IN ROD THEY TRUST: BRYDEN SAYS SEASON TICKET SALES KEY

          The Senators kicked off their season ticket campaign
     yesterday "designed to boost season ticket sales to at least
     11,200," according to Lisa Lisle of the OTTAWA SUN.  The
     campaign features the tagline, "I've Got Mine For '99."  As
     of yesterday, the club had sold 10,219 tickets, ahead of
     last year's 10,200.  Team Chair Rod Bryden said that "he's
     not sure if the Alexei Yashin [holdout] has affected sales,
     but admitted he thought they would be higher at this point"
     after the team's third-place finish last season.  Bryden:
     "We had a pretty darn good season last year" (OTTAWA SUN,
     9/23).  In Toronto, Jeff Blair writes that Bryden "did not
     play the 'fear' card despite season-ticket sales that
     haven't 'surged' as much as he had anticipated."  Bryden:
     "This is no threat or fear that we'll be leaving, simply a
     fact that this team will be stronger."  Bryden said if the
     receives some tax relief, "then together with successful
     ticketing, we're in fine shape" (GLOBE & MAIL, 9/23).