The NHL Exec Committee approved the $165M sale of the
Islanders to John Spano. The league will now conduct a vote
by the Board of Governors via fax with a return date of
February 24 (NEWSDAY, 2/19)....The WASHINGTON POST faxed the
"potential logos" for the NBA Wizards to "a couple of
designers whose livelihoods depend on creating memorable
corporate identities through graphic symbols," and although
the designs were not final versions, "their appraisals were
nevertheless unfavorable" (WASHINGTON POST, 2/20).
...Prospective Lightning suitor Gavin Maloof will visit
Tampa, FL, this weekend with his mother, Colleen, the chair
of Maloof Companies. A decision by the Maloofs on whether
to purchase the Lightning "still may be a few months off"
(TAMPA TRIBUNE, 2/20)....Hockey in the south is examined by
Julian Barnes in U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT under the sub-head
"Southerners Are Learning To Love Hockey Teams. But Will
This Bring Economic Growth?" Barnes: "Some Southerners are
surprised that the old Confederacy has embraced a Northern
sport so swiftly. But the recent love affair with hockey,
and the arenas where it's played, mark a larger
transformation occurring in these small cities" (U.S. NEWS &
WORLD REPORT, 2/24)....The NHL Kings will hold a "30th
Anniversary Weekend" March 13-15, inviting 150 ex-Kings and
hosting a charity gala, a fanfest in the Forum parking lot
and an alumni game (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/16).
