PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- With President Bush on the big screen, hockey suddenly didn't matter anymore, not to the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers or the thousands of fans in attendance.

The start of the third period of the NHL exhibition game was delayed and then called off Thursday night as fans demanded to watch the President's speech to Congress instead of the game.

"We get paid to play this game because people want to watch us," Rangers defenseman Brian Leetch said. "They made it pretty clear when they were going to shut that speech off that they wanted to see it."

By the time Bush finished speaking 36 minutes later, the teams lined up at center ice to shake hands.

[...]

As a video flag waved on the screen, an announcement was made that the game was declared a 2-2 tie after two periods "out of respect for where the United States was headed in the near future."

>> Associated Press, September 21, 2001