Hockey East Tourney on the Move

[KnowItAll]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

."Love means never having to say you are sorry." Oliver Barrett, IV from the movie "Love Story". The cinematic masterpiece that forever immortalizes a CORNELL victory over CRIMSON vermin!

Jeez, did Al Gore play hockey at that state school high above Cayooga's Waters TOO?

All this time I thought he was vermin (Crimson vermin)

[CHFAN222]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

I really am torn for I cannot tell if the author of the foregoing quote is serious.

If not, kudos to you for a fine piece of comedic writing.

If the author is actually serious then I am compelled to inquire as to what color is the sky in this person's world? A chance to interact with "visitors from Europe"? What self-respecting fan of college hockey (at tournament time no less) has the slightest interest in any form of interaction with the hordes of Euro-filth skulking around our streets and taking up space in our restaurants? When it comes to the Hockey East Championship tournament the majority of fans are interested in finding a parking space, grabbing a bite to eat (or a drink) and getting to the venue in time for the game.

With the foregoing being said I for one am all in favor of perhaps "sharing the wealth" with the scheduling of the tournament. The TD Garden is a fine venue (despite the fact that most of those in the employ of the TD Garden look as if they are on a work-release program administered by Department of Corrections), but it would be a nice gesture for ALL Hockey East fans if the tournament was staged in Worcester, Manchester, and Providence as well. All three cities offer a venue that could easily accommodate the tournament and all three cities offer what Boston cannot and will not i.e. inexpensive parking, affordable food and drink, and easy ingresss and egress.

In addition, it is painfully obvious that attendance at both the Hockey East Championship as well as the NCAA regionals has been declining over the past few years. This year it was particularly bad both locally and across the country. Hockey East would be doing itself and all of college hockey a favor by moving the championship tournament to three cities as aforesaid (perhaps on an alternating year basis) and trying to cultivate some interest in the tournament and the league in these areas.

Attendance has been down mostly due to the economy. If the tourney was held in providence attendance would be a disaster. Do you honestly think your going to get as many students to travel to Providence as the Garden? Manchester attendance would be bad if UNH pulls another choke act in the first round. Worcester would probably not draw to well either. Lack of public transportation to Worcester and Manchester definitely will hurt attendance compared to Boston.

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Total Attendance for HE Semifinals only last five years:

2010: 12,544
2009: 14,280
2008: 12,522
2007: 15,828
2006: 16,909

Now, we'd be foolish to think that a downturn in the economy hasn't played a role in this the past couple years. Also, I don't think any other venue would reach the lowest number above. I think 15,000 is a reasonable target every year and would expect to see that provided the economy rebounds.

[BeloBrasil]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Jeez, did Al Gore play hockey at that state school high above Cayooga's Waters TOO?

All this time I thought he was vermin (Crimson vermin)

A+ to you for knowing that my esteemed alma mater is, in fact, (at least in part) a glorified state school.

[slurpees]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

trying to cultivate some interest in the tournament and the league in these areas.

Is there really a need to "cultivate interest" in Manchester, Providence, and/or Worcester for Hockey East? The league already dominates those markets, and HE teams have made the Worcester and Manchester NCAA regionals some of the most successful regionals in recent memory not played on a team's home ice. And any lack of interest in Providence doesn't have to do with the conference, but the team.

[BeloBrasil]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Do you honestly think your going to get as many students to travel to Providence as the Garden? Manchester attendance would be bad if UNH pulls another choke act in the first round. Worcester would probably not draw to well either. Lack of public transportation to Worcester and Manchester definitely will hurt attendance compared to Boston.

Students? Are you kidding? How many Boston College students were at the TD Garden this past spring for the Hockey East Championship? I don't know the exact number, but I can tell you there were just as many Maine students as there were Boston College students. Hell, those students at B.C. barely attend games at the Conte Forum so please spare me the "public transporation" argument.

Providence, Lowell, Worcester, Manchester (and even Springfield) are all easy to get to via train or bus if one does not have a car and the last time I checked Hockey East consisted of a goodly number of teams who played outside the "617" area code. So like I said. Share the wealth. Both the league and the college hockey in general might benefit.

[Rover]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

With all due respect, anybody who wants to have the tournament in Providence, Manchester, Orono, etc instead of Boston is an idiot. There are no other viable alternatives to Boston, let alone better places to hold it.

What you would trade at best is having an arena with 4000 empty seats for having an arena where 4000 fans willing to go to the game are locked out due to a too small facility. That's stupid. At worst fans would pass up on the chance to spend a once-in-a-lifetime thrilling evening in Manchester or Worcester, tourism hotbeds both, and you'd have a half full arena drawing 10,000 less fans for the tournament than the Garden.

Regarding recent attendance, the economy is a factor as well as the perception that last year's championship was a layup for BC, a team who's fans are most likely used to winning the HE championship anyway. That depresses both walk up business for a good game, and student/alum business from the participating school with bigger goals in mind.

Back when BU made it in 2006, a lot of us were chomping at the bit to go because they hadn't had that good of a chance to win in almost a decade. Plus it was a BU-BC title game. 2009 was a great team and again you had the BU-BC with BC defending national champs playing for their season in the semi's. I would have paid a good amount of money to attend those touraments. Once you win it a few times though, and if the matchup isn't that great, maybe your fan base isn't as enthusiastic. Get UNH and Maine back in a championship game and attendance will most likely follow. The way to do that though isn't to have the game in Providence, a nice little city but way too small an arena for the event. Lets not begrudge Hockey East's success by downgrading its tournament.

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Students? Are you kidding? How many Boston College students were at the TD Garden this past spring for the Hockey East Championship? I don't know the exact number, but I can tell you there were just as many Maine students as there were Boston College students. Hell, those students at B.C. barely attend games at the Conte Forum so please spare me the "public transporation" argument.

Providence, Lowell, Worcester, Manchester (and even Springfield) are all easy to get to via train or bus if one does not have a car and the last time I checked Hockey East consisted of a goodly number of teams who played outside the "617" area code. So like I said. Share the wealth. Both the league and the college hockey in general might benefit.

None of those venues would outdraw the Garden. That's what it comes down to.

[sterlippo1]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Students? Are you kidding? How many Boston College students were at the TD Garden this past spring for the Hockey East Championship? I don't know the exact number, but I can tell you there were just as many Maine students as there were Boston College students. Hell, those students at B.C. barely attend games at the Conte Forum so please spare me the "public transporation" argument.

Providence, Lowell, Worcester, Manchester (and even Springfield) are all easy to get to via train or bus if one does not have a car and the last time I checked Hockey East consisted of a goodly number of teams who played outside the "617" area code. So like I said. Share the wealth. Both the league and the college hockey in general might benefit.

last year, i think you could have added up the total for the other 3 teams (especially since UVM brought no one) and the total would not equal Maine's total. it was phenomenal, actually, but it's what they do and have always done, those mainahs

[CHFAN222]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Students? Are you kidding? How many Boston College students were at the TD Garden this past spring for the Hockey East Championship? I don't know the exact number, but I can tell you there were just as many Maine students as there were Boston College students. Hell, those students at B.C. barely attend games at the Conte Forum so please spare me the "public transporation" argument.

Providence, Lowell, Worcester, Manchester (and even Springfield) are all easy to get to via train or bus if one does not have a car and the last time I checked Hockey East consisted of a goodly number of teams who played outside the "617" area code. So like I said. Share the wealth. Both the league and the college hockey in general might benefit.

BC has around what 8K undergrad and hockey isn't even the biggest sport at the school considering that they have BCS football and our in the ACC for basketball. Yes they have some hardcore hockey fans but not as much so as the other two.

BU has around 30K for undergrads and NU has around 15K and both will bring a decent number of students to the garden. As seen in the past two years Hockey Easts and Beanpot. UML when they made it brought an ok number and had easy access to it via North Station. UNH has easy access to it via the DownEaster. A reason a lot of Maine fans came down to it last year was because of the easy access via the DownEaster.

Also there is alot to be said for being able to take public transportation for non students. If you team wins and you want to celebrate responsibly for a little bit you have the ability to have a drink or two at a local bar and then take the train back and sober up so you don't have to drive drunk.

[BeloBrasil]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Is there really a need to "cultivate interest" in Manchester, Providence, and/or Worcester for Hockey East? The league already dominates those markets, and HE teams have made the Worcester and Manchester NCAA regionals some of the most successful regionals in recent memory not played on a team's home ice. And any lack of interest in Providence doesn't have to do with the conference, but the team.

The NCAA Northeast Regional was a success in 2010? Who knew? Perhaps I am naive in my assessment of these matters insofar as I have always been under the impression that the one determining factor in whether an event like the NCAA Northeast Regional is a success is attendance. Many of the attendees in Worcester this year must have been on their way to a costume party for so many of them were dressed as empty seats. I have been to chuch services that were more raucous than the B.C. vs. Alaska-Fairbanks tilt. ...and if you were paying attention you saw the same thing in Fort Wayne, IN as well.

So to answer your question YES there is a compelling need to cultivate interest in the sport outside the Boston area. Take a look at the state of the game today. Wayne State University disbanded its hockey program. Findlay University disbanded its program as well. Bowling Green University has been considering disbanding its program. Ohio State University just dumped its coach for among other reasons poor attendance. The CHA has disbanded and now Alabama-Huntsville is a program in search of a conference. These are not good signs. We here in the northeast should take note of these matters for the same thing could easily happen here. Northeastern just dumped its football program. Is it so far-fetched to think that perhaps some school like Providence, Northeastern, Holy Cross, Bentley, or UMass-Lowell might not consider dumping its hockey program if the program cannot sustain itself? I submit it is not and it would behoove Hockey East and the Atlantic Hockey Association to do all they can to generate as much interest in this sport as possible if for no other reason than to secure their own survival.

[Federal League]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Students? Are you kidding? How many Boston College students were at the TD Garden this past spring for the Hockey East Championship? I don't know the exact number, but I can tell you there were just as many Maine students as there were Boston College students. Hell, those students at B.C. barely attend games at the Conte Forum so please spare me the "public transporation" argument.

Providence, Lowell, Worcester, Manchester (and even Springfield) are all easy to get to via train or bus if one does not have a car and the last time I checked Hockey East consisted of a goodly number of teams who played outside the "617" area code. So like I said. Share the wealth. Both the league and the college hockey in general might benefit.

What arena would draw the most fans?
What arena would draw the most media coverage?
What arena would bring in the most money?
What arena is in the same city as three HE teams and the same state as three others?
What arena is in the largest city in New England?
What arena is in the same city as HE headquarters?
What arena is one city away from NESN, the network airing the games?
What arena would be most attractive to recruits?

I really don't see how any sane person can even try to argue that it should be moved.

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

6,572
6,054

2nd best to the West Regional (which was in a better location than Worcester)

If the Northeast Regional was at the Garden (I know), I bet it would have outdrew the West regional.

[CHFAN222]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

6,572
6,054

2nd best to the West Regional (which was in a better location than Worcester)

If the Northeast Regional was at the Garden (I know), I bet it would have outdrew the West regional.

Garden would never agree to regional only frozen four. They have to repaint the ice and deal with all other sorts of NCAA rules like no alcohol sales. What they could/should consider doing is having a regional at either Agganis or Conte. They could also host a regional up in Portland or Burlington.

[slurpees]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Garden would never agree to regional only frozen four. They have to repaint the ice and deal with all other sorts of NCAA rules like no alcohol sales. What they could/should consider doing is having a regional at either Agganis or Conte. They could also host a regional up in Portland or Burlington.

Burlington's too small. I believe the NCAA has a rule that regional sites have to have 6,000+? I could be wrong. Nonetheless, Burlington's a bit too small, and if UVM didn't make it, they'd be fairly screwed.