Versus averaged 874,000 viewers for last night’s NHL season-opening Flyers-Bruins game, marking the most-viewed regular-season game ever on the net and second best audience for opening night on cable TV since ESPN’s Avalanche-Penguins averaged 927,000 viewers in ’02. The previous Versus record was 750,000 viewers for a Penguins-Flyers matchup on Dec. 14 last season. The Flyers-Bruins opener also marked the net’s best game ever among males 18-49 and 25-54 and is up 19.7% from 730,000 viewers for last year’s Flyers-Penguins opener (THE DAILY).

Tickets to the NHL Jets' season opener Sunday against the Canadiens are on sale for up to C$2,100, or "more than 10 times the face value," on resale sites such as StubHub, and "demand will only increase" as the game approaches. Jets co-Owner Mark Chipman "grew testy when told the asking price." Chipman: "That's illegal in Manitoba and people who get caught doing that are going to lose their season ticket privileges." There are also "reports of counterfeit tickets and Jets jerseys being sold on the streets" (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/7).

Canada Prime Minister Stephen Harper plans to be in attendance. A source said that "tickets are in such high demand, Harper's request for 14, to bring along some of his ministers from across the country, was politely turned down and he was given two" (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 10/7).

The Dream face possible elimination in Game Three of the WNBA Finals Friday against the Lynx, and the team has launched some "aggressive ticket giveaways" to swell the Philips Arena crowd. The Hawks, Braves and Falcons "combined to buy 1,500 tickets for the game, and the Dream distributed them" Thursday morning. The Dream said that fans "quickly snatched up the free tickets, and the team expects to open areas beyond the official capacity of 10,160." The club ranked 10th of 12 teams in the league with 6,487 fans per home game for the regular season. The announced crowds for two home games in the postseason averaged 7,469 (ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 10/7).

Meanwhile, the WNBA and Boost Mobile on Friday unveiled the top moment in league history, as voted by fans: then-Liberty G Teresa Weatherspoon's half-court shot at the buzzer to win '99 Finals Game Two. The moment will be showcased during halftime of Friday's game on ESPN2 (WNBA).

The NHL Rangers and Volkswagen of America Friday formally announced an extension to their multiplatform marketing partnership for the '11-12 season. Per the deal, Volkswagen will recieve in-ice logo placement, branded dasherboards and branding on the team's Zamboni. Volkswagen will also receive exposure on MSG Network, where it will promote the Rangers Power Play during games (Rangers).

The Islanders will celebrate their 40th anniversary this season with a season-long campaign that honors past team greats, incorporates “decade night” events at the Nassau Coliseum and rewards longstanding season-ticket holders. The campaign kicks off at Saturday’s home opener against the Panthers at Nassau Coliseum with activation by partner Capital One, which will feature its Visigoth Ice Village experiential setup outside the arena prior to the game. The team will honor its history by inducting former players Ed Westfall, Ken Morrow, Patrick Flatley and Kenny Johnson into its HOF during games throughout the season. The team will also wear a commemorative 40-year anniversary patch on its jersey.

The IOC will "continue to attempt to ban athletes caught doping" from future Olympics even after the Court of Arbitration for Sport yesterday ruled that the "suspensions would be illegal." The court said that the IOC can have "anti-doping rules re-written to include an Olympic suspension, but that current legislation doesn't allow the punishment." The IOC in '08 "moved to stop those suspended for more than six months for a doping violation from taking part in the next Games, even if their ban had ended." IOC Coordination Commission Chair Denis Oswald: "We will work with [WADA] and see how we can make sure that in the long term we implement that rule" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 10/7).

Meanwhile, the IOC wants LOCOG to "make sure the opening ceremony of next year's Olympics finishes by midnight" so the athletes can return to the Athlete's Village "at a reasonable hour." Oswald said that "arrangements should also be made to allow athletes to leave before the end of the ceremony" (AP, 10/7).

Dubai-based airline Emirates "will sponsor Britain's first urban cable car" linking O2 arena and ExCel conference center, both of which are host venues for the '12 Games. The 10-year sponsorship deal is worth about US$56M. The $93M cable car will span the Thames, and Emirates "hoped the addition to the city's skyline would be ready for next year's Olympics." The airline also sponsors London-based EPL club Arsenal via a shirt sponsorship and stadium naming-rights deal (REUTERS, 10/7).

Friday night's ARCA series Kansas Lottery 98.9 "will be the first night race in the history of the track," which opened in '01 (K.C. STAR, 10/7).

TYR Sport has agreed to sponsor triathlete Craig Alexander, who has won the Ironman World Championship four times (TYR Sport).

"I'm learning marketing, how to speak to sponsors, how to push projects forward and all that. I want to learn" – Spurs G Tony Parker, who is playing for the French club he partly owns, Asvel, and working in the team’s front office (AP, 10/7).
 
“More importantly, with our current economic times and the situation that so many tournaments find themselves in, in terms of sponsorships, I think everybody on the PGA Tour understands that we need Tiger to come back” – SiriusXM Radio’s John Maginnes, on Tiger Woods (“Morning Drive,” Golf Channel, 10/7).

RLR Associates Managing Dir of Sports Media Andrew Fine: "Shaping up to be an epic week for sports fans in Michigan. Lions on MNF, Tigers home for ALCS and a potential Top 20 cfb showdown w/MSU & UM."

L.A. Times' Sam Farmer: "Chargers took out a full-page ticket ad on the back of the LA Times sports page today. Maybe I missed it, but that's 1st time I've seen that."

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel Tom Haudricourt: "Isn't the whole point of having a retractable roof so it can be open when it's nice and you can close it if you need to? #dumbdecision"

TSN's BobMcKenzie: "If unsolicited Twitter reaction is any indication, it's thumbs down on #s on front of helmet. Can't say I'm big fan of it."

If you see a tweet we won’t want to miss, send it to us at editorial@sportsbusinessdaily.com.

SportingNews.com's Chris Littmann offers this pic of adidas' new adiZero Rose 2 basketball shoe, with a full review no doubt to follow.

Scottish golfer Elliot Saltman Friday hit a hole-in-one during the second round of the Madrid Masters, earning "a tasty prize -- his bodyweight in ham." The rewards for holes-in-one on other holes included a car and a watch. Saltman: "I see the Volvo and the Audemars watch are up as well, but I'll take 12 stone of ham any day" (AP, 10/7).

SUNDAY

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will attend the Eagles-Bills game at Ralph Wilson Stadium and meet with a select group of Bills season-ticket holders.

CSN Chicago Friday night will debut a promo featuring Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews that is part of the net's "Fan's Best Friend" campaign.

SUNDAY

Magic C Dwight Howard will appear on ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" at 8:00pm ET.

CBS' "60 Minutes" will feature a segment on sports agent Drew Rosenhaus at 7:00pm ET.

$50,000-60,000 – Amount RBC Center GM Dave Olsen estimates the NBA lockout could cost the Hurricanes in "ancillary revenue like food and beverage sales," which the club stands to lose since a planned Oct. 19 Heat-Bobcats game at the Raleigh venue will not be played. The game was part of a "swap" deal in which the Hurricanes already played a preseason game at the Bobcats' home venue: Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte (BIZJOURNALS.com, 10/7).