DOES SIZE MATTER TO NHL? COULD HOUSTON ARENA BE TOO SMALL?

          The Rockets are "pushing to downsize a proposed arena
     to a seating capacity that some hockey officials believe
     would be too small to attract" an NHL team, according to
     John Williams of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE.  Harris County-
     Houston Sports Authority Construction Committee Chair Billy
     Burge initially proposed a 20,000-seat arena with 100 luxury
     suites, but Rockets officials "balked" at that size because
     "they want to ensure selling out each game."  Now the
     committee is "considering" an arena with 18,000-18,500 seats
     for basketball and 2,000 less for hockey, with 125 luxury
     suites.  If that is the final arena size, it would be the
     smallest in the NHL once new arenas in Dallas, L.A. and NJ
     are completed.  IHL Aeros Owner Chuck Watson: "It would be a
     shame for the city to do something that would exclude
     hockey."  But Rockets COO George Postolos said that he
     "doubts" having a seating capacity of 16,500 would hurt
     Houston's chances of landing an NHL team, saying that the
     facility would be "big enough" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 7/14).