The Hurricanes will make up Tuesday's postponed game
due to snow with the Coyotes this afternoon, and the team is
giving fans "a chance to see three" 'Canes games for the
price of one, according to Cecil Harris of the Raleigh NEWS
& OBSERVER. Fans holding or purchasing a ticket to today's
1:00pm ET game will receive a ticket for home games against
the Canadiens and Capitals later this month. Team GM Jim
Rutherford: "We know it will be difficult for people to get
here [Thursday] with it being an afternoon game and because
of the elements. But with schools being closed Thursday and
a lot of businesses being closed, this is a good way for
people to get out of the house for a few hours." Arena
parking at today's game will be free. Meanwhile, the
Coyotes' game against the Thrashers scheduled for Wednesday
was postponed because the team was unable to fly out of
Raleigh-Durham Int'l Airport (NEWS & OBSERVER, 1/27).
NO PRACTICE, NO PLAY? The Canadiens, stuck in NC since
Monday, are scheduled to play the Bruins tonight in Boston.
In Montreal, Red Fisher reports that "there's a consensus"
among the team's players that it's "too dangerous to play
without at least one practice under their belts." But the
response from the NHL is that if the Canadiens "fly, they
play." But the Canadiens also feel that game equipment
could be a problem, as it has been on the team plane since
Monday. Team Equipment Manager Pierre Gervais: "It must be
frozen stiff." NHL Dir of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell:
"What do you want me to say? Do you want me to tell the
Bruins the Canadiens can't play because their equipment is
frozen?" Fisher adds the Canadiens "are in no way prepared
for the game, the outcome of which could be pivotal" in the
teams' pursuit of a playoff spot (Montreal GAZETTE, 1/27).
