wednesday that negotiations to put the team in the Arena had ended unsuccessfully, signaling the end of a 14-year run of professional hockey in Baltimore.

Baseball ANGELS: Agreed to terms with IF-OF Clay Bellinger and P Donne Wall on minor-league contracts. CARDINALS: Agreed to terms on minor-league contract with P Jaime Navarro and assigned him to Triple-A Memphis. DEVIL RAYS: Agreed to terms with P Jesus Colome, P Travis Phelps and P Ryan Rupe on one-year contracts. INDIANS: Signed IF Mike Lansing to minor-league contract. PADRES: Agreed to terms with former Orioles OF Pete Incaviglia on minor-league contract. RED SOX: Agreed to terms on minor-league contract with IF Tom Hage.

Former Washington Capitals defenseman Rod Langway, 37, a two-time winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman, signed yesterday with the Richmond Renegades of the East Coast Hockey League.Langway, a seven-time NHL All-Star who hasn't played competitively since the Capitals released him in July 1993, will rejoin a former Washington teammate -- Renegades general manager Craig Laughlin."His ability to teach our young defensemen will help as we get ready for the playoff push," Laughlin told the Richmond (Va.)

Transactions Baseball MARINERS: Signed OF Ruben Sierra to a one-year contract. PADRES: Agreed to terms with P Alan Embree on a one-year contract. RANGERS: Agreed to terms with P Hideki Irabu and P Bill Pulsipher on minor-league contracts. ROCKIES: Traded OF Ender Chavez to the New York Mets to complete an earlier trade. Basketball SUNS: Placed C Jake Tsakalidis on the injured list. Activated C Daniel Santiago. College EASTERN WASHINGTON: Announced that QB Josh Blankenship has transferred from Tulsa.

Bandits owner Mike Caggiano gained approval for an expansion franchise to begin play next season in the East Coast Hockey League and signed a one-year lease to have the yet-to-be-named team play its games in the 6,000-seat Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro.The ECHL plays a 70-game schedule beginning in mid-October. League rules dictate a $200,000 salary cap per team. The ECHL, the largest minor league in professional sports, will have 25 teams competing in the 1997-98 season."This does not affect the Baltimore [American Hockey League]

Lorraine Kelley was in full uniform, from the blinking "Jacks" earrings to her American Hockey League pins to the hockey charms she worn around her neck.And it all adorned a crisp, red, white and blue Skipjacks jersey.A Skipjacks fan if ever there was one.Kelley was on hand last night when Skipjacks owner Tom Ebright made an on-ice pitch for renewal of season tickets for next year. Although Ebright didn't say it, his AHL team is almost certainly moving to Portland, Maine, for next season, and in its place will be an East Coast Hockey League team.

The Skipjacks are leaving, but another hockey team is comin to Baltimore to replace them, owner Tom Ebright said yesterday.Calling this "decision week," Ebright said he expects the matter to be resolved in a few days.Ebright said he expects to move his American Hockey League Skipjacks toWilkes-Barre, Pa., Syracuse, N.Y., or Portland, Maine, and to buy a franchise in the East Coast Hockey League, a rung below the AHL on the minor-league ladder, and bring it to Baltimore.Ebright refused to identify the ECHL franchise with which he is negotiating, but he did say Roanoke and Knoxville are reportedly for sale, and it is believed that Ebright favors Knoxville.

The Baltimore Hockey Advocates have sweetened their rent proposal to put an East Coast Hockey League team in the Arena next season.Whether it is enough to break the impasse in negotiations with Centre Management was uncertain, but Ed Anderson, the primary investor in a would-be ECHL team, said yesterday that those negotiations would be open-ended."

The roof fell in on the Roanoke Valley Rampage in Vinton, Va., last Saturday night -- literally, figuratively and perhaps even appropriately.In its final East Coast Hockey League game of an abysmal season, the Rampage trailed the Richmond Renegades, 6-2, when play was stopped with 6:03 left in the second period. A beam supporting the roof of the LancerLot arena began to buckle under the stress of 16 inches of snow and 40 mph winds.Within minutes, the decision was made to evacuate the building.

Skipjacks owner Tom Ebright took his case for the continuation of hockey in Baltimore to the Arena ice last night.Between the first two periods of the Skipjacks' American Hockey League game against Rochester, Ebright asked fans in the crowd of 5,219 to make a $50 deposit toward season tickets for an East Coast Hockey League team here next season.His strategy is to replace the departing AHL franchise with one of three ECHL possibilities -- existing franchises in Knoxville, Tenn., or Roanoke, Va., or an expansion team.

Hockey Devils: Assigned D Alex Johnstone to ECHL Columbus.

Baseball Marlins: Named Mike Tosar South Florida scouting supervisor. Pirates: Named Russ Nixon catching instructor and Milt May minor-league hitting instructor. Basketball Celtics: Activated G Randy Brown from injured list. Placed C Mark Blount on injured list. Clippers: Placed G Earl Boykins on injured list. Hawks: Activated G Dion Glover from injured list. Mavericks: Waived F Bill Curley. Signed F Mark Bryant. Continental Basketball Association: Renewed developmental agreement with the NBA for 2000-01 season.

Baseball Cubs: Signed P Bobby Ayala to Triple-A contract. Basketball Hornets: Activated C Brad Miller. Placed G Michael Hawkins (tendinitis in left knee) on injured list. College South Carolina: Suspended LB Daniel Gawronski from football team indefinitely for violation of team policy. Football Bengals: Signed WR-KR Damon Griffin to two-year contract. Steelers: Signed OT Larry Tharpe and S Nakia Codie. Hockey Canadiens: Lent RW Aaron Asham to AHL Quebec. Flyers: Extended affiliation agreement with ECHL Trenton for two seasons.

Baseball Devil Rays: Added P Steve Trachsel to 40-man roster. Designated former Orioles minor-league IF David Lamb for assignment. Diamondbacks: Agreed to three-year contract with P Brian Anderson. Mets: Signed P Eric Cammack, P Grant Roberts, P Jim Mann, OF Alex Escobar and OF Jon Nunnally to one-year contracts. Padres: Agreed to minor-league contract with OF Danny Tartabull. Basketball Hawks: Placed G Dion Glover on injured list. Activated F Roshown McLeod. Nuggets: Placed F Ryan Bowen (sprained right ankle)

HockeyFlyers: Assigned C Martin Cerven to ECHL Trenton. Recalled D Sergei Skrobot from Trenton.

BaseballAstros: Announced affiliation with Martinsville of Rookie-level Appalachian League.Blue Jays: Agreed to one-year contracts with IF Kevin Witt, OF Ryan Freel, P Tom Davey, P Gary Glover, P Peter Munro, P Leoncio Estrella and P John Bale. Released OF Patrick Lennon.Expos: Invited P Christian Parker, P Matt Blank and IF Geoff Blum to spring training.CollegesNAIA: Announced Albuquerque, N.M., will host 1999 and 2000 men's soccer national championships.Louisville: Named Scott Linehan offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

Negotiations on a lease that would bring an East Coast Hockey League team to the Baltimore Arena next season remained snagged yesterday.John Haas, a local businessman representing would-be ECHL owner Ed Anderson, met for 90 minutes with officials from Centre Management, but was unable to close the gap on the issue of rent."

Frustrated in his effort to build a sports and entertainment center just south of the city, Mike Caggiano isn't giving up on attempts to make minor-league hockey a viable product in this area. The Bandits' owner has applied for entry into the East Coast Hockey League."We made a presentation at the league meetings in Charlotte [N.C.], and everything seemed to go well," said Caggiano, who plans to put an ECHL team in the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro if the league looks kindly on his bid.So where does that leave Baltimore, the Bandits and the American Hockey League?

BasketballBucks: Waived C Kipp Christianson, F Mike Higgins and F Donald Royal.Clippers: Waived C Mark Blount, F Juaquin Hawkins and G Chris Smith.Warriors: Named Bob Reinhart scout.HockeyCanucks: Assigned G Allan Hitchen to ECHL Charlotte.Pub Date: 2/01/99

FootballSeahawks: Signed T Tony Berti.HockeyCoyotes: Recalled D Bryan Helmer from IHL Las Vegas.Canucks: Recalled C Matt Cooke from AHL Syracuse.Chesapeake Icebreakers (ECHL): Activated D Eric Linkowski from the injured list.Richmond Renegades (ECHL): Loaned G Maxime Gingras to IHL Orlando.Pub Date: 11/27/98