League Notes

The NHL has “slightly amended the terms of its annual entry draft, putting more of an emphasis on playoff — as opposed to regular-season — results.” The last four places in the draft will go to the four teams in the Stanley Cup semifinals. The Stanley Cup winner picks 30th, the runner-up 29th, and the conference finalists will pick 28th and 27th depending on their regular season records. Previously the Stanley Cup champion picked 30th while every other position besides No. 1 was determined in reverse order by regular season standings (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 3/14).

Tournament Official Says Federer’s Early Departure Could Hurt Tix Sales

BLUE STREAK: PM Sports President Ray Moore admits that Roger Federer’s early loss in the Pacific Life Open “could hurt walk-up ticket sales, and feels bad that the special ceremony planned for Federer, had he won this Sunday’s final and set a tour win-streak record of 47 matches, is not needed.” But Moore “predicts that attendance, even without Federer, will surpass 300,000, for the first time.” Blue Equity’s Donald Dell, who runs the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in DC and once owned part of the Pac Life Open, said, “This will hurt international TV ratings. That’s where the biggest damage is” (L.A. TIMES, 3/13).

THINKING CAP: The Manchester GUARDIAN’s Richard Williams wrote that a report saying CEOs of the leading English Premier League clubs “are thinking of agreeing on a maximum weekly payment” of US$193,190 is “a bit of window dressing, never intended to result in significant action.” Chelsea and Manchester United “would dearly like to peg their stars’ salaries,” but they “know the impossibility, as long as television revenues continue to rise, of holding market forces at bay” (BLOGS.GUARDIAN.co.uk, 3/13).