SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dec. 16, 2004–Are you hurtin’
for hockey? Tired of the ongoing bickering between players and owners
putting you on ice? Then it’s time to move on to great games where
hockey players compete more for the love of the sport. Devoted fans
can skate around North America to find hockey-crazed rinks for a fix,
according to Amy Ziff, editor-at-large for Travelocity(R).
“It’s not time to turn to figure skating just yet,” says Ziff.
“There’s great hard-hitting action and we can send you to some of the
best rinks.”
Following are Ziff’s suggestions on some great hockey options this
season:
-- The Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League: Based
in picturesque Manchester, New Hampshire, this is one of the
winningest teams this season in professional hockey. The
Monarchs are a farm team that holds the key prospects for the
Los Angeles Kings, including an incredible goalie in Mathieu
Garon.
-- The Boston College Eagles, Division I. U.S. College Hockey:
The Eagles are a perennial powerhouse and have a history of
producing professional talent including New Jersey Devil Brian
Gionta. Based on the edge of Beantown, there's a lot of busy
skating going on.
-- The Michigan Wolverines, Division I. U.S. College Hockey:
About one hour outside of Detroit, they have a nasty way of
winning hockey games. The Wolverines are another dynasty team
in Division I. College with professional hockey vets including
John Madden to their credit.
-- The Seattle Thunderbirds, Western Hockey League: Seattle has
one of the top teams in Junior A hockey. In fact, they're tops
in the Western Division, the league where professional hockey
drafts most of its talent.
-- The State of Minnesota, Period: Known as 'The State of
Hockey,' the sport ranks tops in popularity here. Both college
and high school hockey are huge in Minnesota. And, the XCEL
Energy Centre in St. Paul is the converging point for some of
the biggest face-offs this year with the Red Baron WCHA Final
Five (Division I. tournament), the Schwan Cup high school
holiday tournament and the State Hockey Tournament.
-- The Hamilton Bulldogs, American Hockey League: You can always
count on the Canadians, or Les Canadiens, for hockey.
Montreal's farm team is located in Canada's Steeltown, 45
minutes from Toronto and one hour from Buffalo, N.Y. The
Bulldogs are known for tearing up the ice and have young pro
player Jason Ward in the lineup.
-- The Saskatoon Blades, Western Hockey League: Meet the
hockey-fanatic fans of the Junior A Blades, where hockey is
the sport in town for rabid fans of the game. Welcome to the
land of hard-hitting hockey and a team with a great history of
grads gone pro to back it up.
-- The Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League: This is the
Junior A club of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky where he wore
that renowned No. 99 that has since been retired from
professional hockey. The Hounds is one of the storied
franchises in junior hockey, and this Northern Ontario city is
known for its raucous crowd.
-- The Quebec Ramparts, Quebec Major Junior Hockey League: The
home team to hockey legends Guy Lafleur and Patrick Roy plays
in one of the classic old rinks in North America, Le Colisee
(now called the Pepsi Coliseum). This Junior A team is based
in Quebec City, one of the old cities in North America and one
with a distinct European feel. The hockey here resembles the
fluid, skill-oriented European game.
According to Ziff, there’s no need to deny yourself of some
gripping hockey this season just because your favorite professional
team is out of commission — there’s lots of great hockey to enjoy.
About Travelocity
Travelocity’s industry-leading technology and straight-talking,
honest information help travelers take more rewarding and affordable
trips. With millions of registered users and booking nearly $4 billion
of travel in 2003, Travelocity negotiates thousands of low-priced
deals with the world’s most reputable travel providers — top
airlines, hotels, car rental companies, cruise lines, and other
destination attractions and services. Additionally, Travelocity offers
deeply-discounted rates for weekend getaways and dynamic packages
through its Last Minute Deals and TotalTrip shopping engines, and
provides customer service support over the phone 24 hours a day. Based
in Southlake, Texas, Travelocity also operates Travelocity
Business(SM) for corporate customers, powers international travel Web
sites in eight languages, and has been recognized for its consumer
advocacy and global leadership in online travel. More information
about Travelocity is available at www.travelocity.com. Travelocity is
owned by Sabre Holdings Corporation (NYSE:TSG), a world leader in
travel commerce. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at
www.sabre-holdings.com.
CONTACT: Vollmer Public Relations
Judy Haveson, 212-808-6541
judy@vollmerpr.com
or
Amanda Borichevsky, 972-488-4790
amanda@vollmerpr.com
SOURCE: Travelocity