LSSU Lakers 2018-19

[Laker Dude]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2018-19

It’s absolutely a gimmick but those gimmicks are exactly what are keeping casual fans interested in the game and keeping rinks alot more packed than they would be.

See, as a game I have no problem at all with ties. But college hockey is as much a form of entertainment now as it is a game, and the many casual fans out there crave the excitement of a win. You know me well enough to know I’m in the Taffy almost every day, but the many casual fans around the Sault choose a Laker game over usually 2 or 3 other events in town on any given weekend. 65 minutes ending in a tie wouldn’t give them a good reason to come back for another game.

That is exactly why the 2 non conference home games which could have ended in a tie were the best attended home games this season for the Lakers?

[lakersparty]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2018-19

Great win tonight. The officiating seemed suspect this weekend against LSSU, and I’m happy to get out of there with a split.

[lakersparty]

Bill Crawford extremely critical of the officiating tonight.

It was. The 5-3 against us last night was atrocious. Two penalties on one play, give me a break. The missed boarding tonight and no penalty for taking out our player who was about to score an empty netter...awful.

[CKrouth]

That is exactly why the 2 non conference home games which could have ended in a tie were the best attended home games this season for the Lakers?

1) It would seem that a non-conference series against Michigan is a bad example, given they haven’t been to SSM since the CCHA days and it was also GLSW, the biggest drawing series of the year for the past decade.
2) The WCHA uses a standard overtime format that includes 3v3 and a SO, so the issue only exists with non-conference right now. There is a reason why the NHL did it...college hockey shouldn’t go back.
3) I had this same conversation with Jim Roque when he was here. Next, your gonna tell me Chris Osgood doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame.

[Laker Dude]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2018-19

1) It would seem that a non-conference series against Michigan is a bad example, given they haven’t been to SSM since the CCHA days and it was also GLSW, the biggest drawing series of the year for the past decade.
2) The WCHA uses a standard overtime format that includes 3v3 and a SO, so the issue only exists with non-conference right now. There is a reason why the NHL did it...college hockey shouldn’t go back.
3) I had this same conversation with Jim Roque when he was here. Next, your gonna tell me Chris Osgood doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame.

So the casual fan cares a lot more about the opponent.

Create a better environment in your rink, such as Michigan Tech does. Actually win your home games rather than losing to teams like Alaska. That will be far more beneficial in solving your attendance problems.

The team has not played well enough at home this season to give the casual fan a reason to want to go back to another game.

[lakersparty]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2018-19

So the casual fan cares a lot more about the opponent.

Create a better environment in your rink, such as Michigan Tech does. Actually win your home games rather than losing to teams like Alaska. That will be far more beneficial in solving your attendance problems.

The team has not played well enough at home this season to give the casual fan a reason to want to go back to another game.

Attendance averaged 1,417 a game last season. It's at 2,070 this year, a pretty significant increase actually. That's a good step in the right direction and that 2,070 is only the 2nd time LSSU has averaged over 2,000 for attendance in a season since they've been in the WCHA. Sault Ste. Marie is fairly small and has an aging population. Older people tend to stay home with the weather there. LSSU's enrollment is less than 2,000 (looks to be 1,963 according to US News) so there's just not that much to work with in terms of finding new casual fans to come out. And the place with the potential to have more casual fans is probably Soo, Ontario with its larger population but the border complicates things so many Canadians who may have once came to games in greater numbers no longer do.

[CKrouth]

So the casual fan cares a lot more about the opponent.

Create a better environment in your rink, such as Michigan Tech does. Actually win your home games rather than losing to teams like Alaska. That will be far more beneficial in solving your attendance problems.

The team has not played well enough at home this season to give the casual fan a reason to want to go back to another game.

Yes there are a number of ways LSSU can work to increase attendance, but I was only talking about overtime rules. You can continue to think that 3v3 and shootouts don’t help retain casual fans, but this conversation is only going to get bigger and it will be discussed again at length this march. The old coaches are all leaving the game and the tide is changing...

[Deman]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2018-19

Yes there are a number of ways LSSU can work to increase attendance, but I was only talking about overtime rules. You can continue to think that 3v3 and shootouts don’t help retain casual fans, but this conversation is only going to get bigger and it will be discussed again at length this march. The old coaches are all leaving the game and the tide is changing...

While I'm a fan of the shootout, I wouldn't mind seeing it go away. Heck it would be even better if the game ended in a tie after either 1 or 2OT, and the two teams agree to a shootout for bragging rights, takes a lot of pressure off (or force a shootout if needed for something like the Cappo).

And I know a lot of longtime fans aren't fans of 3v3, but I find it really fascinating, that really showcases each player's skill.

But they really do need to make the rules less confusing when it comes to 'regular' games. I think having a shootout (normal, 3-1-1, etc), or some sort of continual sudden death OT in tournaments still make sense, where there can't be a tie.

As for being discussed in March, of course it will. The rules committee made a ruling on it this last year, but stepped it back since they didn't account for different variables in the game. They'll want to solidify it this offseason for sure.

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2018-19

The season is fun watching the Lakers make a run for home ice and possibly having a shot at the NCAAs.

[Bill]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2018-19

While I'm a fan of the shootout, I wouldn't mind seeing it go away. Heck it would be even better if the game ended in a tie after either 1 or 2OT, and the two teams agree to a shootout for bragging rights, takes a lot of pressure off (or force a shootout if needed for something like the Cappo).

And I know a lot of longtime fans aren't fans of 3v3, but I find it really fascinating, that really showcases each player's skill.

But they really do need to make the rules less confusing when it comes to 'regular' games. I think having a shootout (normal, 3-1-1, etc), or some sort of continual sudden death OT in tournaments still make sense, where there can't be a tie.

As for being discussed in March, of course it will. The rules committee made a ruling on it this last year, but stepped it back since they didn't account for different variables in the game. They'll want to solidify it this offseason for sure.

There occasionally was 3 on 3 hockey in the "old" days and it was fairly exciting. It was simply the result of multiple minor penalties on each team at the same or close to the same time. With the changes in rules in more recent times, especially with regards to coincidental penalties, it's pretty rare to get to 3 on 3 hockey during the normal course of a game anymore. It requires multiple penalties, generally of a different variety or timing on each team, all in a pretty short period of time and generally not coincidental. I don't think it's a matter of long time fans not liking 3 on 3 hockey per se. It's using it as a gimmick to try and reach a conclusion to a game aside from a straight forward tie that is an issue.

[sm2pk]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2018-19

When games go to the 5 minute over times and then to the shootout , the game is just being dragged on and on and we need faster games and not extended ones .

[davyd83]

There occasionally was 3 on 3 hockey in the "old" days and it was fairly exciting. It was simply the result of multiple minor penalties on each team at the same or close to the same time. With the changes in rules in more recent times, especially with regards to coincidental penalties, it's pretty rare to get to 3 on 3 hockey during the normal course of a game anymore. It requires multiple penalties, generally of a different variety or timing on each team, all in a pretty short period of time and generally not coincidental. I don't think it's a matter of long time fans not liking 3 on 3 hockey per se. It's using it as a gimmick to try and reach a conclusion to a game aside from a straight forward tie that is an issue.

I see more 3x3 in one WCHA OT than I’ve seen total since I first put on skates back in 1971.

[LSSULaker889294]

The season is fun watching the Lakers make a run for home ice and possibly having a shot at the NCAAs.

Lakers just need to figure out how to win at home on Saturday nights. If they can, the chance we get home ice for the first round of the WCHA playoffs greatly improves.

[lakersparty]

Minnesota State fans sure seem to be whining a lot about leaving the WCHA after LSSU beat them. Is there a team that has benefitted more from the realignment than Mankato?

All of their DI conference tourney championships have come in the new WCHA, all of their DI regular season conference titles have come from the new WCHA, and 3 of their 5 NCAA tourney appearances have happened since the new WCHA started. If anything they should be thankful for this new arrangement.

https://board.uscho.com/showthread.p...n-Thread/page9

[Deman]

Re: LSSU Lakers 2018-19

Minnesota State fans sure seem to be whining a lot about leaving the WCHA after LSSU beat them. Is there a team that has benefitted more from the realignment than Mankato?

They've been complaining since day 1. Hell, they applied to the NCHC last year but were denied.

But I think the worst kept secret in college hockey is that there has to be another realignment. It's been talked about since we were forced to after Penn State came up, at least the western conferences - I think the east is pretty well set. But I also doubt the NCHC, WCHA, et al are going to do anything major until they know for sure what the heck is going to happen with Arizona State.

That being said, in the Mankato thread that was linked, it mentioned that BG wanted out too. If the WCHA were to lose both Mankato and Bowling Green, I'd like to see us get Western Michigan and Miami, but with Western doing good this year, I doubt they'd want to leave the conference even if the fee was waived.