The following article was written by Andrew Miller and appears by permission of the Charleston Post and Courier where it was originally published. It has also appeared in Just Hockey.

When Rob Concannon went out into the parking lot of the North Charleston Coliseum the Saturday night before Christmas and didn't see Mandy Hill waiting by his truck, he knew something was wrong. For the past two seasons, after every South Carolina Stingrays home game, Hill, 15, would wait for Concannon - win or lose, no matter how bad the weather. The Northside Christian junior didn't want much from Concannon - a smile, a hug maybe, a little small talk and she almost always had something for the 28-year-old Boston native. Homemade cookies. A card. A little trinket.

"When she wasn't out there, I thought that was kind of odd," Concannon said. Hill didn't attend the Stingrays game with the Birmingham Bulls because she was killed in an automobile accident earlier that day in Batesburg-Leesville. "She broke her neck, she died instantly," a somber Concannon said Wednesday night after the Stingrays game with Greenville. "They told me she didn't feel a thing. When I came to the rink Monday, somebody told me she had been killed. I was totally shocked. It puts a lot of things into perspective. Hockey. Goals. Assists. Points. It makes those things not as important as they used to be. It just shows you in an instant anything can happen."

When Hill was buried this past Monday, the Hill family asked for one thing - Concannon's jersey. When the casket was closed, Concannon's Number 21 game jersey was draped around her waist. "I asked her Dad if he needed anything from me at all and he asked for my game jersey," Concannon said. "I told him, absolutely. No problem." Because ECHL teams don't have the budget of NHL teams, the Stingrays didn't have an extra Number 21 jersey lying around. Concannon has had to don a Number 10 jersey the last two home games. As an added tribute, Concannon will have 'Mandy' written on all of his hockey sticks for the rest of his career. "I think she'd like that," Concannon said.

Concannon's thoughtfulness has moved John Hill, Mandy's father. "I have been overwhelmed by Rob and what he has done for our family," Hill said. "When he came up for the wake (Monday), he got lost and tried to get in touch with us, but he couldn't because we were not at home. He got here about three hours late, but he stayed around for about an hour or more and talked with us. To me that was incredible. That he would willingly offer to do the things that he has done for our family. Mandy was just a little girl who a lot of people, a lot of athletes like Rob, would have thought was just a pest. But Rob took time out to talk with her or give her a hug, or whatever she needed."

Despite standing just 4-foot-8 and weighing 86 pounds, Mandy Hill was Concannon's biggest fan. "Rob was her man," the elder Hill said. "She was just this giddy little school girl around him. It just excited her that someone like Rob would take the time to say hello to her. I thought he talked funny, he was a Yankee. I think the first time I saw him, I was teasing Mandy because she was just overwhelmed by how good looking he was. I said, 'Come on Mandy, the guy is ugly.' Of course, I didn't mean it."

Before Tuesday night's game with Jacksonville, Concannon asked the Stingrays to observe a moment of silence for Mandy. They did. "I was kind of her Number 1 player," Concannon said. "She was the last person I saw after each game. It really didn't dawn on me until the other night at the wake what I meant to her. There was a photo album sitting beside her casket and it was about 50 pages and all the pictures were of me and her. You never know what you mean to people until something like this happens. It's definitely flattering. I was very happy that I was able to touch a little girl the way I did."

If the death of Hill wasn't difficult enough for Concannon to deal with, he has had the added tragedy of the loss of childhood friend Dan O'Harn, who was stabbed to death trying to break up a fight on December 12. "This kid was one of my closest friends," Concannon said. "The kid that stabbed him was a friend of his. They'd gone to a party together and the kid got into a fight with his wife and Dan intervened and he was stabbed. They (Dan and Mandy) were both great people. I've thought about them a lot lately. And I try to think about the good memories I had with both of them."

Concannon admits that the death of his two friends has probably affected his play on the ice. "I don't want to use it as an excuse because I'm a professional athlete," Concannon said. "I should be able to separate what happens off the ice to what happens on the ice. I found myself trying to play for these two people. There is a lot on my mind. I wish I could have done something. I wish it didn't happen. I wish I could go back and try to prevent it, but you can't. Over the course of time I hope I'll be able to get over it. I think the goals and points will eventually come for me."

South Carolina coach Rick Adduono isn't worried about Concannon's on-ice production. "I told Rob the other night that he's playing well," Adduono said. "I told him not to worry about it, that it will come. Rob works hard on the ice and he's a great leader on this team. Sometimes, a player is measured by more than goals and assists."

In this day of overpaid professional athletes and cynical fans, John Hill was happy that his oldest daughter was able to form a friendship with Concannon. "Before this happened, I knew he was kind and genuinely interested in what happened to Mandy," Hill said. "He always gave her the right impression. But after seeing him cry about this, it was more than just a player-fan relationship. I think he really and truly cared for her. She was more than a fan who had a crush on him and brought him cookies. I believe he was truly hurt by losing her."

The Trenton Titans have inked an impressive deal with The Comcast Network (CN8) for cable television broadcasting of their games. The deal gives Comcast exclusive television rights for live broadcasts during Trenton's first two seasons. Comcast will provide live broadcasts of at least 10 Titans games each season.

The Titans are only the twelfth ECHL team to secure television broadcasts for their games. In addition to the residents of Trenton, Comcast's CN8 reaches an estimated 2.2 million households in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Potential viewership for the Titans games far exceeds that of any other ECHL team.

The ECHL has often carefully avoided having/leaving teams in or near NHL markets (not to mention AHL and IHL markets). The Raleigh IceCaps moved to Augusta, Georgia for this season largely due to the early effects of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes arrival (and eventual relocation to Raleigh). The Columbus Chill are packing it in at the end of this season due to the impending arrival of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets. However, the league has not been consistent in this line of thinking.

For the 1998/1999 season, the ECHL moved the Louisville RiverFrogs south to fill the perceived void created when the NHL's Florida Panthers abandoned the downtown Miami Arena for the new National Car Rental Center (yes, it's an arena, not a car lot!) further north in Sunrise. So why on Earth did the East Coast Hockey League move a team to Miami with an NHL franchise staying less than 30 miles away? The answer: it seemed like a good idea at the time. However, in retrospect, it's becoming a very costly 'Oops!' for the ECHL. The ECHL allowed itself to fall victim to the lure of a bigger market with a large arena. The main problem is that there wasn't a vacancy at all, the NHL team just shifted to an arguably more desirable location within the market (Miami Arena is often said to be in one of Miami's most crime-plagued neighborhoods). As a result of the move and the new arena, the Florida Panthers have seen their average game attendance soar from 14,703 last season to about 18,400 this season (96% capacity of the new home) - a 25% increase. Meanwhile, the Miami Matadors have been scraping bottom in the ECHL with an average attendance of 1463 per game (as of 3/11). Many reports claim that even this number is wishful thinking. By comparison, the RiverFrogs averaged 3813, 4108, and 4377 in their 3 years in Louisville. As a result of the poor ticket sales and lost revenue, Miami is taking desperate measures to keep from going belly-up including the decimation of their office staff to save money. Reports of the Matadors finishing this season on the road and suspending operations for next season appear to be gaining clout. Pack up or perish is beginning to look like the only options.

Another ECHL team that is suffering in an NHL market is the Chesapeake Icebreakers. Despite the Washington Capital's move into the city from Landover, Maryland, they remain only about 20 miles away from the Icebreakers in Upper Marlboro. Chesapeake has seen their already low average attendance of 2650 from last season dip to 2301 this season (as of 3/11). Team officials have requested that the ECHL permit them to suspend operations for the 1999/2000 season while they consider whether to move or just stay in Maryland and pray for a miracle. The league is expected to vote on the request on April 4th.

What about Trenton? Yes, the Titans are situated in the midst of a crowded NHL mega-market with the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers close at hand, and the New York Rangers and Islanders not much further. However, with season ticket sales approaching the 4000 ticket plateau, there doesn't seem to be much to worry about. The Trenton Thunder Double-A baseball team is the hottest ticket around despite the Phillies, Yankees, and Mets providing major league competition. For the immediate future, Trenton can rest assured that they won't suffer the fate of Miami and Chesapeake.

March 15th - With only 3 short weeks of regular season play remaining in the 1998/1999 ECHL season, the playoff race is reaching its peak! The ECHL teams have only between 8 and 12 games remaining to play, here's a look at who's in, who's out, and who is scramblin' about for the playoffs:

NORTHERN CONFERENCE / NORTHEAST DIVISION: Closing in on a second consecutive division title, the Roanoke Express are the frontrunner for the top seed in the Northern Conference. Defending Kelly Cup Champion Hampton Roads Admirals are preparing for a run at their fourth league championship and appear to destined for a much better starting berth this season. The Richmond Renegades will be making a return to the playoffs after their one year absence and sit in the middle of a tight battle for a good seed. The Chesapeake Icebreaks appear bound for the post season again with a fairly similar record as last year. Meanwhile, the Johnstown Chiefs will be the lone Northeast Division team to pass on the playoffs after another disappointing (even if slightly improved) season that leaves them with a 4 year absence streak.

NORTHERN CONFERENCE / NORTHWEST DIVISION: The Columbus Chill have rallied back from a sluggish start with a fighting chance at capturing the division title and the number two seed in the conference, after failing to make the playoffs last season. The Peoria Rivermen have the point advantage over the Chill heading into the final three weeks, but have four less games left to play in their pursuit of a second straight division title. Fallen from their early perch atop the Northwest Division, the Toledo Storm are now focused on trying to jockey for a better seed then their current standing would garnish. The Dayton Bombers appear destined to extend their flawless run of playoff appearances, but will do so only by securing the eighth and final seed in the Northern Conference. On the other side of the puck, the Huntington Blizzard have watched their hopes of a second consecutive playoff appearance melt away to a long shot. Likewise, a mediocre season has left the Wheeling Nailers with very little chance of seeing post-season play for the first time since 1990/1991 (as the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds).

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE / SOUTHEAST DIVISION: With a sterling 20-5-2 record since the All-Star Game, the Pee Dee Pride have taken the league by storm. They are finishing what may be a record setting season with the best record in the ECHL and the top seed in the Southern Conference. The Florida Everblades have been even hotter with a 23-3-3 tally since the break that has earned them a lock on the number three seed. The South Carolina Stingrays won't be capturing their third consecutive division title, but should latch on to a solid playoff seed. Meanwhile, the Augusta Lynx have slipped in the standings but will return their franchise to the playoffs with a wild card seed to celebrate their inaugural season in Georgia. Barring a very sloppy finish, the Jacksonville Lizard Kings will be invited back to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons by earning a wild card berth. Currently on the outside looking in, the Miami Matadors will need to continue a last minute charge to finish their first season in Florida with a post-season appearance. The Charlotte Checkers don't appear to have enough gas in the tank for a run to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time in their six year franchise history. A late season slump has caused the Greenville Grrrowl's dreams of reaching the playoffs in their inaugural season to fade to black.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE / SOUTHWEST DIVISION: In a month's time, the Louisiana IceGators have gone from a pace that would give them the league's best season winning percentage of all-time, to a team that is carefully defending a bid to repeat as the Southwest Division champ which will probably earn the number two seed in the conference. The Mississippi SeaWolves have been teasing their fans with a shot at swiping the division title, but will secure a decent playoff seed regardless of the outcome. The Birmingham Bulls have their sights set on a wild card seed. The Baton Rouge Kingfish will only need a respectable finish to keep their wild card for their franchise's first playoff bid since the Erie Panthers went in 1992/1993. The situation is a bit more perilous for the New Orleans Brass as they cling to one of the final wild cards. Barely on the ledge, the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks would be the last team to scurry into the playoffs 'if the season were to end today'. Meanwhile, the Mobile Mysticks are showing a sudden interest at jumping onto the post-season bandwagon, with only one extra loss distinguishing them from the Sharks. If the Pensacola Ice Pilots are not mathimatically eliminated yet, they should be as their franchise's worst season comes to a close.