The Canadiens beat the Hurricanes 6-2 on Thursday to take a 1-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Getty Images
Organizers of a watch party for the Canadiens-Hurricanes Stanley Cup Eastern Conference Finals Game 1 were “forced to cancel” plans a day after putting tickets on sale because the NHL “didn’t green-light the event.” The plan was to show the second game of the series, which was held Thursday in Raleigh, at the 4,080-seat Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau. The area is one in which the Senators have been “trying to gain a foothold to help grow their fan base.” The NHL “owns the rights to all broadcasts and didn’t give the organizers the go-ahead to hold the gathering.” NHL rules state that teams own the regional territorial rights “within 80 kilometres of their city limits” (OTTAWA CITIZEN, 5/21).