The Sharks-Coyotes NHL preseason game today at 11:00am
(PT) at America West Arena is "free of charge" and more than
16,000 schoolchildren are expected, according to Bob
McManaman of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC, who writes that the free
game is "believed to be a first in the NHL." The game will
be played "exclusively in front of fourth-, fifth-, and
sixth-graders," all thanks to an event sponsorship by Cox
Communications called the "Cool School Field Trip" (ARIZONA
REPUBLIC, 9/27). Coyotes VP/Corporate Sales Tim Weil, on
the kids day: "The whole thing will have an educational
overtone -- to the videos, to the music" (USA TODAY, 9/27).
ISLANDERS: NEWSDAY's Alan Hahn reported that the
Islanders' season-ticket base has "plummeted to a mere"
3,500 as of last week and wrote that it's "difficult to
imagine the team equaling last season's meager number of
5,500." Hahn: "The Islanders' demise has reached its most
alarming depth." Islanders President John Sanders, who said
that even if Nassau Coliseum sold out every game, the
organization "would still lose money": "It's very difficult
to imagine the circumstance in the current arena where you
could make money here. I just can't conceive that." Hahn
wrote of the "chicken-and-egg battle" between the fans and
team ownership, "Fans are refusing to buy tickets until
money is spent to improve the team, but the team continues
to lose more money because fans aren't buying tickets, so
the team has less money to spend" (NEWSDAY, 9/26).
CAPITALS: In DC, Jason La Canfora reports that Capitals
GM George McPhee is "awaiting disciplinary action" from the
NHL after he was "involved in a physical altercation" with
several members of the Blackhawks organization after last
Saturday's preseason game in Columbus (OH). The Capitals
felt the Blackhawks were "intentionally instigating contact
with some of their smaller players" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/26).
