AUGUSTA, GA – The newest SPHL franchise, the Augusta RiverHawks, suffered its first casualty of the season Thursday when general manager Gilles Richard was replaced with former Pee Dee and Twin City Cyclones G.M. Mark Richards.
The Augusta Chronicle reported in its on-line edition that owner Bob Kerzner decided to make the change after a poor attendance showing in the team’s first two home games at the James Brown Arena last weekend. Following an open wish for a sellout weekend, the RiverHawks drew an announced crowd of 2,542 for Friday’s inaugural home game against defending league champion Huntsville. The next night, an announced attendance of 1,622 watched Augusta battle the Knoxville Ice Bears.
The team went 0-3 in its first weekend, starting the season with a 2-1 road loss to Fayetteville which was followed by twin 5-3 losses to the Havoc and Ive Bears.
Richards joins the RiverHawks after resigning his previous job as the general manager of the New York Aviators of the new Federal Hockey League. PHN learned that Richards left his job with the Brooklyn-based team on Friday, October 22, just days before the league’s inaugural season was about to kick off.
He was the G.M. and Head Coach for the Cyclones franchise, which was owned by Kerzner, during its two seasons in Florence, SC before lease renewal issues forced a relocation to Winston-Salem, NC where the Cyclones played for two more campaigns before shutting its doors following the 2008-09 season.
Gilles Richard was hired by RiverHawks’ managing director Bill Coffey shortly after Kerzner was granted the expansion franchise by the SPHL. Prior to his time in Augusta, Richard was the general manager of the Jacksonville Barracudas’ franchise in north Florida during its run in the SPHL from 2004-2008.
Although Mark Richards will be in attendance for the team’s games this weekend at home against Fayetteville and Knoxville, Kerzner said Richards’ official first day will be November 1.
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