GaryMrMets
10-21-2005, 04:31 PM
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/story/357838p-304909c.html
Scare at L.I. hotel
BY JOHN DELLAPINA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Many Rangers were among dozens of guests evacuated to the parking lot yesterday when a mask-wearing man tossed a liquid into the lobby of the Garden City Hotel and then scampered off.
While local police, firefighters and hazardous materials teams tried to identify the suspect and the substance while taking every precaution - including administering decontaminating hose-downs - much of the Rangers' team was held in the parking lot for nearly 90 minutes.
Nassau County police announced last night that 23-year-old Scott Wallace of Rosedale - a former employee of the hotel - had been arrested in connection with the incident. They also said the substance dropped was not a health risk.
The Rangers were somewhat surprisingly permitted to board their team buses for last night's game against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum before police knew what the subtance was.
They arrived slightly delayed and in various stages of game-night dress - defenseman Tom Poti and forward Ville Nieminen were in gym shorts and T-shirts - as they had been hustled out of their rooms at approximately 3 p.m.
Except, that is, starting goaltender Kevin Weekes. Taking his pregame nap, Weekes figured all the commotion was just chamber maids trying to get into his room to clean up.
When he strolled downstairs to make the 5 p.m. bus, he found himself in the middle of an emergency situation.
"I slept through everything," Weekes said later. "My wake-up calls were for 4:20 and 4:25 and I just heard a lot of banging in the hallways. I just figured it was the cleaning ladies that were just trying to finish their shift.
"That's really what I thought it was. And next thing you know, we were right smack in the middle of a serious situation."
The Rangers made light of the situation on arriving at the Coliseum. Donning a surgical mask to hone a stick, Jaromir Jagr cracked: "We're going so good they had to try chemical warfare on us."
After the game, having been informed they hadn't been in contact with a dangerous substance, the Rangers returned to the hotel to collect their clothing before busing back to Westchester.
Originally published on October 21, 2005
Scare at L.I. hotel
BY JOHN DELLAPINA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Many Rangers were among dozens of guests evacuated to the parking lot yesterday when a mask-wearing man tossed a liquid into the lobby of the Garden City Hotel and then scampered off.
While local police, firefighters and hazardous materials teams tried to identify the suspect and the substance while taking every precaution - including administering decontaminating hose-downs - much of the Rangers' team was held in the parking lot for nearly 90 minutes.
Nassau County police announced last night that 23-year-old Scott Wallace of Rosedale - a former employee of the hotel - had been arrested in connection with the incident. They also said the substance dropped was not a health risk.
The Rangers were somewhat surprisingly permitted to board their team buses for last night's game against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum before police knew what the subtance was.
They arrived slightly delayed and in various stages of game-night dress - defenseman Tom Poti and forward Ville Nieminen were in gym shorts and T-shirts - as they had been hustled out of their rooms at approximately 3 p.m.
Except, that is, starting goaltender Kevin Weekes. Taking his pregame nap, Weekes figured all the commotion was just chamber maids trying to get into his room to clean up.
When he strolled downstairs to make the 5 p.m. bus, he found himself in the middle of an emergency situation.
"I slept through everything," Weekes said later. "My wake-up calls were for 4:20 and 4:25 and I just heard a lot of banging in the hallways. I just figured it was the cleaning ladies that were just trying to finish their shift.
"That's really what I thought it was. And next thing you know, we were right smack in the middle of a serious situation."
The Rangers made light of the situation on arriving at the Coliseum. Donning a surgical mask to hone a stick, Jaromir Jagr cracked: "We're going so good they had to try chemical warfare on us."
After the game, having been informed they hadn't been in contact with a dangerous substance, the Rangers returned to the hotel to collect their clothing before busing back to Westchester.
Originally published on October 21, 2005