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UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

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  • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

    Originally posted by d.gerry View Post
    Anyone else hear about the proposed changes to the ice surface? Apparently the refrigeration system has failed and is slated for replacement. Rumor is, as part of the refeer project, the ice surface will be reduce to NHL dimensions, in addition to the installation of new and more “giving” glass.
    I hadn't heard either of those. After they cut the corners about 7-10 years ago there was talk of that. Not sure how they would add to the seats. while it would certainly allow for another row or 2 it wouldn't have the slope and I would think that would be very expensive. Perhaps a large walkway such as Mack or RPI. Ugh! More importantly, I feel they tell Mike in the interviews that they come for the big ice as it fits their game.

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    • Originally posted by After the Whistle View Post
      Not sure how they would add to the seats. while it would certainly allow for another row or 2 it wouldn't have the slope and I would think that would be very expensive. Perhaps a large walkway such as Mack or RPI. Ugh! More importantly, I feel they tell Mike in the interviews that they come for the big ice as it fits their game.
      Not sure how the seats would work either, not a fan of having a walkway down there at all. As far as recruiting goes, I feel the large ice is as much a negative as it is a postive as top recruits have pro aspirations and want to play and develop on an NHL sized surface..
      GO BLUE!

      Comment


      • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

        Originally posted by HockeyRef View Post
        It's his ultimate plan to finally rid Hockey East of the UConn Huskies...and I would agree he has this all planned out.
        Just like he ridded the HEA of NICC?

        Comment


        • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

          Originally posted by d.gerry View Post
          Not sure how the seats would work either, not a fan of having a walkway down there at all. As far as recruiting goes, I feel the large ice is as much a negative as it is a postive as top recruits have pro aspirations and want to play and develop on an NHL sized surface..
          Concrete isn't that expensive. Lift seats, buy some more. Only cost about a million in rehab.

          Comment


          • Originally posted by BlackI View Post
            Concrete isn't that expensive. Lift seats, buy some more. Only cost about a million in rehab.
            Talking about site lines, slope/elevation of seats, etc., but I appreciate your expertise nonetheless.
            GO BLUE!

            Comment


            • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

              Originally posted by d.gerry View Post
              Talking about site lines, slope/elevation of seats, etc., but I appreciate your expertise nonetheless.
              Lol. Any time old buddy. Just remember 3-2 in OT and the popcorn flying.

              Comment


              • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

                Originally posted by d.gerry View Post
                Not sure how the seats would work either, not a fan of having a walkway down there at all. As far as recruiting goes, I feel the large ice is as much a negative as it is a postive as top recruits have pro aspirations and want to play and develop on an NHL sized surface..
                This would be a very big deal if true. I certainly think it would be a net positive for recruiting.
                Are you guys brothers?

                Comment


                • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

                  So this is totally off the wall (and I'm not a structural engineer), but I assume they have to rip out most of the underlying infrastructure anyway, right? So instead of "raising" multiple rows of seats, why couldn't they just "lower" the rink surface and add two rows of seats in front so that none of the existing seats need to be touched? You're not going to leave the existing refrigeration system "in place" if you are completely resizing the rink anyway, so (and I've only been to the Whitt a few times) unless there is something structural beneath the ice surface (besides the ground), doesn't this seem more feasible and cost-effective?

                  Comment


                  • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

                    Wow … look how close we came to not having Luce to kick around anymore ...

                    https://www.courant.com/sports/colle...001-story.html

                    As with anything that comes out of Luce's mouth, take it with a grain (chunk?) of salt. 50% fiction, at least.

                    Taken on faith, it looks like a lot of those other schools dodged a serious bullet in not hiring my hero.

                    Of course, there are the two obligatory references to Jerry York, and a few more general ones to BC.

                    Y'know, just in case folks get the crazy idea that he isn't getting the job done at UConn.
                    Sworn Enemy of the Perpetually Offended
                    Montreal Expos Forever ...

                    Comment


                    • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

                      Originally posted by chickod View Post
                      So this is totally off the wall (and I'm not a structural engineer), but I assume they have to rip out most of the underlying infrastructure anyway, right? So instead of "raising" multiple rows of seats, why couldn't they just "lower" the rink surface and add two rows of seats in front so that none of the existing seats need to be touched? You're not going to leave the existing refrigeration system "in place" if you are completely resizing the rink anyway, so (and I've only been to the Whitt a few times) unless there is something structural beneath the ice surface (besides the ground), doesn't this seem more feasible and cost-effective?
                      Makes sense to me however, I'm sure cost will play the final role into what gets done. I'm not sure if there is a final plan in place at this time, or if it is still in the design phase. Wonder what the typical expected life span of a refrigeration system is. Is the needed replacement typical for rinks this age, or has it prematurely failed.

                      Anyone headed down to catch the Friday night game? I'm thinking about however, traffic on the way down is a bit of a deterrent!
                      GO BLUE!

                      Comment


                      • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

                        Originally posted by chickod View Post
                        So this is totally off the wall (and I'm not a structural engineer), but I assume they have to rip out most of the underlying infrastructure anyway, right? So instead of "raising" multiple rows of seats, why couldn't they just "lower" the rink surface and add two rows of seats in front so that none of the existing seats need to be touched? You're not going to leave the existing refrigeration system "in place" if you are completely resizing the rink anyway, so (and I've only been to the Whitt a few times) unless there is something structural beneath the ice surface (besides the ground), doesn't this seem more feasible and cost-effective?
                        DISCLAIMER: I'm not a structural engineer either, but that won't keep me from agreeing with chickod that lowering the ice surface (vs. raising/reconfiguring the existing seating bowl) makes the most sense *IF* they're dead set on shrinking the rink. A few of us long-time fans were discussing this very thing during between-period breaks of the BC game a few weekends ago, and the consensus seemed to be it would be the most minimally disruptive option vis a vis the existing infrastructure. We guesstimated (as chickod did) that such a reconfiguration would add 2 additional seating rows between the present on-the-glass Row A and the newly lowered ice surface, roughly 500-550 new seats as chair backs along the sides and bench seats on the ends in keeping with the current setup. That would increase the sell-out capacity to ~ 7K, which, let's be honest, there's little hope of filling until the team starts winning consistently again. Lowering the ice also means the existing corner access points for the zambonis, trucks hauling equipment/chairs/etc. for non-ice events such as concerts, commencement, etc. would then be elevated some 4-5 off the floor, necessitating ramp cuts into the existing concrete floor in those areas, much as curb cuts are often retrofitted into existing sidewalks for handicapped accessibility. It's all theoretically possible, I'd think, but someone brought up a rumor they'd heard around the time the Whitt first opened that underlying the rink is an enormous outcropping of dense ledge (it's not called the Granite State for nothing :-) and that's why locker rooms, offices, etc. were only built under the east side of the seating bowl - it was simply too involved/expensive to blast away all that rock on the west side of the site. Would that preclude digging down another 10 feet or so to lay new refrigeration pipes and a new floor? Whomever is floating this idea likely knows (where's Victor Aziz, retired UNH Director of Facilities Planning, when you need him?), but if indeed it's an issue it may help explain why lowering the ice surface is simply not a cost-effective option. Sigh ... UNH *can* get it right when it puts its mind to it - the latest addition to old Snively and the replacement of the WPA-era outdoor pool IMHO was done fantastically well - so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that *if* this project happens it's done properly, with appropriate sympathy for the old and forward-thinking for the new ... FWIW, I think the enormous new banner spanning the length of the Whitt lobby is a perfect example of that kind of thinking, vintage photos of hockey in Snively merged with contemporary photos of hockey at the Whitt, the old blending seamlessly with the new. We can only hope that ethos prevails in whatever plans are afoot for upgrading the Whitt itself going forward ...

                        Comment


                        • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

                          Originally posted by d.gerry View Post
                          Makes sense to me however, I'm sure cost will play the final role into what gets done. I'm not sure if there is a final plan in place at this time, or if it is still in the design phase. Wonder what the typical expected life span of a refrigeration system is. Is the needed replacement typical for rinks this age, or has it prematurely failed.

                          Anyone headed down to catch the Friday night game? I'm thinking about however, traffic on the way down is a bit of a deterrent!
                          Still 'on the fence' if I can get out of dodge by 3. We always go to this game; stay at the Hilton where you can just walk right into the XL. Hate it that the game's on a Friday night but what are you gonna do...Haven't see the 'Cats win at the XL so could this be the breakthrough

                          Interesting convo about restructuring the 'Whitt. I know Mike Souza has talked about having a weight room, player lounge...think the price tag he mentioned was 5 mil...
                          Here we go 'Cats!!

                          Comment


                          • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

                            Originally posted by jeteye1717 View Post
                            so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that *if* this project happens it's done properly, with appropriate sympathy for the old and forward-thinking for the new ...
                            Not that it really matters, but I'm not sure I get your drift in regards to "appropriate sympathy for the old"? As far as *if* this project happens, not really an if, something is going to happen, or "Lake Whittemore" will take on a whole new meaning. A quick search in the good old Google machine and you can find where it is in the works. The real unknown is what the overall scope of the project will be.
                            GO BLUE!

                            Comment


                            • Originally posted by jeteye1717 View Post
                              DISCLAIMER: I'm not a structural engineer either, but that won't keep me from agreeing with chickod that lowering the ice surface (vs. raising/reconfiguring the existing seating bowl) makes the most sense *IF* they're dead set on shrinking the rink. A few of us long-time fans were discussing this very thing during between-period breaks of the BC game a few weekends ago, and the consensus seemed to be it would be the most minimally disruptive option vis a vis the existing infrastructure. We guesstimated (as chickod did) that such a reconfiguration would add 2 additional seating rows between the present on-the-glass Row A and the newly lowered ice surface, roughly 500-550 new seats as chair backs along the sides and bench seats on the ends in keeping with the current setup. That would increase the sell-out capacity to ~ 7K, which, let's be honest, there's little hope of filling until the team starts winning consistently again. Lowering the ice also means the existing corner access points for the zambonis, trucks hauling equipment/chairs/etc. for non-ice events such as concerts, commencement, etc. would then be elevated some 4-5 off the floor, necessitating ramp cuts into the existing concrete floor in those areas, much as curb cuts are often retrofitted into existing sidewalks for handicapped accessibility. It's all theoretically possible, I'd think, but someone brought up a rumor they'd heard around the time the Whitt first opened that underlying the rink is an enormous outcropping of dense ledge (it's not called the Granite State for nothing :-) and that's why locker rooms, offices, etc. were only built under the east side of the seating bowl - it was simply too involved/expensive to blast away all that rock on the west side of the site. Would that preclude digging down another 10 feet or so to lay new refrigeration pipes and a new floor? Whomever is floating this idea likely knows (where's Victor Aziz, retired UNH Director of Facilities Planning, when you need him?), but if indeed it's an issue it may help explain why lowering the ice surface is simply not a cost-effective option. Sigh ... UNH *can* get it right when it puts its mind to it - the latest addition to old Snively and the replacement of the WPA-era outdoor pool IMHO was done fantastically well - so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that *if* this project happens it's done properly, with appropriate sympathy for the old and forward-thinking for the new ... FWIW, I think the enormous new banner spanning the length of the Whitt lobby is a perfect example of that kind of thinking, vintage photos of hockey in Snively merged with contemporary photos of hockey at the Whitt, the old blending seamlessly with the new. We can only hope that ethos prevails in whatever plans are afoot for upgrading the Whitt itself going forward ...
                              Only the width might be narrowed, right? If the ice stays the same length, there would not be room for any new bench seats in the end zones. If indeed ExeterGranodiorite (the name of the bedrock that underlies Durham) did not get blasted for the initial construction, I do not think that it can be blasted now without doing serious damage to the concrete infrastructure (disclaimer: I am not a structural engineer either). But, not sure that limitation precludes lowering the ice surface a few inches, unless the chilling pipes lie directly on top of the bedrock underneath part of the present ice surface, which I think would have been very bad engineering (or something done by a lowest cost bidder?).
                              Last edited by Snively65; 01-23-2019, 04:20 PM.

                              Comment


                              • Re: UNH Wildcats 2018-2019: Souza the Opportunity or Louza the Opportunity

                                Originally posted by d.gerry View Post
                                Anyone else hear about the proposed changes to the ice surface? Apparently the refrigeration system has failed and is slated for replacement. Rumor is, as part of the refeer project, the ice surface will be reduced to NHL dimensions, in addition to the installation of new and more “giving” glass.
                                Dear Lord, please let this rumor become reality!! Been waiting a long time...
                                Shrink-The-Rink, Win a Title

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