Franchise Hopefuls Finish Presentations
If the NHL is determined to go to 30 teams by 2000, it has plenty of cities from which to choose.
The league concluded two days of presentations from cities seeking expansion franchises on Tuesday, listening to representatives from five more communities.
Appearing before an executive committee of the board of governors were groups from Hampton Roads, Va.; Oklahoma City; Nashville, Tenn.; Atlanta; and Raleigh-Durham, N.C. On Monday, three delegations from Houston and others from Hamilton, Ontario; Minneapolis-St. Paul; and Columbus, Ohio, made their pitches.
The committee is expected to report to the full Board of Governors during the All-Star break at San Jose, Calif., this weekend.
Trio shipped out
The Chicago Blackhawks have reassigned three players to the team’s minor-league affiliate in Indianapolis.
Forwards Dave Chyzowski and Steve Dubinsky and defenseman Tuomas Gronman return to the International Hockey League club after limited service with the Blackhawks.
Gretzky files suit
Wayne Gretzky, who formerly starred with the Los Angeles Kings, and his wife Janet filed a lawsuit last week against North Mulholland Properties Inc. in Santa, Monica., Calif., seeking unspecified damages over flood damage to a home he bought in Los Angeles County in 1991.
The suit, filed in Superior Court, accuses the developer of breach of contract and negligence.
On the ice
Ray Ferraro and Kevin Stevens scored third-period goals as the visiting Los Angeles Kings rallied to tie the Detroit Red Wings 3-3 and extend their unbeaten streak to four games.
The Kings, held scoreless in their two previous meetings with Detroit, dropped the reeling Red Wings to 1-4-2 in their last last seven games.
Patrick Lalime improved to 12-0-2, matching the best start by a rookie goaltender since the 1967 NHL expansion, and the Pittsburgh Penguins ran their unbeaten streak to 12 games by beating Dallas 3-1 in Pittsburgh.
Jaromir Jagr’s league-leading 39th and 40th goals broke a second-period tie.