BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN: NHL RETURN SEES GATE JUMP IN BUFFALO

          The NHL returned to action on Wednesday after a 17-day
     hiatus during its Olympic break.  Today, THE DAILY compares
     announced attendance at the 15 games played Wednesday and
     Thursday with the team's home average as of February 8, the
     beginning of the Olympic Break (THE DAILY):

        

  
 
    
TEAM
    
 2/25

      ATTEN.
    
 2/9 
      

      AVE.
    
% 
      +/-
    

    
TEAM
    
2/26

      ATTEN.
    
 2/9

      AVE.
    
% 
      +/-
  
  
 
    
MON
    
 
      
21,173
    
    
 
      
20,673
    
    
 
      
+ 
        2%
    
    
CHI
    
 
      
18,226
    
    
 
      
17,709
    
    
 
      
+ 
        3%
    
  
  
 
    
DET
    
 
      
19,983
    
    
 
      
19,983
    
    
 
      
0%
    
    
SJS
    
 
      
17,483
    
    
 
      
17,045
    
    
 
      
+ 
        2%
    
  
  
 
    
BUF
    
 
      
18,595
    
    
 
      
14,923
    
    
 
      
+ 
        25%
    
    
COL
    
 
      
16,061
    
    
 
      
16,061
    
    
 
      
0%
    
  
  
 
    
VAN
    
 
      
18,422
    
    
 
      
17,221
    
    
 
      
+ 
        7%
    
    
TOR
    
 
      
15,726
    
    
 
      
15,703
    
    
 
      
0%
    
  
  
 
    
PHO
    
 
      
16,210
    
    
 
      
15,096
    
    
 
      
+ 
        7%
    
    
BOS
    
 
      
15,584
    
    
 
      
14,638
    
    
 
      
+ 
        6%
    
  
  
 
    
EDM
    
 
      
16,142
    
    
 
      
16,054
    
    
 
      
+ 
        .5%
    
    
TAM
    
 
      
12,163
    
    
 
      
13,687
    
    
 
      
- 
        1%
    
  
  
 
    
FLA
    
 
      
14,703
    
    
 
      
14,703
    
    
 
      
0%
    
    

    

    

    

  
  
 
    
WAS
    
 
      
12,137
    
    
 
      
15,490
    
    
 
      
- 
        22%
    
    

    

    

    

  
  
 
    
NYI
    
 
      
10,753
    
    
 
      
12,416
    
    
 
      
- 
        13%
    
    

    

    

    

  


          AN OBSERVATION: In N.Y., the OBSERVER's Nick
     Paumgarten, a self-described hockey purist, comments on the
     marketing of the league by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman:
     "Fortunately, for all Mr. Bettman's strenuous efforts to
     turn hockey into a hot commodity, the game remains a
     marginal form of entertainment, like cockfights or poetry." 
     Paumgarten says that since Bettman started in '93, "he has
     subjected the game to marketing experiments and revenue
     enhancements that have managed to drive the purists bonkers
     without really increasing the game's profile -- third
     jerseys, pucks that glow on TV, dancing robots" (Nick
     Paumgarten, N.Y. OBSERVER, 3/2 issue).