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GOP VP pick Sarah Palin to drop puck at hockey match

Anthony Rieber

October 9, 2008

Do politics and pucks mix? The Rangers and Flyers are going to find out when Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin drops the ceremonial first puck before the Philadelphia home opener at the Wachovia Center Saturday night.

Palin, the self-described "hockey mom" and governor of Alaska, was invited by Flyers owner Ed Snider, who has donated to the campaign of GOP nominee John McCain. Palin will appear on ice with the winner of the Flyers' "Ultimate Hockey Mom" contest, the team said yesterday.

"Because of the tremendous amount of publicity she has brought to our sport, we invited the most popular hockey mom in North America to our home opener to help us get our season started," Snider said in a statement. "We are very excited she has accepted our offer and we are very proud of the publicity she is generating for hockey moms and the sport of hockey."

A spokesman for the McCain campaign confirmed the appearance. "That's on the schedule," Benjamin Porritt said.

Pennsylvania is a key battleground state in the Nov. 4 presidential election.

The team said it will give all hockey moms at that game a free "pucker peach" lipstick and four tickets to a game of the Flyers' minor league affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms.