GLENDALE, ARIZONA --- Phoenix Coyotes President and Chief Operating Officer Douglas Moss announced today that the new name for the Arizona franchise of the National Lacrosse League (NLL) will be the Arizona Sting.

"We are very excited about our first season of indoor lacrosse in Glendale Arena,^Ô said Moss. ^ÓWe are confident that our fans will love the fast, action packed, high scoring game of lacrosse and that they will enjoy the fun environment at our games. The Arizona Sting will become a very well known name and will come to represent exciting, affordable weekend entertainment here in the Valley.^Ô

The Arizona Sting logo features a fierce black scorpion with its stinger in attack mode. The colors in the logo are brick red, black and desert sand, the same colors used in the Phoenix Coyotes logo. The Sting logo also borrows some graphical elements from the Coyotes logo including the menacing eyes and the triangles on the back of the scorpion representing the Four Peaks.

^ÓThe scorpion is an aggressive creature that moves decisively and with great precision and skill,^Ô said Moss. ^ÓWe plan to build a team characterized by the qualities that the scorpion represents. The scorpions^Ò stinger is an intimidating weapon that will strike fear into its opponent.^Ô

The name was chosen after the review of more than 1,500 names submitted by lacrosse fans all over North America earlier this summer in the Arizona Lacrosse ^ÓName the Team^Ô contest.

Mark Middleton of Peoria, Arizona submitted the winning name and will receive four season tickets to all Sting games played at Glendale Arena during the team's inaugural season. He will also receive a team-autographed jersey and will have the opportunity to conduct the ceremonial Opening Night face-off on Friday, December 26 at Glendale Arena.

A number of criteria were employed to select the team name and logo. Research has shown that Valley fans prefer team monikers and mascots that are aggressive and dominant and represent this geographical region.

The Adrenalin Design Group, who also created the Coyotes new team brand and uniforms, created the Arizona Sting logo. The Adrenalin Design Group is renowned and respected for their sports specific creative expertise and have designed the franchise identities for numerous sports organizations and programs in a variety of professional and amateur leagues including the National Hockey League, NCAA Athletics, Arena Football League, and National Lacrosse League.

The Arizona Sting^Òs inaugural Opening Night will also be the first sporting event in the history of Glendale Arena on Friday, December 26 versus the Vancouver Ravens at 7:30 p.m. local time. The team also announced the creation of a franchise website at www.arizonasting.com.

Season tickets for all eight Sting home games are all located in the lower level of Glendale Arena and start at just $10 each with free parking for every game. For ticket information, fans can call: (480) 563-7825 or visit the Sting^Òs website.

STING NAME HAMLEY AS GM & HEAD COACH

The Sting also announced that Bob Hamley has been promoted as the Sting^Òs general manager and head coach for the upcoming 2003-04 National Lacrosse League season.

Last season Hamley led the former Columbus Landsharks to its best season in franchise history with an 8-8 record, falling one game shy of a playoff birth. Prior to his position with Arizona, Hamley served as an assistant coach for the 14-2 Champion's Cup finalist Albany Attack during the 2001-02 season.

The National Lacrosse League officially announced the relocation of the former Columbus Landsharks franchise to the city of Glendale, Arizona and Glendale Arena earlier this year. The National Lacrosse League is North America's professional indoor lacrosse league, featuring the best lacrosse players in the world. The NLL has twelve teams playing in the major markets of the United States and Canada. The teams are: Anaheim Storm, Arizona Sting, Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Jose Stealth, Toronto Rock and the Vancouver Ravens.