Coach in place; work remains

Editorials

Discussion

June 22, 2007

Chiefs shooting for affiliation, recruits

Anonymous The Tribune-Democrat Fri Jun 22, 2007, 02:12 PM EDT

This has been an active offseason for the Johnstown Chiefs hockey team.

Whether it is an offseason of positive developments remains to be seen.

The team confirmed last week that former National Hockey League player Ian Herbers had been named the eighth coach of the ECHL franchise.

He replaces Frank Anzalone, who had led the Chiefs to the playoffs in each of his two seasons, but was let go in April by owner Jim Weber.

Anzalone left along with the Chiefs’ affiliation with the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL. Weber severed ties with Tampa and struck out on his own, even as he acknowledged that the Lightning essentially had financed the team here.

He says Chiefs fans wanted a new direction for the franchise.

“Night in and night out, I stand out in front of the War Memorial and I talk to fans,” Weber said while introducing Herbers. “I heard you say you want a different product on the ice. I made a couple tough decisions and decided to make some changes.”

Weber also has been pursuing a share of the concessions revenue at the War Memorial.

No agreement has been finalized, although Weber and the War Memorial Authority Board exchanged proposals in February and seemed headed toward an accord.

Unfortunately, nothing is certain except that the Chiefs will play in Johnstown in 2007-08, and Herbers will be their coach.

“I want to do all that I can to make the team healthy so it stays in town,” Weber said then.

Weber says the Chiefs are contacting other NHL organizations in the hope of forging a new pact that would bring some players to Johnstown.

And recruiting players not already under contract with an NHL team is also on the front burner for the Chiefs.

Herbers will be charged with helping to make both of those things happen.

“We don’t want to just get into an affiliation just for the sake of an affiliation,” Herbers said. “We want to make sure it’s the right fit for Johnstown.”

We agree, and we like what we’ve heard from the coach in the early going.

“You want to be in a place that loves hockey and wants a winning team and supports the team all season long,” Herbers said.

“We’re going to be competitive every night,” he added. “We’re going to have that work ethic. We’re going to play a physical style of game. We’re going to pressure the puck all over the ice.”

All that said, the long-term fate of the Chiefs is Weber’s responsibility.

Ultimately, his decisions will determine whether the team survives in Johnstown or is gone in a year or two.

A coach has been hired.

But more work lies ahead for this hockey owner.

We hope the Chiefs aren’t skating on thin ice.

Text Only | Photo Reprints

Editorials

Readers' Forum 2-10 | Pastor: Area churches are in distress
As a retired pastor, I have the opportunity to preach in many churches in the area. What I am seeing is most alarming.

February 10, 2012
Neighborhoods urged ‘to step up’
When government officials and community groups talk about neighborhood improvements, blight elimination and trash and litter cleanups, our ears perk up.

February 10, 2012
Readers' Forum 2-9 | Find funds to heal returning soldiers
The article, “Military finds troops ailing; problems create health care backlog,” published Feb. 2 by USA Today, impressed me so profoundly that I just can’t keep myself from bringing it to your attention.

February 9, 2012
Take in a high school play
“Peter Pan” has already done a flyby at Windber Area High School.

February 9, 2012
Readers' Forum 2-8 | Ambulance crew following protocol
In response to the Readers’ Forum letter on Feb. 3 by Molly Comperatore, “Ambulance assoc. bill extravagant, unethical”:

February 8, 2012
Protect young lungs
A recent CDC study concludes that too many kids are breathing others’ smoke in cars.

February 8, 2012
Richard Dreyfuss | Future generations will come out on losing end of budget
As the governor’s state budget undergoes intense scrutiny, there is no shortage of speculation surrounding various fiscal austerity proposals and which departments and programs will likely be the ultimate budgetary “winners and losers.”

February 8, 2012
‘219’ optimism is driven closer toward reality
Making U.S. Route 219 a four-lane highway from Somerset to the Mason-Dixon Line is a crucial project for our entire region.

February 7, 2012
Readers' Forum 2-7 | Country controlled by wackos
You just can’t make this stuff up.

February 7, 2012
‘219’ optimism is driven closer toward reality
Making U.S. Route 219 a four-lane highway from Somerset to the Mason-Dixon Line is a crucial project for our entire region.

February 7, 2012
More Editorials Headlines

Editorials

Search Results

Discussion

Coach in place; work remains

Chiefs shooting for affiliation, recruits

Do you support Gov. Tom Corbett’s proposed state budget for fiscal year 2012-13?

Contact Us