Comrie Ready to Put Gulls in Catbird Seat

To new Gulls owner Fred Comrie, the idea of hockey catching on in San Diego is comparable to going out to eat: People want an experience as much as they want a meal.

“When I go into an empty restaurant, my thought isn’t I can get seated right away,” Comrie said. “I wonder, ‘What am I doing here if nobody else is here?’ My philosophy is I’d rather wait 10 minutes at a restaurant that has atmosphere, if people are waiting in line. I know I’m in the right place.”

That’s Comrie’s approach in trying to promote and market his IHL team here. “San Diego hasn’t found true excitement in sports since 1984--Padre fever was everywhere. That’s the last time I remember people talking about sports,” he said. “People like to be part of something that’s a strong effort and a winner. . . . People like to know that you’re successful.”

It didn’t take Comrie long to sign goalie Sean Burke, starter for the Canadian Olympic team in Albertville, France, from under the nose of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, and it took even less time to market Burke’s presence for consecutive games at the San Diego Sports Arena tonight and Saturday against the Kalamazoo Wings.

More than 200 advertising spots are running on television this week featuring Burke’s goalie mask in a “Nightmare on Elm Street” theme. The Gulls will give away T-shirts tonight featuring the same mask motif.

Comrie conceived the campaign Sunday and had it ready to go by Monday night.

In slightly less than two weeks since formally taking over the Gulls, Comrie has offered a $500,000 contract to NHL No. 1 draft choice Eric Lindros, signed Burke, given goalie Rick Knickle a contract extension as a show of faith and flooded the airwaves with ads, trying to boost the upcoming playoff series with Peoria.

Comrie doesn’t have trouble making decisions.

“I’m ready to step up to the table--if you’re gonna do it, do it now,” he says with a small smile. “I want people to say, ‘Holy cow, these guys know how to react.’ ”

Don Waddell, Gulls coach and general manager, noted when Comrie was introduced as the team owner, “It will be nice to have an owner involved day-to-day. I think he’s got a lot of great ideas. He’s making the commitment to . . . put in money and promote. That’s the one thing we’ve never done here.”

Sitting in his office overlooking the ocean here, Comrie focuses intensely as he says, “I know how to promote, do the right things. I truly believe I can be a great hockey man, promote it right. (Tonight) is going to be a different experience. It’s going to be the most exciting night in hockey (in Gulls history).”

Comrie grew up in Edmonton, Canada, playing hockey--well enough to be drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins and play in their farm system for the 1973-74 season.

Admittedly “pretty cocky when I went to camp,” Comrie came to recognize his chances to make the NHL were slim, so he went into the family furniture business. He and his brothers expanded from one store to 40, becoming Canada’s largest furniture-appliance chain, the Brick Warehouse.

Comrie and his brothers looked into buying the NHL’s Colorado Rockies (now the New Jersey Devils) and the St. Louis Blues, but never pulled it off.

Comrie, who had investments in Southern California, moved his wife and family--now six children--to San Diego in 1984, and sold his interest in the Brick Warehouse last summer. In November he bought the Arnold’s Furniture chain. At about the same time, he attended a Gulls game. He liked what he saw on the ice, but not what he saw in the stands--a couple thousand scattered fans.

Thus started his journey toward ownership, culminating early last week when he took over the team from Harry Cooper, Sports Arena owner, and Ron Hahn, developer.

“In November I went to the game and it was like there was nobody there,” he said. “I went to another game in January--it doesn’t seem like it was the place to be. It was a good team out there. I felt like with proper ownership, proper direction . . . I saw a lot of potential.”

Waddell remains in charge of the daily direction, but Comrie, who even attends most practices, has taken a hands-on approach to almost everything else, from changing the music played at the games to having the Sports Arena announcer give Peoria updates to conceiving new ad campaigns.

“That’s where I probably shine a little bit,” he says. “I’m not just a promoter--I think I’m creative. I think it was creative to sign Burke and go after Lindros. I bring that combination of promoting and creating.”

With the signing of Burke and the offer to Lindros--who announced Thursday he wouldn’t play for his junior hockey team, the Oshawa Generals, again this season--Comrie also is trying to capitalize on the publicity. He has taken out a full-page ad in the Hockey News to market Gulls products, which soon will include replicas of Burke’s home and road uniforms.

If his actions tweak the NHL a bit or make him seem an upstart, that’s fine with Comrie.

“I guess I’m considered very aggressive,” he said. “Anything I play, I play real hard, to win. I want to have the most successful hockey organization in the country, including the NHL. All I’m doing is to try to turn around the team and turn around the city. I believe we’re really on the verge of making something happen for the next two or three years.

“Maybe the NHL is upset at some of the things I’ve done, but anyone who has a true love for hockey has to like to see it doing well in San Diego.”

The Gulls certainly like it. Comrie has offered players summer positions and advertising appearances for Arnold’s. Part of Burke’s contract is built around being an Arnold’s spokesman.

“It’s an ideal situation,” Waddell said. “He’s told the guys he’ll do what he can do to make them comfortable. The players have always been treated well here but he brings something to the table that hasn’t been there--he played, and he can feel for these guys. He’s gonna do the things that possibly might not have fit into (previous owners’) budget constraints.”

Comrie feels San Diego sells itself--Burke being the obvious example--so if he manages the team well, it will send a message when Hahn and the city attempt to lure an NHL expansion team.

His message: “Whether it be me or (Jerry) Buss to bring the NHL here, I had a hand in opening eyes that this is a hockey town. I’m young, I’m aggressive, this gives me an opportunity to show we can run a big-time franchise here, NHL or IHL. They need youth in the NHL, some owners with ideas. You never know what can happen down the road.”

Comrie hopes that message gets out tonight. “After we signed Sean I think people knew how serious we were,” he said. “I can tell you (tonight) people will know who we are. I truly believe we’ll have 8,000 or 9,000 people. Hockey is alive in Southern California. It’s really exciting.”