Ice Storm Freezes Out Canadiens-Rangers Game

Saturday’s NHL game at Molson Centre in Montreal between the Canadiens and New York Rangers was called off because of a severe ice storm and rescheduled for March 12.

A Canadiens’ spokesman said the game was postponed in the interest of public safety.

“The Molson Centre is physically capable of staging the event,” Donald Beauchamp said. “But the ice on the buildings downtown and on the Molson Centre makes it extremely dangerous.”

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New York Islander Coach Rick Bowness, whose team has lost 10 consecutive games, was warned that his job is in jeopardy.

“I told Rick that this can’t go on much longer,” General Manager Mike Milbury said before the Islanders’ 2-1 overtime loss Saturday to Carolina. “I told him, ‘You’re on alert.’ ”

New York has not picked up a point since beating Boston, 4-3, on Dec. 20 to even its record at 15-15-5. The Islanders are in sixth place in the Atlantic Division.

Milbury reportedly can’t make any changes in personnel until potential owner Steven Gluckstern officially takes over the team.

Gluckstern, a part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, is head of a group trying to purchase the Islanders from John Pickett.

An NHL spokesman said Saturday the Gluckstern partnership has cleared the most extensive background check in NHL history--the result of the embarrassment caused the league after prospective owner John Spano was indicted on fraud charges last year--and is likely to be approved next Saturday by league owners in Vancouver for the All-Star Game.

To complete the deal, Gluckstern must sell his stake in the Coyotes to comply with NHL rules that forbid owners from having an interest in more than one franchise.

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Recently acquired defenseman Jeff Brown of the Toronto Maple Leafs will be sidelined for at least the next 10 days because of an infection in his right ankle.

Brown was acquired from Carolina for a conditional 1999 draft pick on Jan. 2.