NHL Expects Anaheim Franchise to Meet Any Ticket Requirement

A National Hockey League spokesman said Thursday that he fully expects the Anaheim franchise to meet any season-ticket sales requirement the league might impose.

“There will be hockey in Orange County,” said Gary Meagher, the NHL’s director of communications, by phone from Palm Beach, Fla. “We’ve already had calls in our office here from people in Anaheim asking how to purchase season tickets.”

The NHL placed season-ticket sales requirements of 10,000 on its last three expansion franchises but later waived them because the Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning play in small arenas.

The Anaheim franchise would probably play in the Anaheim Arena, which will have 17,250 seats for hockey. But Meagher said no requirement has been decided upon and that he doesn’t expect it to be a stumbling block to final approval of the franchise.

San Jose, which is playing its home games in the 10,000-seat Cow Palace in Daly City until an 18,000-seat arena is completed in San Jose, has sold out all but a handful of its games over the last two seasons, he said. The Sharks joined the league for 1991-92.

Ottawa sold all 10,500 season tickets in a matter of a few months. “We’re sold out for the first two years, so I guess we got it right,” a team spokesman said.

In Tampa, the Lightning has a season-ticket base of 4,800, well short of the NHL’s initial requirement. The Lightning plays its games in the 10,400-seat Expo Hall but plans to move to the Tampa Coliseum, which will seat 18,500 when it’s completed in 1994.

Ottawa and Tampa Bay each had two years to sell tickets before beginning play. The Anaheim franchise would have less than a year if it attempted to open in 1993.