Post by scooter on Feb 21, 2008 13:44:37 GMT -5
Minor leaguers sought revenge in vandalism
BY RON LEONARDI
ron.leonardi@timesnews.com [more details]
Published: February 21. 2008 6:00AM
Erie native Evan Lagace said he believes several members of the Jamestown (N.Y.) Vikings hockey team trashed an apartment building they lived in Feb. 14 in retaliation for not having been paid by the club in five to seven weeks.
Jamestown police said several players ransacked their apartment at West Fourth and Washington streets in Jamestown, the site of the former Viking Lodge, located across the street from Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena. Police gave a conservative damage estimate of $25,000.
The incident occurred a day after the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League announced Feb. 13 it was canceling the rest of the 2007-08 season to reorganize, with hopes of continuing play next season.
Lagace, 24, a forward on the team, did not live in the building and did not participate in the destruction, but said he wanted to discuss the incident after seeing footage of the damage on the Internet over the weekend. CNN aired footage of the damage Sunday.
"My take on it is that it is very disappointing," Lagace said. "The immaturity of the younger players involved is inexcusable. I feel bad for what Jamestown and the whole hockey community has to go through. The people in the city supported the team. Now they have this negative national publicity and we'll have to wait and see if hockey can survive in Jamestown."
Lagace, director of hockey operations and an assistant coach with Mercyhurst Prep, said he thought as many as 17 Vikings players were living in the former lodge but that only a handful were responsible for the damage.
Lagace said the team owed some players five weeks of back pay and other players seven weeks of pay. He said management told players throughout the season it was looking to sell the team and would pay the players once the franchise was sold.
Lagace said the team averaged between 300 and 400 fans for weekday home games and 1,200 fans for Friday and Saturday home games.
"Management told us there wasn't money coming in, but they kept telling us they were going to take care of things," Lagace said. "Initially, when we started to not get paid, our general manager was telling us we'd get paid in a few days. That didn't happen, and I think frustration set in and it would have been a lot better if they would have told us the truth up front."
Vikings owner Andrew Haines, who also serves as the MAHL majority owner and league president, said players were scheduled to be paid every two weeks and the organization was "maybe one or two pay periods behind."
"It wasn't five weeks behind," Haines said.
Haines, former owner of the Erie Freeze indoor football team, confirmed he has attempted to sell the Jamestown team since early in the season and is still seeking a buyer.
Lagace also said team members living at the apartment assumed the building was owned by the team. Haines said the building is owned by Bob Quick, who lives in Florida.
"We were in the process of buying the building, but we hadn't closed on it yet," Haines said. "We're still talking at this time."
"That was sort of the retaliation part of it, but there is no excuse for what they did," Lagace said. "I would like to think they wouldn't have done it if they knew the team didn't own the building. I heard there was some damage beforehand, a steady progression of damage over a period of days leading up to it. The news of the league going down sparked another level of destruction."
According to the police report, nearly every window in the building was broken and bar stools had been thrown through doors. Police also said debris and paint were strewn around a third-floor dance hall, and that players had attempted to set fires in the kitchen.
"I got a phone call from one of the guys at the lodge who didn't participate in the damage, and he told me he couldn't get some of the other guys to stop," Lagace said. "I hope the investigation proves who was involved and who wasn't."
Charges are expected to be filed once the Chautauqua County District Attorney's Office concludes its investigation.
"It happened the day after we announced the end of the league, so I'm sure that had something to do with it," Haines said. "It wasn't all the guys. Not all are bad guys."
Haines, who lives in Canton, Ohio, said he will inspect the building next week.
RON LEONARDI can be reached at 870-1680 or by e-mail.
BY RON LEONARDI
ron.leonardi@timesnews.com [more details]
Published: February 21. 2008 6:00AM
Erie native Evan Lagace said he believes several members of the Jamestown (N.Y.) Vikings hockey team trashed an apartment building they lived in Feb. 14 in retaliation for not having been paid by the club in five to seven weeks.
Jamestown police said several players ransacked their apartment at West Fourth and Washington streets in Jamestown, the site of the former Viking Lodge, located across the street from Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena. Police gave a conservative damage estimate of $25,000.
The incident occurred a day after the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League announced Feb. 13 it was canceling the rest of the 2007-08 season to reorganize, with hopes of continuing play next season.
Lagace, 24, a forward on the team, did not live in the building and did not participate in the destruction, but said he wanted to discuss the incident after seeing footage of the damage on the Internet over the weekend. CNN aired footage of the damage Sunday.
"My take on it is that it is very disappointing," Lagace said. "The immaturity of the younger players involved is inexcusable. I feel bad for what Jamestown and the whole hockey community has to go through. The people in the city supported the team. Now they have this negative national publicity and we'll have to wait and see if hockey can survive in Jamestown."
Lagace, director of hockey operations and an assistant coach with Mercyhurst Prep, said he thought as many as 17 Vikings players were living in the former lodge but that only a handful were responsible for the damage.
Lagace said the team owed some players five weeks of back pay and other players seven weeks of pay. He said management told players throughout the season it was looking to sell the team and would pay the players once the franchise was sold.
Lagace said the team averaged between 300 and 400 fans for weekday home games and 1,200 fans for Friday and Saturday home games.
"Management told us there wasn't money coming in, but they kept telling us they were going to take care of things," Lagace said. "Initially, when we started to not get paid, our general manager was telling us we'd get paid in a few days. That didn't happen, and I think frustration set in and it would have been a lot better if they would have told us the truth up front."
Vikings owner Andrew Haines, who also serves as the MAHL majority owner and league president, said players were scheduled to be paid every two weeks and the organization was "maybe one or two pay periods behind."
"It wasn't five weeks behind," Haines said.
Haines, former owner of the Erie Freeze indoor football team, confirmed he has attempted to sell the Jamestown team since early in the season and is still seeking a buyer.
Lagace also said team members living at the apartment assumed the building was owned by the team. Haines said the building is owned by Bob Quick, who lives in Florida.
"We were in the process of buying the building, but we hadn't closed on it yet," Haines said. "We're still talking at this time."
"That was sort of the retaliation part of it, but there is no excuse for what they did," Lagace said. "I would like to think they wouldn't have done it if they knew the team didn't own the building. I heard there was some damage beforehand, a steady progression of damage over a period of days leading up to it. The news of the league going down sparked another level of destruction."
According to the police report, nearly every window in the building was broken and bar stools had been thrown through doors. Police also said debris and paint were strewn around a third-floor dance hall, and that players had attempted to set fires in the kitchen.
"I got a phone call from one of the guys at the lodge who didn't participate in the damage, and he told me he couldn't get some of the other guys to stop," Lagace said. "I hope the investigation proves who was involved and who wasn't."
Charges are expected to be filed once the Chautauqua County District Attorney's Office concludes its investigation.
"It happened the day after we announced the end of the league, so I'm sure that had something to do with it," Haines said. "It wasn't all the guys. Not all are bad guys."
Haines, who lives in Canton, Ohio, said he will inspect the building next week.
RON LEONARDI can be reached at 870-1680 or by e-mail.
