2 week hiatus between Regionals - Frozen Four

[D2D]

Re: 2 week hiatus between Regionals - Frozen Four

It feels like 2 months, not 2 weeks, since the quarterfinals were played.

[ColSkate65]

Re: 2 week hiatus between Regionals - Frozen Four

Seems like a lot of momentum in enthusiasm is lost with the two week break between the Regionals and the FF. Lots of empty seats in Buffalo for the semis. Not sure if that's a reflection on a poor choice of venue for the FF or just a lack of buzz for college hockey as it extends into April's golf season.

[HockeyMan2000]

Re: 2 week hiatus between Regionals - Frozen Four

Seems like a lot of momentum in enthusiasm is lost with the two week break between the Regionals and the FF. Lots of empty seats in Buffalo for the semis. Not sure if that's a reflection on a poor choice of venue for the FF or just a lack of buzz for college hockey as it extends into April's golf season.

It has nothing to do with the venue. Went to Buffalo in 2003 and had a great time, the place was packed. The attendance and whatever other issues here are likely more indicative of the FF itself, and/or possibly the teams involved -- not the venue.

The college hockey season is most definitely too long. It starts before basketball, it ends after it. Does it need to be that long? I think you also see the fatigue set in, at least in a lot of places, by the conference Quarterfinal round.

IMO the sport should end a month sooner than it does. Get into the conference tournaments in February, move it up at least a couple of weeks. Play the FF before the basketball wraps up, not after it. Maybe it wouldn't make a big difference, but once the weather starts to turn, it seems some casual fans who might go to games in January and the depths of winter, lose interest by the time the season wraps up and Spring Break hits. You can even see it on this board! I lurk more than post these days, but it always seems there's more posting activity in December and January than February and March.

[Kepler]

Re: 2 week hiatus between Regionals - Frozen Four

There's nothing wrong with the scheduling of the conference tournaments, regionals, and F4. For once something is right; leave it alone.

But the season is too long, so start it later. Lop off 2 weeks and start everybody the same time the Ivies start. Cap the RS at 30.

[ticapnews]

There's nothing wrong with the scheduling of the conference tournaments, regionals, and F4. For once something is right; leave it alone.

But the season is too long, so start it later. Lop off 2 weeks and start everybody the same time the Ivies start. Cap the RS at 30.

But how would that possibly benefit the student-athletes?

[northeastern]

Re: 2 week hiatus between Regionals - Frozen Four

2 week hiatus or not.. let's see, Frozen Four went against NHL playoffs (smack dab against them), on Thurs eve/ night.. more of the same tonight.
Just speaking from local perspective, with Bruins being in the playoffs & Massachusetts in the final tonight.. these guys (NCAA) can def schedule this stuff better, ahead of time.. least of which to have the FF not go directly against the NHL playoff games, c'mon.. & twice with the finals again tonight
someone has to pay attention to this stuff.

[chickod]

Re: 2 week hiatus between Regionals - Frozen Four

Seems like a lot of momentum in enthusiasm is lost with the two week break between the Regionals and the FF. Lots of empty seats in Buffalo for the semis. Not sure if that's a reflection on a poor choice of venue for the FF or just a lack of buzz for college hockey as it extends into April's golf season.

Both. If they don't want to go "against" the Final Four, then have the games on Friday and Sunday. I just can't see moving it to this weekend (not to mention it's tax weekend and many people just don't around to it before then). Of course, now people are going to say "but that's when the Women's Final Four is played." And that's sort of the point. You're always going to be conflicting with SOMETHING. Who cares? We should "get it" by now just by watching when they cut the broadcast off. In basketball, you have those clowns on TNT pontificating for hours after the game. With hockey, it was basically "Score!!!! UMass wins in OT. So for Barry Melrose, Colby Cohen and Quint Kessenich, this is John Buccigross saying good-bye from Buffalo." NOBODY CARES.

[chickod]

Re: 2 week hiatus between Regionals - Frozen Four

But how would that possibly benefit the student-athletes?

Is that an oxymoron?

[Sean Pickett]

But the season is too long, so start it later. Lop off 2 weeks and start everybody the same time the Ivies start. Cap the RS at 30.

The NCAA currently limits the hockey season to 25 weeks and within that teams are limited to a non-NCAA tournament length of 132 consecutive days which can be in two segments and may exclude mandatory days off (which basically drops the season to 22 weeks through the league tournaments).

Sean

[Bomber]

Re: 2 week hiatus between Regionals - Frozen Four

The biggest problem with this year's schedule is that the NHL Playoffs started this weekend as well. To me, that is the biggest conflict for college hockey. Screw the bouncy ball tournament.

Switching to Friday/Sunday without the week off would be the ideal. Oh, and make that Sunday puck drop at 4pm.

[davyd83]

Seems like a lot of momentum in enthusiasm is lost with the two week break between the Regionals and the FF. Lots of empty seats in Buffalo for the semis. Not sure if that's a reflection on a poor choice of venue for the FF or just a lack of buzz for college hockey as it extends into April's golf season.

The semifinals are not the ones with the big crowds. You have a certain percentage that go to either one game or the other, but not both. A lot just aren’t willing to spend 8 hours at the rink.

[chickod]

The biggest problem with this year's schedule is that the NHL Playoffs started this weekend as well. To me, that is the biggest conflict for college hockey. Screw the bouncy ball tournament.

Switching to Friday/Sunday without the week off would be the ideal. Oh, and make that Sunday puck drop at 4pm.

+1

[Jaws]

Re: 2 week hiatus between Regionals - Frozen Four

The semifinals are not the ones with the big crowds. You have a certain percentage that go to either one game or the other, but not both. A lot just aren’t willing to spend 8 hours at the rink.

I don't know about anyone else, but if I pay good money and fly 1200 miles, I will watch both games. Still wish they hadn't jammed both semis into one long session though.

[jfromvt]

The biggest problem with this year's schedule is that the NHL Playoffs started this weekend as well. To me, that is the biggest conflict for college hockey. Screw the bouncy ball tournament.

Switching to Friday/Sunday without the week off would be the ideal. Oh, and make that Sunday puck drop at 4pm.

Then it’s a direct conflict with the Women’s Final Four, which will never happen. Still think my suggestion having the tourney over two weekends after the basketball FF, with the Frozen Four after the Masters makes the most sense.

[HockeyMan2000]

Then it’s a direct conflict with the Women’s Final Four, which will never happen. Still think my suggestion having the tourney over two weekends after the basketball FF, with the Frozen Four after the Masters makes the most sense.

Hockey should wrap up before baseball, The Masters, the final four and NHL playoffs. The longer it goes it runs right into all of them and delaying the Frozen Four even more is an awful idea. As it is, it's a winter sport that starts in fall and you want it to end even later in April? There just isn't enough of a demand for it, as evidenced by meager regional attendance and now a Frozen Four filled with thousands of empty seats