The Lightning will host the '99 NHL All-Star Weekend,
January 21-24, 1999, at the Ice Palace. Along with the All-Star
game, over 40,000 fans are expected to attend the Pinnacle NHL
FANtasy, January 21-24 (NHL). The announcement was a sign of
"good health" for the franchise that just moved into its new Ice
Palace Sunday, according to Tom Jones of the TAMPA TRIBUNE. NHL
Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league brings in approximately
5,000 out-of-town guests for the event, which could mean as much
as $10M economically to the area. The Ice Palace seats about
20,000 and the NHL "could take as many" as 6,000 tickets.
Bettman: "Sorry about that, but it is our party." The Lightning
will distribute the remaining tickets (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 10/22).
The announcement comes after the "colossally successful opening
of the Ice Palace," according to Tom McEwen of the TAMPA TRIBUNE.
Tampa Mayor Dick Greco: "I can't remember so many people in Tampa
so excited. ... The Ice Palace lights up downtown Tampa."
Claudia Piper Pynchon, VP/Fleet Bank Boston, a financier of the
Ice Palace: "Looks like we made a good investment" (TAMPA
TRIBUNE, 10/22).
NHL NEWS & NOTES: In Toronto, Scott Morrison notes sources
that say Blazers Owner Paul Allen "has taken a different approach
to soliciting" an expansion NHL franchise. Rather than "formally
applying, he apparently has made it known to the league there are
certain conditions he wants met before he will ante up. And the
first is that the expansion fee is considerably less than the
rumored" $75M (TORONTO SUN, 10/20)....In San Jose, Mark Purdy
notes Commissioner Bettman's visit to San Jose touting a recent
NHL study indicating more young male fans follow hockey. Purdy,
who says when he was young, kids "everywhere" listened to the
World Series on radios, asks, "Where are those kids now? If
they're like kids in my neighborhood, they will be playing roller
hockey in the driveway and denting garage doors with slap shots.
Gary Bettman may not be as crazy as you think" (SAN JOSE MERCURY
NEWS, 10/18).
