Grizzlies are 'evicted' for 2 worldwide competitions=20
By Dirk Facer
Deseret News sports writer
WEST VALLEY CITY =E2=80=94 The Utah Grizzlies have moved. Sunday, they=
vacated=20
the E Center.
"The Grizzlies are displaced lock, stock and barrel =E2=80=94 jocks, s=
ticks,=20
everything," said team president Tim Mouser. "In laymen's terms, we've been=20
evicted."
Tim Mouser, president of the Utah Grizzlies, moves out of his office at the=20=
E=20
Center for the duration.
Laura Seitz, Deseret News=20
The ouster, however, isn't permanent. Once the 2002 Winter Olympics an=
d=20
Paralympics clear out, the Grizz will reclaim the facility they've inhabited=
=20
since the building opened in 1997. Aside from a pair of home games between=20
the international competitions (Feb. 28, March 1), the American Hockey Leagu=
e=20
franchise will operate elsewhere. From Jan. 20 to March 17, the front office=
=20
will set up temporary quarters at Convergys in the south end of the valley;=20
the team will be visitors in 17 consecutive games over 33 days, and supplies=
=20
are being stowed in storage units and semi-trailers.
Though inconvenienced, few within the organization are complaining.
"Several years ago when West Valley City was awarded the Olympic venue=
=20
(for hockey), we knew eventually that February 2002 would come and we'd be=20
out of the facility," Mouser said as he packed a box of belongings from his=20
desk. "We've convinced ourselves that we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for=20
the Olympics. Whatever inconvenience we are incurring is well worth it."
That was a common theme Saturday night as team officials finished=20
packing after Utah's 2-0 win over Manitoba. Most faced a midnight deadline,=20
as per contractual agreement, to clear the premises.
"It's been kind of hectic the last couple of days," said Jeff Vernier,=
=20
the director of merchandise for the Grizz. "But I don't have any problems=20
with it at all. If it wasn't for the Olympics, the E Center wouldn't be here=
=20
and I'd be out of a job."
Vernier and his staff began packing up the team store Monday and=20
wrapped it up shortly after Saturday's game. All but the arena management=20
offices and some storage rooms were emptied as the building became a "clean=20
venue" for the Olympics.
The last to depart was equipment manager Richard Krouse and his staff.=
=20
They were busy stripping the Grizz locker room down to its bare bones.=20
Working under a special grace period given by Olympic officials, Krouse had=20
until Sunday at 5 p.m. to move the team's gear out and embark upon the=20
lengthy road ahead.
"We started preparing for this a couple of months ago," Krouse said as=
=20
he loaded equipment into a bag. "It's kind of exciting to be involved with=20
the Olympics and saying you were part of it."
In recent weeks, the E Center has undergone a transformation. Fences=20
surround the perimeter, with trailers and tents popping up as the facility i=
s=20
prepared for the Olympics. Mouser says it's like something out of the movie=20
"Escape from New York." The only thing missing, he explains, is barbed wire.
"My view of the Wasatch Mountains is now a tan double-wide. I feel lik=
e=20
Fred Sanford ought to be pulling up out here in front of the building with=20
all the construction," Mouser mused while looking out of his once-picturesqu=
e=20
office window. "We've prepared for this and we expected this. I used to have=
=20
trees outside my office; now I have trailers."
Six trailers will be used as locker rooms during the Olympics during=20
qualifying rounds. When the field is pared to 12 for the medal pool, each=20
team must have its own locker room. That meant transforming storage space an=
d=20
some rest rooms on the arena level into additional locker rooms. Because the=
=20
E Center is a multipurpose facility, some of the new construction may be=20
temporary. As for permanency, the arena increased its luxury suites and now=20
has some large enough to handle groups of 40-60 people. New upgraded video=20
screens have also been installed.
Jason Covert packs up merchandise from the souvenir shop at the E Center.
Laura Seitz, Deseret News=20
"It's a tremendous facility. This is heads and tails above the Nagano=20
facility. Squaw Valley and Lake Placid pale in comparison =E2=80=94 the amen=
ities,=20
the sight lines and everything else," says Mouser. "We don't have to make=20
apologies to anybody for the facility we have when the world comes to Salt=20
Lake."
No guests, however, will likely be as impressed as Team USA. They'll=20
occupy the Grizz locker room.
"We've spoken to USA Hockey, and we will accommodate the U.S. team in=20
every way possible within the limits we're allowed to," says Mouser, who=20
notes that the Grizz will leave their skate sharpener and rivet machine=20
behind for the host nation to use during the Games. "Being an American, I'm=20
all for helping the U.S. bring home the gold."
The hope is more than patriotic. Should the Americans claim top=20
finishes in either the men's or women's divisions, it could have a ripple=20
effect beneficial to the Grizz.
"We're hoping that the Games will expose people to hockey as it did in=
=20
1980, and people go, 'Wow, I never spent time watching it and now I'm a fan,=
'=20
" says Mouser.
Because of the Olympics and Paralympics, the Grizz won't have many=20
chances to lure new fans this season. They only have nine home games=20
following the international competitions. A majority of this season's E=20
Center games came before Christmas =E2=80=94 14 on weekday nights =E2=80=94=20=
dates=20
traditionally not conducive to drawing big hockey crowds.
"For a lack of a term, the Grizzlies end up being roadkill in the race=
=20
for the Games. That's just part of it," says Mouser, while noting that Utah'=
s=20
situation is different than what the NHL's Calgary Flames endured in 1988.=20
Back then there were fewer teams and no women's hockey. The Flames were=20
displaced for just 2 1/2 weeks. "We've commiserated our various levels of=20
pain at times. But, in the overall aspect, this building was built with=20
Olympic money.
"The Grizzlies will probably feel the impact of the Games more than=20
anyone else," he continued. "It'll be April, May, June before things get bac=
k=20
to normal."
With the Grizz on the road for such an extended period of time, Mouser=
=20
anticipates tough times for players and coaches. Equipment like sticks and=20
per diem payments will have to be shipped out and escalated travel costs and=
=20
communication needs such as cell phone usage are guaranteed to increase. And=
=20
it remains to be seen if it'll impact the team's performance. Utah has led=20
the Western Division for much of the year.
The Grizz will practice at the nearby Acord Ice Center for a couple of=
=20
days before beginning their journey Wednesday in Houston.
In an effort to accommodate its employees, Mouser says the organizatio=
n=20
is allowing some of its staff to seek temporary Olympics-related work. In=20
addition, team owners Dave Elmore and Donna Tuttle have purchased a suite in=
=20
the E Center for use during the Games.
However, it'll be like being restricted to a single room in your house=
.=20
Access will be restricted.
The Grizz offices will become competition headquarters. The coaches'=20
offices will be inhabited by referees, and Utah's training room gets=20
transformed into a medical area for all teams.
Mouser said SLOC plans to give the E Center the look of the Games. All=
=20
Grizz logos will be covered and the ice and dash boards revamped to Olympic=20
standards. The same goes for sponsors and signage. One notable change is=20
Grizz advertiser Pepsi getting bounced by Olympic sponsor Coca-Cola.
"Life as the Grizzlies know it is changing drastically," said Mouser.
Anything left behind Sunday fell into Olympic control.
"I'm done (packing). Whatever's left they can have," said Grizz coach=20
Don Hay. The Canadian then offered a little friendly fire. "Actually, it's=20
top-secret, just as long as the U.S. doesn't get it."
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 04:01:26 EST
From: Keredwin2@cs.com
Subject: [UG] (no subject)
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Can I get off the grizz list?
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<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT COLOR="#0000ff" SIZE=3 FAMILY="SCRIPT" FACE="Comic Sans MS" LANG="0">Can I get off the grizz list?</FONT></HTML>
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------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2002 19:06:56 EST
From: UTRocketMan@aol.com
Subject: Re: [UG] (no subject)
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No you can't. Once a Grizz fan, always a Grizz fan.
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<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2>No you can't. Once a Grizz fan, always a Grizz fan.</FONT></HTML>
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------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 22:50:04 -0700
From: "Cyndi Booth" <hockeygirl@bootha.com>
Subject: Re: [UG] (no subject)
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
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Very funny Rob, hey..........shouldn't you get ready to take your wife =
to the hospital??? LOL=20
nal Message -----=20
From: UTRocketMan@aol.com=20
To: utah-grizzlies@lists.xmission.com=20
Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2002 5:06 PM
Subject: Re: [UG] (no subject)
No you can't. Once a Grizz fan, always a Grizz fan.=20
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