Lowell Lock Monsters

* Location: Lowell, Mass.

* NHL affiliation: New York Islanders

* Arena (capacity): Paul E. Tsongas Arena (6,500)

* Coach: Frank Anzalone

* 1997-98 average attendance: Not applicable.

* Team history: The Lock Monsters are preparing for their first season. They will share home ice with the University of Massachusetts-Lowell.

* 1997-98 record: Not applicable.

* Top players: Sean Haggerty (LW, 33 G, 54 Pt for T-blades; 5 GP for Islanders, NHL); Steve Webb (RW, 18 PT, 139 PM, 37 GP for T-blades; 0 Pt, 35 PM, 20 games for Islanders); Mike Watt (LW, 24 G, 25 A, 63 GP for Hamilton, AHL; 3 PT, 14 GP for Edmonton, NHL); Vladimir Orszagh (RW, 9 G, 9 A, 6 GP for Utah, IHL; 1 A, 11 GP for Islanders); Craig Charron (C, two-time all-star for Rochester, 10th in AHL with 78 Pt, 75 GP, former All-American for UMass-Lowell); Marcel Cousineau (GT, 3,03 GA, .907 SP, 17-25-13 for St. John's); Ray Giroux (D, ECAC Player of Year at Yale); Zdeno Chara (D, 13 Pt, 125 PM, 48 GP for T-blades; 1 Pt, 50 PM, 25 GP for Islanders).

* What to watch: A tough defensive approach. Anzalone guided the Roanoke Express to an East Coast league-record low in goals allowed last year (2.97 a game, the league's first sub-3 average). GT Cousineau has shown NHL potential, and former Hershey Bear Mike Gaul heads a group of D that includes former T-blades Ray Schultz, Jeff Libby and Vladimir Chebaturkin.