Players sad to be leaving Las Vegas

Spencer Patterson

Monday, April 12, 1999 | 10:10 a.m.

With all but one joining the team for the first time this season, the Las Vegas Thunder's current crop of players certainly didn't have long to get too attached to their new town.

Nevertheless, Thunder players expressed widespread disappointment Sunday night over the news that the six-year-old franchise will say goodbye to Las Vegas at season's end.

"Being a rookie, you come here and it kind of becomes home," said defenseman Taj Melson, whose shootout tally gave the Thunder a 3-2 win over visiting Long Beach. "It really had become home to me."

"It's disappointing," team captain Brad Miller said. "Any player who plays in this league knows Las Vegas is a great place to play hockey."

Several players said they were sorry for local fans who supported them this season, a few of whom held up signs during the game urging the team to find a way to stay in town.

"The dedicated fans in this city want this team to stay, and I hope they get it done," said left wing Russ Romaniuk, the lone holdover from last season's club. "I love it here, plain and simple. This has been my best year and maybe the city has something to do with it. It's sad to see my team leave for financial reasons."

Although Romaniuk's tenure with the Thunder is the longest among current players, another player in Sunday night's contest spent considerably more time in town than any other -- franchise leading scorer Patrice Lefebvre, who recently was traded to the Ice Dogs.

When informed that his longtime team was all but officially headed out of Las Vegas, Lefebvre -- who still owns a home here -- said he was saddened by the news.

"It's six years of my life," Lefebvre said. "Anytime you have six great years in a place, it's tough to see that happen. It's always tough to see a chapter in your life end."

Like Miller and Romaniuk, Lefebvre said he was confident hockey could thrive here, given a combination of the right ownership and the right venue.

"I was here when it all started and it looked like it was going to be an unbelievable experience for this city," Lefebvre said. "I hope somebody will give it another shot, and I hope it's not too far down the line."

Of course, news of the Thunder's Las Vegas exodus also has created a lot of uncertainty among the players, all of whom do not have contracts beyond this season.

Although some of them certainly would have found new teams by next season regardless of the Thunder's plans, now all of them will find themselves on the free-agent market in a few weeks.

"It's like any job in the real world," Miller said. "When a business goes under, it's pandemonium and it makes for a very stressful summer."

"You work the whole year as an organization and then it's split up," Romaniuk said. "I'm sure the players would love another chance to play for Bourney (head coach Bob Bourne). I know I would."

So for now, the Thunder will try to put the future out of their minds and try to play the spoiler role, as they did Sunday night against one of the league's better teams.

And it's still holding out hope that somehow, at the 11th hour, the franchise will find a new venue and a way to remain in Las Vegas.

"We've heard that it's over, but I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed," Melson said.