Franchise Notes

Twins Tentatively Scheduled To Open Target Field April 12 Against Red Sox, Ahead Of Schedule

The Twins are tentatively scheduled to open Target Field on April 12 against the Red Sox, according to a draft of the '10 schedule that "recently was sent to teams" (AP, 7/3). Twins President David St. Peter said that the ballpark is "a few weeks ahead of schedule" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/4). Meanwhile, in Minneapolis, Sid Hartman noted the Twins "continue to pace ahead of their 2008 attendance totals," and they are "on track to draw more than 2.3 million fans this year" at the Metrodome. The Twins "project selling as many as 20,000 full season tickets for the 2010 season," when the team moves into their new ballpark, a "total that would place them in the top 10" of MLB. The Twins this year has a "team-record 11,000 full season-ticket equivalents for the final season at the Metrodome" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/5).

FREE AGENT QUESTIONS: In Chicago, Len Ziehm notes the Blackhawks "claim they made no mistakes in tendering qualifying offers to their restricted free agents," and the NHL yesterday "concluded a brief investigation of the Hawks without taking any action." But the NHLPA said it is "continuing our investigation of this matter." TSN on Friday reported that the Blackhawks had "improperly filed qualifying offers to restricted free agents" LW Kris Versteeg, RW Troy Brouwer, D Cam Barker, LW Ben Eager, C Colin Fraser and D Aaron Johnson. If a restricted free agent "didn't receive a qualifying offer by July 1, he becomes an unrestricted free agent and can sign with another team." The "lingering problem centers on whether the Hawks adhered to proper filing procedures." Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon in a statement said, "We followed protocol as we have in the past, and we are confident that this will be resolved" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 7/6).

OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE: In Boston, Kevin Paul Dupont noted Bruins Exec VP Charlie Jacobs, a "fixture at Boston's table during the draft in recent years, was noticeably absent last weekend in Montreal" for the NHL Draft. Jacobs' "public profile has diminished some in the last couple of years, especially since the skewering he took in a Boston Magazine profile following the first year of the front office's reorganization" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/5).