Flyers to welcome VP candidate Palin at home opener

Oct 9, 2008 - 2:59 AM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- Sarah Palin is taking her campaign to the ice.

The governor of Alaska and the Republican candidate for the vice presidency of the United States, Palin will drop the ceremonial first puck at the Wachovia Center when the Philadelphia Flyers host the New York Rangers on Saturday, the team announced Wednesday.

Presidential nominee John McCain's running mate in the upcoming election, Palin has described herself as a hockey mom. The 44-year-old mother of five will join the winner of the Flyers' regional search for the "Ultimate Hockey Mom" contest at center ice for the ceremonial opening faceoff.

"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 the season started," Flyers chairman Ed Snider said. "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."

Philadelphia is coming off a 2007-08 season in which it made a 39-point turnaround in the standings and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals, where it fell in five games to the Pittsburgh Penguins.