Hockey comes to a halt in Pensacola......

It hasn't been a good month for former ScareCrows' executives...

and...former USHL 'Crows Erik Fabian and Luke Erickson played for the Ice Pilots last season...

Hockey comes to a halt in Pensacola
ECHL terminates Ice Pilots; team's future is uncertain
Jason Blakeney • jblakeney@pnj.com • June 24, 2008

After Pensacola Ice Pilots owner Mario Forgione told ECHL officials he didn't want to put a team on the ice for the 2008-09 season, the league's Board of Governors terminated the franchise Monday.

The penalty for violating the league's bylaws abruptly ended a 12-season run for the minor-league hockey franchise.

"The Ice Pilots advised us that they didn't plan to play hockey in the ECHL next year or the year after," league commissioner Brian McKenna said. "According to our bylaws, that is grounds for termination."

The ECHL, formerly the East Coast Hockey League, said it will not step in to attempt to keep the team in Pensacola under new ownership.

That leaves an uncertain future for any return of hockey.

"At this point there are not plans to keep the ECHL in Pensacola," McKenna said. "At this point that membership is terminated. From our point of view, Pensacola is an open territory.

"In the future if someone local wants to contact us, and they have a business plan and they are properly capitalized, then at that point we'll consider a return."

Ice Pilots management wants to move the team to a different league.

Team president Greg Schuh said rising fuel costs, coupled with the struggling economy, were a double shot the team could no longer handle in the ECHL.

In a lower-level league, Schuh explained, there are fewer games, less travel, lower salaries and lower operating costs.

If hockey is to remain viable in Pensacola, Schuh said, it would have to be in a cheaper league.

"The (ECHL) league model just does not work for us here," said Schuh, a minority owner in the franchise. "We had every intention of putting a team on the ice, but not in the ECHL. We're disappointed the league took this stance."

Schuh said the team offered the ECHL "the option of bringing an individual or group to take over this market, but they declined."

McKenna said the short notice given by the team did not make such a takeover possible, and ownership gave no indication that it would not put a team on the ice if it were unable to sell.

"It was a surprise," McKenna said. "We were aware (Mario Forgione) was making attempts to sell the team, so that wouldn't have surprised us. But there wasn't any inkling that this was coming. He made a business decision. I can't say we agree with it."

Escambia County had recently negotiated a new contract with Henley Sports, Inc., the ownership organization of the team.

"I am a little disappointed to be honest," County Administrator Bob McLaughlin said. "We have some questions we still need answered. We are going to talk to the league and see what is best for Escambia County based on what has just happened."

McLaughlin said the county has a couple of options.

"We need to see what the league is going to do; we have heard they are looking for new owners to buy the team," he said. "Maybe the league wants to put another hockey team here under new ownership. If not, then they had over 36 play dates, and those dates will become available to have shows and possibly help us with revenue."

If several concerts were held, filling 5,000 to 8,000 seats per event at Pensacola Civic Center in place of some of the hockey dates — generally filling an average of 1,900 seats per game — it could bring in more money, McLaughlin said.

Ice Pilots head coach John Marks also was surprised by the decision. He said he had no idea the organization would not have a team on the ice this season.

"To be blunt, I'm looking for a job," Marks said.

The winningest coach in ECHL history, Marks said he wants to continue coaching — on any level. He also said he would like to return to coach in Pensacola if the team landed in another league.

"Absolutely," Marks said. "I like Pensacola. I met a lot of terrific people. There are some terrific hockey fans there. The thing that brightened my day when we were struggling was that there were a lot of nice people that really loved hockey and really loved the Ice Pilots."

The Ice Pilots had sold 675 season tickets for 2008-09 and expected to reach 1,100 as they did this past season.

All season ticket-holders will receive a full refund from the team.

McKenna said the league recognizes the core group of fans that support hockey in Pensacola, and that the league feels the fan base is large enough to support a team in the ECHL.

"The league appreciates that no matter how good or how bad the team was, a core group of fans continued to support Pensacola," McKenna said. "We believe there is a place in Pensacola for the ECHL."

Fans, though, might not have that option to keep rooting in the ECHL, formerly known as the East Coast Hockey League.

Forgione and the Ice Pilots organization want to keep hockey in Pensacola, either in the Central Hockey League or the Southern Professional Hockey League.