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By Phillip Brents
Posted on Oct. 5, 2002

The West Coast Hockey League’s makeover for the 2002-2003 season has begun at the top with the physical relocation of its league offices from Boise, Idaho, to Ontario, Calif., effective Sept. 1. The move was initiated by the dramatic geographical downsizing of the league following the suspension in operations last season of the Tacoma Sabercats franchise and the surprise suspension in operations of the Colorado Gold Kings franchise on August 1.Four of the WCHL’s six active teams are now based in California with an expansion franchise in nearby Las Vegas, Nev., to start up play next season and another expansion franchise ultimately to be located in Ontario.

The Gold Kings closed their doors after incurring losses of more than $5 million since moving to Colorado Springs in 1998. The team anticipated substantial losses once again for the upcoming season and, based on sales at the end of July, tendered its withdrawl from active playing status.
“Despite the excellent product, a wonderful and talented staff, and a core group of devoted fans, we couldn’t generate a sufficient general fan-base or enough community involvement to support the club and to make it a viable business operation,” the team’s ownership group announced to fans and sponsors via a front page posting on the team’s website (www.coloradogoldkings.com).

The WCHL now boasts five suspended franchises: Reno, Phoenix, Tucson, Tacoma and Colorado.
The Gold Kings were scheduled to open the league’s eighth season on October 11.

The WCHL is expected to release a revised six-team schedule, though the future of the Gold Kings franchise is under discussion with the team’s ownership group. Both Colorado and Tacoma could be readmitted for the 2003-2004 season, according to sources within the league.

In any event, business preparations for the upcoming season continue for the rest of the league’s teams.
Besides the office move, the WCHL also announced that Bakersfield Condors President and General Manager Matthew Riley has taken over as the league’s acting commissioner. Adam Keller, who served as interim commissioner following the resignation early last season of WCHL President Mike McCall while also continuing his duties as the league’s Vice President of Hockey Operations, has stepped down to serve in an advisory role through the end of October.

Former Tacoma head coach Robert Dirk will succeed Keller as the league’s Vice President of Hockey Operations.

Dirk, along with Ellen Moss, WCHL manager of sales and marketing, and office manager Kelli Frank, will occupy the league’s new offices that will be located at 1131 West Sixth Street, Suite 160A, Ontario, CA 91762.

The WCHL will continue to be governed by its Board of Governors headed by chairman Barry Kemp of the Long Beach Ice Dogs.

The relocation of the league office signals a sweeping makeover in the WCHL this season. After being unsuccessful in its “merger” attempts with the East Coast Hockey League during the offseason, the WCHL will move forward with fewer teams (all remaining franchise will play in one division), fewer playoff qualifiers (four instead of eight) and an emphasis on younger, less experienced playing talent that will bring it more in line with existing AA level leagues in North America.

Though the definition of a “veteran” player has been upgraded to include players who have participated in 320 games or fewer in their careers, the league has set new rules that restricts the number of veterans per team to five field players and one goaltender for the upcoming season. Teams could roster nine veteran players last season.

In many cases, fans will have to reacquaint themselves with their own home team.

The San Diego Gulls, known throughout their history has a treasure trove for the league’s top offensive and defensive talent, will have to learn how to win not only with a new emphasis on youth but with an new offensive scheme following the loss of top scorers Mark Woolf and John Spoltore, both of whom have opted to play in Germany for the upcoming season. Spoltore led the WCHL last season in total points (113) and assists (84) while linemate Woolf led the league in goals (50) en route to earning the league’s regular season Most Valuable Player award. In three seasons with the Gulls, Woolf led the team in goalscoring every season, racking up 139 goals to rank as the franchise’s second all-time goalscorer.

The Gulls also will have to contend with the retirement of two more players off their 2001 Taylor Cup championship team, veteran center Petr Marek, and forward Brian Morrison. Marek had played in the league since its inception in 1995, spending the last four years in San Diego to become the team’s 10th all-time scorer with 200 points (75 goals, 125 assists), while Morrison (who has plans to become a firefighter after spending three seasons in San Diego) had been counted on as one of the team’s stable of enforcers.

Gulls head coach and general manager Steve Martinson does have a luxury in the return of two-time WCHL Outstanding goaltender Trevor Koenig, who opted to resign with the team rather than look for employment at higher levels of play. Koenig, who is now believed to command the highest salary on the team, has broken league records for games played, goals-against average, shutouts, saves and longest consecutive shutout streak while posting a 70-24-6 record with a 2.49 GAA and .915 save percentage in two prior seasons in San Diego, winning one Taylor Cup championship.

The Long Beach Ice Dogs will have to contend with the loss of head coach John Van Boxmeer, who has left the team to become an assistant coach with the NHL Los Angeles Kings. However, before his departure, Van Boxmeer made sure the Ice Dogs would also be anchored in the net after resigning stalwart Mike Buzak, who ranked first among WCHL goaltenders last season with a 2.39 GAA.

The Bakersfield Condors, meanwhile, have tried to secure their offensive fortunes after resigning left wing Jeff Goldie, who led the team with 32 goals and ranked second in the league with 16 power play goals in his first season with the club after coming over with head coach Paul Kelly from the Central Hockey League’s Topeka ScareCrows. Goldie joins holdovers Paul Willett and Paul Rosebush on the Condors’ roster.

The defending Taylor Cup champion Fresno Falcons seem to have undergone less player turnover during the offseason than most WCHL clubs, though the Falcons will now have to produce on the ice when it counts the most: during regular season play and not simply in the playoffs. Fresno’s fifth-place record of a year ago would not have qualified the team for postseason play under the revamped playoff format for the upcoming season, and head coach Blaine Moore will have to carefully pick over a roster studded full of players who were prone to injury last season.
The Falcons have begun defense of their Taylor Cup championship by resigning right winger Kris Porter, who scored the championship-winning goal in double overtime in Game 6 of the Taylor Cup Finals against Idaho. Porter led the league in playoff scoring with 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists) to earn Playoff MVP honors.

“It’s good to be back and try to win another championship,” said Porter in a team release. “It was such a great ride in the playoffs last season that I’m really looking forward to trying to do it all over again.”
Moore echoed those sentiments. “It’s exciting to be able to bring back the guy who scored the biggest goal in franchise history,” the Fresno coach and general manager said. “Kris continues to step up his all-around game and get better as the years go by. I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Kris Porter yet.”
The WCHL's 2002-2003 lineup is rounded out by the Taylor Cup finalist Idaho Steelheads and Anchorage Aces.

The Steelheads, who finished with the league's top record last season, will have to deal with the retirement of pint-size fan favorite and workhorse Cal Ingraham, the franchise's career leader in goals scored, assists, points and games played. The Aces may simply be happy to be alive after proceedings in bankruptcy court left the team inactive for much of the offseason. The Alaska team celebrated life in its self-proclaimed “new era” by resigning Kimbi Daniels, who led the team in goalscoring the past two seasons while ranking second in points, and former 60-goals scorer Yvan Corbin.

The Gulls were one team to take advantage of the Aces’ woes by signing veteran forward Bob Cunningham, who has totaled 184 points in 179 games in three seasons of WCHL play. The Gulls also took advantage of the now dormant Tacoma Sabercats by signing Clayton Read (another former Anchorage player) and Aaron Plumb (who had played part of last season in San Diego). Read, who spent parts of three seasons in Anchorage, is coming off a breakout season during which he equaled his scoring output of the previous two seasons combined.
To keep up with player transactions around the league as teams head into training camp, please visit the website at www.wchl.com.

WCHL notepad
Fresno and Bakersfield will meet in an exhibition game on Friday, October 5, at Centennial Garden in Bakersfield. Face off is 7 p.m. The two teams will open their 2002-03 regular seasons against one another a week later on October 12 in Bakersfield.

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WCHL’s 2002-2003 makeover starts at the top
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WCHL honors its own with organizational awards

AROUND THE WCHL
November 2002 Edition
October 2002 Edition
May 2002 Edition

GAME RECAPS
02/07/03: Condors 4, Gulls 3 (SO)
02/05/03: Gulls 2, Falcons 1
02/04/03: Falcons 8, Gulls 3
02/01/03: Steelheads 6, Gulls 5 (SO)
01/31/03: Gulls 3, Steelheads 2 (SO)

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Enga is Gulls’ new ironman
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PRESS RELEASES
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