Team changes owners, plans to release details in
coming days

By MAURY THOMPSON
thompson@...
and MICHAEL LEWIS
mlewis@...

GLENS FALLS -- The Adirondack IceHawks will continue
to play uninterrupted at the Glens Falls Civic Center
under new ownership that includes ESPN hockey
commentator Barry Melrose, city officials announced
late Friday.

"We have a deal," said Civic Center Executive Director
Suzanna Bernd.

United Hockey League President Richard Brosal
confirmed at about 6:30 p.m. Friday that current
owners Art and Lori Shaver agreed to sell the team to
the new ownership group.

"Everyone involved is very ecstatic to have an oral
agreement that will go into the contract stage,"
Brosal said. "For the people of Glens Falls, we are so
pleased and so proud."

Information was not available Friday about how the
sale will affect players, coaches and other IceHawks
employees.

Dr. Eric Margenau is one of the four members of the
IceHawks' new ownership group, according to a source
close to the negotiations. Margenau is the current
owner of the Richmond RiverDogs and a past owner of
the Albany Conquest arena football team. Other details
about the ownership group were not available Friday.

Bernd said that the new owners are planning a press
conference sometime early next week.

Brosal said that it was unfortunate that the Shavers,
who brought the team to Glens Falls in 1999, ran into
financial troubles.

"We owe a debt of gratitude to Art and Lori Shaver for
five years of working tirelessly to keep hockey going
in the Adirondacks," he said.

Art Shaver could not immediately be reached for
comment after the announcement.

City officials and representatives of the new
ownership group reached agreement on a new Civic
Center lease earlier in the day on Friday, Mayor
Robert Regan said.

"We think the fans can look forward to a great future
for the team," he said.

Regan would not reveal details of the new lease
Friday, but said the city made some concessions to the
new ownership group compared with a previous agreement
the city reached with the Shavers in August.

Common Council members were briefed on the agreement
Friday afternoon and were supportive, Regan said.

Several council members said that initially the city
likely will receive slightly less revenues than in the
past, but the lease has a new feature under which the
city will receive a higher payment once attendance for
the season crosses a certain threshold.

The deal could potentially be more lucrative for the
city if Barry Melrose's celebrity status lures larger
crowds to hockey games, said 4th Ward Councilwoman
Teena Weber.

Council members expressed relief that a deal had been
struck, and that the hockey season will continue
uninterrupted.

"I think that's a necessity, not only to a quality of
life, but a necessity to the viability of the Civic
Center," said 5th Ward Councilman Scott Pauquette.

The deal ends a week of uncertainty about the future
of hockey in Glens Falls after the Warren County
Sheriff's Department seized the proceeds from
concession stands at a hockey game last weekend to
satisfy a debt owed by previous team owners Art and
Lori Shaver.

City officials met with representatives of the
ownership group for three consecutive days at City
Hall this week, conducting some of the negotiations
with principals in the group via telephone conference
calls.

Third Ward Councilman Harold "Bud" Taylor, who
participated in the negotiations, said he's impressed
with the caliber of the new ownership group.

Now, he said, it's imperative that the public show
support for the team by attending hockey games.

Apparently, the agreement reached with the new owners
does not address the more than $300,000 in delinquent
debt the Shavers owe to the city, council members
said.

First Ward Councilman John "Jack" Diamond said that it
is important the city take whatever legal measures are
necessary to collect the money from the Shavers.

Other debts have also become public in recent weeks.

A lawyer for a Westchester County-based payroll
services firm publicly threatened last month to take
legal action to collect more than $15,000 he says the
team owes his clients.

And last weekend, the Warren County Sheriff's
Department seized about $8,100 in revenues from Civic
Center concession stands to help satisfy a $50,000
judgment for debt the Shavers owe to Michael
Cantanucci, president of New Country Motor Group in
Clifton Park.

The city temporarily took over operation of concession
stands at Civic Center events on Friday, Regan said.

No alcohol is being sold while the stands are under
city management.

Councilwoman at Large Kay Saunders said that she has
mixed feeling about the developments in recent days.

While she is pleased the hockey team will continue to
play at the Civic Center, she said it's unfortunate
that the Shavers ran into financial troubles.

"They came in here (in 1999) sincerely trying to
help," she said.

Sports Editor Greg Brownell contributed to this
report.


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