The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

[uaafanblog]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Best two of three series with home-ice ad based on regular season finish until there is a tournament champion and share the revenues amongst all members.

The Butt-Hurt's league tournament will be a money loser and a new WCHA tournament wouldn't make any money either especially if it's in some Butt-Hurt team's barn.

[MavsFan]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I'm DEFINITELY against giving the tourney to one of the "like-minded teams'" arena. Why should they make money off the WCHA?

[Squarebanks]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Terrible idea if it's Duluth. For one there's the shame of letting an NCHC city make money off of us. Plus Duluth isn't a destination city. Unless you live in that part of Minnesota it's hard to get to.

This tourney location debate has been beaten to death already but if UAH is invited I think the league would be crazy to not give Nashville a look.

[Flashy Man]

Terrible idea if it's Duluth. For one there's the shame of letting an NCHC city make money off of us. Plus Duluth isn't a destination city. Unless you live in that part of Minnesota it's hard to get to.

This tourney location debate has been beaten to death already but if UAH is invited I think the league would be crazy to not give Nashville a look.

Duluth has a great number of hotels, bars, and nice restaurants within walking distance of the arena. However, there is the giant "Home of the Bulldogs" etched underneath the press box. I do wish Green Bay was still available for the long term. I would say Duluth is equal to Green Bay in terms of being a destination.

[stuckinwi]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Duluth has a great number of hotels, bars, and nice restaurants within walking distance of the arena. However, there is the giant "Home of the Bulldogs" etched underneath the press box. I do wish Green Bay was still available for the long term. I would say Duluth is equal to Green Bay in terms of being a destination.

Ferris would have a home field advantage!

[aparch]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I'd just like to point out that what warmed me (a little) to the idea of hosting in Duluth is that the Amsoil Arena is part of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center complex and not part of tUMD's campus. It isn't owned/operated by the University of Minnesota-Duluth either, but instead by the City of Duluth/Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.

As for the teams participating in the championship, it's not home ice since tUMD isn't part of your conference. And I see from some photos online that there are murals and such, but those could easily be covered by WCHA and participating team banners. tUMD's banners could also be rolled up, and it's not difficult to overlay a new center ice logo for the weekend (see: CCHA Logo at JLA).

Worst case is that the arena has one week to turn over the building from tUMD to a "neutral" facility for the WCHA. I would believe that past working relationships between the WCHA, WCHA member schools, and the DECC staff would facilitate a natural fit for the tournament.



And, wouldn't it be spectacular to poke the NCHC by hosting a sell out weekend of successful hockey in the rink of one of their members while they flounder at the Target Center while playing the same weekend as (potentially) the Gophers and the B1G Tourney at the Xcel Energy Center?

[jdmaxim23]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I personally like the idea that Duluth gets a crack at hosting the nWCHA tourney. I think it is a great middle of the road location for all the teams that would drive. I have been to enough games here to know that for regular season games MTU, BSU and MSU do travel fairly well there. I can think of alot worse places to hold it. Duluth has alot to offer visitors for a family weekend. If it sells well for attendance, then I think that you can look at upgrading to the next level arena in a bigger city. For now though, let the NCHC "aka, the Colorado hockey conference" go flounder in a big city where no one really cares they are playing cause the true big boys are playing across the river at the X. If the WCAH has to step back to a smaller arena to get a good atmosphere and the spot light, then so be it. My real concern is that the Duluth market is pretty fair weather at times, and I'm not sure what the walk up gate will be. But good promotions and getting in touch with local youth programs could help that.

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I think no matter what neutral site you pick, walk up sales/local interest may be suspect. The CHA found that out with holding their tournaments in Kearney, NE, and in Des Moines, IA. And those two arenas have very good USHL followings. Will the average hockey fans in Duluth, who is not a graduate of any of the schools involved, flock to Amsoil for the tournament? I would venture to guess no, especially if UMD is still alive in the NCHC playoffs and they are on television.

[Bale]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I would guess that no conference tournament is going to get a real great walk up crowd. These things seem to be as successful as the yearly ticket renewals. Unless the conference gains a large annual following, I don't suspect that attendance is going to be great no matter where it's held. The only solution that makes sense from a purely attendance standpoint (and yes, I realize that there are other issues with this) is to hold it at a school's home rink. Without that, I don't really see how attendance is going to really go anywhere.

[aparch]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Will the average hockey fans in Duluth, who is not a graduate of any of the schools involved, flock to Amsoil for the tournament? I would venture to guess no, especially if UMD is still alive in the NCHC playoffs and they are on television.

Hockey fans who can't (won't) make the trip to Minneapolis/St. Paul could be coaxed to attend the WCHA championship. Seeing as it's in such a central location, traveling fan bases would be more likely to make the trip. Fan buses can even be arranged by booster clubs. Only downside is potential weather, but that was true of all the fan bases at their current championship venues. As stated, Duluth feels like Green Bay in what there are for fans to do for food, quenching of thirst, and touristy events to do outside of the games. The benefit of having just 6,600 seats to fill.

The only solution that makes sense from a purely attendance standpoint (and yes, I realize that there are other issues with this) is to hold it at a school's home rink. Without that, I don't really see how attendance is going to really go anywhere.

This isn't the '80's. The WCHA will not be hosting their tournament on campus sites of the regular season champ or last season's champ. It's cost prohibitive and some of these teams are even having troubles filling their barns during the playoffs of their own teams (if you haven't seen any box scores lately). Selling a championship event to fans who won't show up for a playoff game isn't going to happen.

If the WCHA does go through with campus location for the tournament, I'll eat my hat. And for the record, I wear a hat made of delicious, crispy bacon.

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Hockey fans who can't (won't) make the trip to Minneapolis/St. Paul could be coaxed to attend the WCHA championship. Seeing as it's in such a central location, traveling fan bases would be more likely to make the trip. Fan buses can even be arranged by booster clubs. Only downside is potential weather, but that was true of all the fan bases at their current championship venues. As stated, Duluth feels like Green Bay in what there are for fans to do for food, quenching of thirst, and touristy events to do outside of the games. The benefit of having just 6,600 seats to fill.

I was just giving my opinion on what I have seen in the past as far as hoping the hockey fans who have no ties to the tournament. I do realize that the traveling fan bases are going to have to "make or break" this tournament, but I just can't see the casual or UMD hockey fan in Duluth walking up to Amsoil, especially if UMD is still in the hunt in the NCHC.

I would like a crispy bacon hat though, if you have any extras!

[gfmorris]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I think no matter what neutral site you pick, walk up sales/local interest may be suspect. The CHA found that out with holding their tournaments in Kearney, NE, and in Des Moines, IA. And those two arenas have very good USHL followings. Will the average hockey fans in Duluth, who is not a graduate of any of the schools involved, flock to Amsoil for the tournament? I would venture to guess no, especially if UMD is still alive in the NCHC playoffs and they are on television.

Since UAH/Nashville was mentioned, I'll note that there are Predators fans in Nashville, but far fewer general fans of the game. We've played Merrimack and UNO at Bridgestone the last two years and, well, it was sparsely attended.

This isn't necessarily to say that it wouldn't happen, but I don't think it'd go gangbusters.

GFM

[giwan]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Since UAH/Nashville was mentioned, I'll note that there are Predators fans in Nashville, but far fewer general fans of the game. We've played Merrimack and UNO at Bridgestone the last two years and, well, it was sparsely attended.This isn't necessarily to say that it wouldn't happen, but I don't think it'd go gangbusters.GFM

On the board it's been beaten around, NO TOURNAMENT, YES best 2 of 3 or something like that. Has anyone contacted an AD regarding it? Has anyone found a reason NOT to run a 2 of 3 style playoff?

[aygwm2]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

On the board it's been beaten around, NO TOURNAMENT, YES best 2 of 3 or something like that. Has anyone contacted an AD regarding it? Has anyone found a reason NOT to run a 2 of 3 style playoff?

Right, the NHL doesn't have a neutral site championship venue, why does it matter whether a college hockey conference has one?

If you keep the playoff games (best of 3) at the highest seeded teams home site (especially the championship round) it seems to me like you'd have good to very good attendance from your home base. Then, during the championship round, you're going to see much more of the visiting team's fan base show up for a weekend in whatever nWCHA team is hosting. [That's a competition and a motivation in and of itself: we (choose your team) are not going to let (choose a team) host the championship this year; it's going to be in our house! Let's go score some goals! Something like that! ] Plus, it will be great marketing for each respective university to show off their school, and the ADs and administration will love it.

Usually, in March, when these playoffs would happen, you're not going to see a lot of accommodation conflicts in these college towns are you?

Simply some thoughts I know have been expressed before...

[huskyfan]

Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I'd take Minneapolis or Madison over Duluth. not that I don't like Duluth. but in March. almost no chance of nice weather. and almost no shopping.