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For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

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  • #76
    Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

    The ECAC tourney should be 1 of these 3 places in order. 1) LAKE PLACID- the best hockey town on earth. 2) I wouldnt mind seeing it in Syracuse. Its a good city, with lots to do, and not long drive for the big 6 slu, cornell, gate, slu, rpi, clarkson. 3) I would give Providence a try. Glenns Falls seems to small, Albany is too dull, AC is too far and pricey.
    I bleed CHERRY AND WHITE

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    • #77
      Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

      Originally posted by rvd5star69 View Post
      The ECAC tourney should be 1 of these 3 places in order. 1) LAKE PLACID- the best hockey town on earth. 2) I wouldnt mind seeing it in Syracuse. Its a good city, with lots to do, and not long drive for the big 6 slu, cornell, gate, slu, rpi, clarkson. 3) I would give Providence a try. Glenns Falls seems to small, Albany is too dull, AC is too far and pricey.
      The War Memorial would be a cool place to hold the ECAC championships, and I'd love to go, but I don't think it would happen. Yes it's downtown in the city, and it's not as "college town" as Albany is, but it still is a college town. Also, remember that Syracuse has a basketball team that perenially makes the tournament, so since rounds 1 and 2 (well, now 2 and 3) take place during the same weekend, most of your drive-bys would be wanting to watch their basketball team rather than watching four ECAC hockey teams of which they probably don't have interest.

      Lake Placid is perfect because not only is it decent location (at least for 4 of the teams), but you have that local support which is very important.

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      • #78
        Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

        Originally posted by aweise View Post
        Besides, as a fan, you're only there for less than 48 hours. You come to watch the hockey, right? The only downtime you'll really have is Saturday morning and early afternoon and there's enough stuff in the area to take in for that amount of time. There are plenty of establishments downtown if you want a beer and a bite afterward - or even if you want to take the family to a nice place. You may stay overnight on Saturday, but if you have far enough to drive, you're headed home as soon as you get up on Sunday morning.

        Bottom line....it's the most logical place to have it, period. I consider the arguments for the other cities, but I keep coming back to how it's the most centrally-located and big enough location to hold the tournament. I loved going to Lake Placid, but the arena started to get too small - getting anything at the concessions required you to block the walkway and each of the three men's rooms had two urinals and a stall. Albany just needs to promote it better and they'll get the attendance up.

        The ECAC will clearly not make everyone happy and I don't think there's going to be a long-term answer any time soon. But for now, they should use their common sense (whatever's left of it) and bring the tournament back to Albany.
        If a central location is far and away the #1 attribute that will dictate attendance, then Albany is a logical choice.

        Albany falls far short on many of the other attributes (ie, fan experience, attractiveness of city, level of promotion, etc).

        Perhaps someone more creative and who has more time than me can come up with a grid, and rank each of the locations based upon a set of weighted criteria, and see which location comes out on top.

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        • #79
          Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

          Originally posted by Eph72 View Post
          This arrangement, however, also creates a significant advantage over newer arenas in that seats have a significantly lower vertical distance from the arena floor.
          And this is good why??? Two of the best places I have ever watched a game was from the first balcony at the old Boston Garden and the balcony at Matthews Arena (Northeastern). About the WORST place to watch a hockey game is an arena with a "gradual" vertical rise - too many seats below the top of the glass level and too far from the ice.

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          • #80
            Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

            Originally posted by FlagDUDE08 View Post
            If they had a way to adjust the boards in order to make it NHL sized (so people would stop complaining), it'd be cool to have it there again.
            The ECAC should call NASCAR and borrow some of their Safer Barriers!

            Originally posted by bothman View Post
            Albany falls far short on many of the other attributes (ie, fan experience, attractiveness of city, level of promotion, etc).
            I think Atlantic City fell even further on those attributes. At a minimum it was no better than Albany.
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            West Regional: 2015, 2021
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            • #81
              Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

              Originally posted by rvd5star69 View Post
              The ECAC tourney should be 1 of these 3 places in order. 1) LAKE PLACID- the best hockey town on earth. 2) I wouldnt mind seeing it in Syracuse. Its a good city, with lots to do, and not long drive for the big 6 slu, cornell, gate, slu, rpi, clarkson. 3) I would give Providence a try. Glenns Falls seems to small, Albany is too dull, AC is too far and pricey.
              Can't knock AC for expense and let LP off the hook. LP's minimum stay requirements and resort pricing keep down student, and casual, attendance.

              Also there's nothing convenient about the Ithaca to LP drive. It's only 20 min closer than AC. But should campus to site distance be the concern? Where are the fans coming from for this event? Where would they come from? Would Bridgeport or Worcester or Providence sellout due to proximity to Boston or NY? Just because Albany is in the geographic center of campuses doesn't mean it's the geographic center of fans.
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              • #82
                Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

                Originally posted by LGR03 View Post
                Can't knock AC for expense and let LP off the hook. LP's minimum stay requirements and resort pricing keep down student, and casual, attendance.

                Also there's nothing convenient about the Ithaca to LP drive. It's only 20 min closer than AC. But should campus to site distance be the concern? Where are the fans coming from for this event? Where would they come from? Would Bridgeport or Worcester or Providence sellout due to proximity to Boston or NY? Just because Albany is in the geographic center of campuses doesn't mean it's the geographic center of fans.
                The driving argument was made for why Syracuse should host the ECAC championships. It's nice for the NY teams, and if we were an Empire league (non-ivies + RIT and Niagara) it may work, but it's still on the west end of the league. Not to mention what I had said about the atmosphere here.

                Bridgeport is going to do well for the regionals because Yale is there. I really don't think that, aside from Lake Placid (and if you were to put people up in either Saranac Lake or even Plattsburgh and bus them in), there is another community around the ECAC that would support college hockey in general, aside from MAYBE Boston. If you really wanted to maximize attendance, hold the ECAC championships at the highest remaining seed's home location. (Disclaimer: I'm not saying this SHOULD be done.) Sadly, attendance will be a crapshoot (no pun intended on this year's location) based upon who makes it to the ECAC championships.

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                • #83
                  Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

                  Originally posted by chickod View Post
                  And this is good why??? Two of the best places I have ever watched a game was from the first balcony at the old Boston Garden and the balcony at Matthews Arena (Northeastern). About the WORST place to watch a hockey game is an arena with a "gradual" vertical rise - too many seats below the top of the glass level and too far from the ice.
                  Chickod: Good catch. As I said I basically cut and pasted each arena's promo material into a post, just to give guys stuff to consider. As it happens I was a Rangers season ticket holder for about 20 years and I absolutely agree with you. A full to capacity Garden is (or can be) wonderful for atmosphere but the sightlines are, in my opinion, a draw back not a positive attribute. I, too, much prefer steeper stands. Two, in particular, that are very steep and on the list are the Izod in the Meadowlands and the Hartford Civic Center (can't remember what its called today).

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                  • #84
                    Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

                    Originally posted by Eph72 View Post
                    It has been suggested that I add Utica to the mix. I have also added the hockey seating capacity of the principal arena in the city to the right of the metro area population:

                    Albany 1614/12=134.5 (12) 825,000 15,500
                    Springfield 1810/12=150.8 (9) 680,000 7,276
                    Glens Falls 1882/12=156.83 (9) 124,000 4,806
                    Hartford 1893/12=157.75 (8) 1,148,000 15,635
                    Utica 1989/12=165.75 (6) 300,000 4,000
                    Bridgeport 2081/12=173.4 (7) 882,000 9,000
                    Worcester 2094/12=174.5 (7) 750,000 14,800
                    Mohegan Sun 2241/12=186.75 (8) 18,546 n/a
                    Binghamton 2289/12=190.75 (5) 252,320 4,710
                    Syracuse 2315/12=192.9 (6) 650,154 6,230
                    Providence 2322/12=193.5 (7) 621,000 11,940
                    New York City 2341/12=195 (6) 18,000,000 n/a
                    Boston 2393/12=199.4 (7) 4,391,000 17,565
                    Lake Placid 2416/12=201.3 (6) 2,638 7,700
                    Atlantic City 3591/12=299.25 (1) 252,552 10,500

                    Utica is the home of the Memorial Auditorium, a 4,000-seat multi-purpose arena built in 1959. The Aud hosted the 1962 NCAA Frozen Four. Scenes from the 1977 movie "Slap Shot" were filmed there. It is home to the Utica College Pioneers, Mohawk Valley Community College Hawks, The Skating Club of Utica and several high school varsity ice hockey teams. It has been the home of the Utica Devils of the American Hockey League, the Utica Bulldogs, Utica Blizzard, and Mohawk Valley Prowlers of the United Hockey League, and the Mohawk Valley IceCats of the North Eastern Hockey League. It is the home of Utica College, which has the highest average attendance in Division III of United States college hockey.
                    Don't forget the Mohawk Valley Comets! I suggest adding Lowell and Manchester to the mix. Nice arenas both.

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                    • #85
                      Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

                      Originally posted by rdf8585
                      It might do better in Glens Falls, but obvious roadblocks include the Phantoms and the HS basketball tourney. Might be able to move things around, though. It only seats 4806 -- probably could get up to 5500 with standing room -- but that's probably enough seats for the ECAC. Great hockey venue. They put in new seats 5 years ago and later this year are putting in 1-2 video boards and a new sound system. It's more of a hockey town than Albany. And you could sell GF as a tourist attraction with the Adirondacks, Lake George, and what not.
                      The HS basketball tournament is that weekend and has been there for 30 years. I don't think that's going to change in the near future.
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                      • #86
                        Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

                        Originally posted by jmhusker View Post
                        Don't forget the Mohawk Valley Comets! I suggest adding Lowell and Manchester to the mix. Nice arenas both.
                        Yes, but if people thought there was nothing to do in Albany....

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                        • #87
                          Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

                          Originally posted by bothman View Post
                          Some of us have a wife and kid(s). Tough selling Bridgeport, Albany, Utica, or Springfield for the weekend....Hey honey, let's spend the weekend in Bridgeport???

                          I have long argued for Boston (relaizing that the Hockey East Final is there) or even NYC. We could have it at Agannis which is a good size for the crowd we would bring (the Fleet Center would seem empty if we ever had it there - Let Hockey Least take the bigger stage). Strong alumni communities across all schools since Boston & NYC are the biggest job markets in the Northeast.

                          If not Boston or NYC, then Providence or Worcester (if the New Haven Colliseum were still around, New Haven would work as well).

                          My 2 cents...
                          I agree with all of this however I'll also add that in 2 years not only does the AC agreement run out but the Big Ten conference also begins. Perhaps a conference shake-up is in store. If so... we might want to think further out of the box.

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                          • #88
                            Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

                            Originally posted by FlagDUDE08 View Post
                            Yes, but if people thought there was nothing to do in Albany....
                            Lowell is essentially a suburb of Boston - there's plenty to see and do in the area.

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                            • #89
                              Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

                              Originally posted by jmhusker View Post
                              Lowell is essentially a suburb of Boston - there's plenty to see and do in the area.
                              Yes, but when was the last time you went to Utica? Before or after GE skipped town?

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                              • #90
                                Re: For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

                                Originally posted by BigRedTerrier View Post
                                Dear god I wish it could be at Matthews...not realistic because of the capacity, but man what a gorgeous great place to watch a game
                                No it isn't. There are only about 2K good seats in the arena. Other than the front row, the entire upper level is essentially obstructed view. Great place if you have a good seat. Not enough good seats to go around though!

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