Thursday, April 29, 2010

NHL Playoffs 2010, Round 2, Part 2

And here's a little something I just read on the Detroit Free Press site that makes the schedule for this upcoming round just that much more inconvenient.

"Apparently the Red Wings knew the way to San Jose, they just didn’t know about the curfew at the airport.

It seems the Norman Mineta San Jose International Airport bans airplanes from landing or taking off between 11:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m.

The Wings, who eliminated the Coyotes from the playoffs with a 6-1 victory Tuesday night, flew in from Phoenix after the game and landed at 12:19 a.m. Wednesday.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Wings are subject to a $2,500 fine.

Game 1 of the Wings-Sharks Western Conference semifinal series begins at 9 tonight."


I know a $2500 fine isn't going to bother the team in the least, but what happens when they want to fly home after game 2 and/or 5? Game 2 starts at 5pm in San Jose, so there shouldn't be any problem getting out of there before 11:30 unless the game goes into OT. Game 5 however would start at 7pm local time, and the team would have to rush out the door to get to the airport in time to leave before the curfew.

Now I assume the planes are required by the FAA to get clearance from the tower at each airport before take off. Would this ban completely stop them from taking off until 6:30am? Cause I gotta figure that sitting on a plane, no matter how nice the plane is, for up to 7 hours after playing an NHL playoff game might just take it's toll on some players.

I know I am dealing with "what ifs" here, but I could see this becoming a real issue if the bitter San Jose fans working at the airport don't handle these situations with tact.

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