BOSTON (AP) -Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs is warning corporate sponsorship of sports teams is "under attack" during the current economic crisis, though no NHL teams are in danger of folding.
"Look at the financial organizations that have participated that don't exist anymore," Jacobs said Friday. "The Wachovia Center will not be the Wachovia Center and that permeates the whole world of sports."
The Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers play in that building named for the struggling bank that Wells Fargo and Citigroup are in competition to purchase. The Bruins' current home, TD Banknorth Garden, had been called the FleetCenter before Fleet Bank was bought by Bank of America.
Jacobs, chairman of the NHL board of governors, said New York would be hit hardest by a decline in corporate sponsorship.
"They've got three new stadiums going up and I think they're going to be absent a lot of participants that they were depending on or looking forward to," Jacobs said. "Boston has been a little bit less affected than other parts of the world. Canada, for the sake of the sport of hockey, is doing very well."
On Friday, Congress approved a $700 billion government bailout of the financial industry and President Bush signed it.
Some NHL teams are having problems, Jacobs said at the Bruins annual preseason media day, but he expects all 30 teams to survive.
"I think if anybody gets in trouble, there's so many geographical areas that would like to have hockey," he said. "We don't have any really sick teams at this point, but I think we're always (aware) of the fact that certain areas are weaker than others. The Sun Belt hasn't responded yet.
"Tampa's sold out. Carolina seems to be doing well. Nashville isn't drawing like it should. Minnesota's sold out. It's hard to say what drives it."
Jacobs, starting his 34th season as owner of the Bruins, said he plans to keep the team. If he does, he said, he could not buy the Buffalo Bills because the NFL forbids ownership by the same person of teams in different sports in different markets. The Bills are not expected to be put up for sale while owner Ralph Wilson, 90, is alive.
Jacobs is chairman and chief executive officer of Buffalo-based Delaware North Cos., a hospitality and food service business.
"I've always been interested in buying the Bills but I'm prevented by the National Football League, thank God, from owning two franchises," Jacobs said. "I kind of like the Bruins a whole lot more than I like anybody else.
"The Bruins aren't for sale and aren't going to be sold."
Malanca 
