Through the first four games of the NHL Stanley Cup
Finals, the "NHL's undercover investigative team, which
includes a half-dozen local, off-duty officers," had
confiscated about 1,000 "unauthorized" Sabres items, while
200 counterfeit Stars items have been seized, according to
Sharon Linstedt of the BUFFALO NEWS. NHLE VP/Legal Affairs
and Gen. Counsel Mary Sotis: "We've seen a lot of activity
up in Buffalo, a whole lot more than in Dallas." One
anonymous undercover agent said some of the fans selling the
fake merchandise will carry "five or 10 shirts with them,
then go back to a car parked nearby to get a fresh supply.
We try to watch them long enough to catch them at the car
with a large number of items." The "undercover operation
has not resulted" in any arrests so far, "just the seizure"
of the counterfeit merchandise (BUFFALO NEWS, 6/16).
WOMEN CUP CRAZY: In Dallas, Michael Precker writes on
the growing female fan base following the NHL. The league
states that about 42% of fans attending its games are women.
NHL VP/Communications Bernadette Mansur said that that
figure is "greater than" than the female fan base of the NFL
or NBA and "roughly equal" to that of MLB. Mansur: "We
always knew how strong hockey was with women. But to really
see it in the statistics and to hear it in our focus groups
is still a bit surprising" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/17).
