Islanders President David Seldin dismissed a Toronto
Sun report that the team was in talks with the Gund family
about possibly playing at Cleveland's Gund Arena, according
to Anthony McCarron of the N.Y. DAILY NEWS. Seldin, on the
report: "I don't know what that's about. There's no merit
to that. I think it's silly" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/29).
IS IT SAFE? Andrew Osborn, a structural inspector hired
by the Islanders, testified before N.Y. State Supreme Court
Justice Burton Joseph that from what he has seen so far at
Nassau Coliseum, "he would not close" it, but that he did
need to do a "wider inspection to conclude that the building
is safe." Osborn's main concern was "the bulges in four
areas of the outside wall," which he called "unusual and
quite large" (NEWSDAY, 9/29). But Osborn said repairs at
the Coliseum would be "no big deal" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/29).
Justice Burton Joseph is expected to make the decision on
the arena's condition today (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/29).
PENS DELAY: In Pittsburgh, Dejan Kovacevic writes that
the Penguins' ownership "feud might not be resolved" by the
start of the regular season because of the NHL's involvement
in the Isles/SMG dispute (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 9/29).
