THE WRITING ON (AND OFF) THE WALL WANT A BEER WITH THOSE DOGS?

Byline: TOM HOFFARTH

LONG BEACH - Be honest. It would take an awful lot to commit to a 100-mile round-trip drive through rush-hour traffic from the San Fernando Valley just to witness the playing of a minor-league hockey game on this end of the continent.

How about if a chick was playing in goal?

The possibility of a shootout to decide the final score?

Did we mention beer and hot dogs for just a buck?

When they threw the puck down Friday night for the West Coast Hockey League scrum between the next-to-last place Ice Dogs and the last-place Anchorage Aces, it looked as though there were more players with sticks and helmets buzzing on the white floor of Long Beach Arena than those firing down the cheap swill in the stands.

Then Anchorage was penalized for too many men on the ice. So that clinched it.

Twenty-five seconds in, when someone named Pat Brush brushed the puck past a person named Ryan Person to give the home team a 1-0 lead, the predictable blaring of ``Who Let The Dogs Out!'' got a few more stragglers from the beer garden on the concourse to come see what happened.

Listen, this ain't bad entertainment, folks. You're missing out.

No, it's not the top-notch NHL quality you'll witness from an expensive trip to Staples Center. But a lot of hustle from guys making about $500 a week, plenty of banging, an $11 seat in the not-so-upper deck and a puck flying into an empty seat for the taking every few minutes has to count for something.

And did we mention the $1 beers from 6-8 p.m. every Friday home game? There's enough cash left over to buy one for the designated driver.

The Ice Dogs, who've tried to establish a paw print in Long Beach since leaving the stuffy L.A. Sports Arena after the 1995-96 season, might have had more name players when they were a minor-league affiliate of the Kings. On any given night, a Jaroslav Modry, Eric Belanger or Dan Blysma could have been in the Dog sweater on a rehab assignment or getting some minutes in.

But the Kings' relationship ended before this season. They even snagged Long Beach's head coach to be an assistant.

Meanwhile, the only name to draw any attention recently in this kennel has been Danielle Dube, who became the third female in history to start a pro hockey game in North America when she was on the losing end of a 4-1 game against San Diego a month ago.

But Dube hasn't played since. In fact, after missing most of the past few weeks with a groin injury (we're not making that up), Le Femme Puckstopper was exiled Friday to Bakersfield - on loan, actually, to the rival Condors because they were short a few netminders.

She'll actually start for them tonight before coming back to the Dogs next week, likely to sit some more behind a couple of guys who had a combined 12-16-2 record coming into Friday.

It's got to be tough for fans, in all honestly, to establish a relationship with a club that by nature has constant turnover, and not just with players and coaches. Next season, the Dogs join the more established East Coast Hockey League - home of the famed Johnstown Chiefs - so the identity factor is changing, too.

A second Dogs goal got a little more reaction later in the period. But then, so did a wedding proposal shown on the mini Jumbotron. A couple more fans won the right to sit in four beach chairs wedged into a sandbox down in the corner on ice level. They seemed pleased.

Then the dog mascot named Spike started sling-shooting free T-shirts into the crowd between periods. The fan noise went up a notch.

The team generously announced Friday's attendance at 2,342, but that includes all tickets issued. They've topped 5,000 in the 9,800-seat arena only twice in 14 home dates, but a team spokesman said he figured they would be a better draw from now until the playoffs start in early April because ... just because. And that's without any live TV, radio or Internet game coverage.

They haven't given up trying to sell the product that, considering the whole package, really should sell itself. The first 4,000 (wishful thinking) for tonight's game against Fresno get a free stuffed beanie bulldog. Next Saturday, it's a bobblehead giveaway and a visit from a group called the Heineken Girls.

And did we mention the $1 beers? Can't find that on the Queen Mary.

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Photo:

(color) The Long Beach Ice Dogs hockey team has $1 beer night for Friday home games, part of an effort to draw more fans.

Steven Georges/Staff Photographer