NHL TEAM NEWS: HOCKEY HOT IN PHOENIX? SHARK TICKET SALES

     Arizonans are taking to hockey and the NHL Coyotes,
according to Bob Cohn of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC.  Cohn cites last
week's preseason games at America West Arena where "fans quickly
knew when to 'hooowwwwl' for the Coyotes; aisles were abuzz with
hockey talk rather than hoop news; and the stands were filled
with jerseys from nearly every NHL team."  Coyotes co-Owner
Steven Gluckstern, on the team's potential in Phoenix: "It's a
place I don't have any doubt we will succeed."  The Coyotes have
sold "the equivalent of 11,400 season tickets," with a goal of
12,500 in their 19,023-seat arena.  They averaged 13,061 fans in
three home exhibition games.  Coyotes COO Shawn Hunter, who ran
the first-year Avalanche last year: "The parallels to Denver are
so similar, it's scary" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 9/29).
     SHARK SALES: In San Jose, David Pollak reports the Sharks
"say they retained 94 percent of their season ticket base, then
turned to their waiting list to cap sales at 14,000" (SAN JOSE
MERCURY NEWS, 9/28).