1.   League officials are to take this on board and make a thorough examination.

2.   Although league officials have not said they will ask the players association to reopen negotiations, they have said that the agreement could be outdated in five seasons.

3.   Although the Florida-based Grapefruit League also has a new team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, league officials report no significant change in attendance.

4.   Alvarez said the issue would be studied at the end of the season, and league officials would be canvassed in search of a consensus.

5.   An agreement in principle could be less than two weeks away, said one league official, which would mean the season could start by mid-December.

6.   And if league officials are serious about their crackdown on obstruction, the best could get even better.

7.   Any franchise shift requires league approval, but league officials said Wednesday that they would work with the team to help it find a new home.

8.   Arthur Pincus, the NHL vice president for public relations, acknowledged that league officials knew about the games, but he said they would have no comment.

9.   As for ticket scalping, league officials simply hope for the best.