For ECAC Fans: Where Should Our Tournament Be Held?

[FireKnight]

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

Plus, there's rarely the conflict of interest of Q-Pac actually making the final weekend on its home ice!
(Seriously though, if we're going to do it in league rinks, just do it in the best rink in the league, Lynah, or one of the 4000+ rinks that isn't Dartmouth as long as it doesn't have a team in the Final Four that year (a.k.a Q-PAC, HFH, or in the rare situation of Cornell not making championship weekend, Lynah, putting it at Thompson if all three of those would be a conflict of interest))

First, Lynah is NOT the best rink in the league. I've been to them all except Bright. They have, HANDS DOWN, the best hockey atmosphere in the east but that doesn't make it the best rink. Actually, it has some of the worst sight lines, behind on HFH in that category. If you want to have the championships at a league arena that can actually handle 4 teams, press contingents, etc., you would have to pick the TD Center, HFH, Thompson, or Cheel. Cheel doesn't seat enough and is way too far out of the way. HFH is central but it's a dump, even with its recent renovations. Thompson is old and kind of out of the way; if you're going to go to Manchester, why not grab the AHL rink there. The TD Center would be the only logical choice but I believe it would be way too small.

[Jasma]

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

Absolutely correct on all counts, RC. As someone who attended every tournament game in Albany, it would have been interesting to see how many RPI fans would have been there if they had made it.

Anyway, a lot of discussion has to start with which teams make it to the final four (sorry NCAA). IMHO, this is how I would rank how many fans travel to any site regardless of where it is played:
Top 4
Cornell, Clarkson, RPI, Harvard
Middle 4
Colgate, Yale, Dartmouth, St. Lawrence
Bottom 4
Union, Quinnipiac, Princeton, Brown

Get those top 4 teams in any tourney finals, and no discussion would be needed...

Lots of good points in both these posts. Harvard, however does not draw well anywhere. Yale has had better crowds in recent seasons. It is still a Big Three and everyone else as far as fans.

[Jasma]

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

You obviously weren't at any Union games this year, because we consistently had 2000 fans at each game. Maybe a few less than that here & there, but it was usually around that number.

Nevertheless, they may have sold 3462 tickets for this weekend, but that's a generous number. I doubt that many fans were there, even with Cornell's showing.

Consistently had 2,000 fans? Maybe, but that is nothing to be proud of, especially for a team ranked in the top ten most of the last 2 seasons and atop the ECAC both years. There are only 3 ECAC teams that can consistenly draw above 3,000 fans at home and travel with more than 1,000 fans. The league needs RPI, Clarkson and Cornell to be good most years. Cornell has been holding up its part of the bargain, RPI and Clarkson have not been good enough often enough the past 10 years.

[Jasma]

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

Sure:

1.) Get carjacked
2.) Mugged
3.) Victim of a home invasion (if you rent a house for the weekend)

Sounds good to me.

Lowell is NOT a suburb of Boston. Braintree, Newton and Winthrop are suburbs of Boston. Lowell is a totally separate old Mill city about 30 minutes outside Boston. It is in the heart of HE terriority and too far from most ECAC schools; as is Porland, ME.

Other cities mentioned that doen't make sense - Hartford, Springfield, Bridgeport - though fairly centrally located, no college hockey following or tradition. Syracuse, interesting thought. Albany, GF - great options. LP, nice atmosphere but large ice surface and too far off the beaten path.

[Eph72]

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

ECAC gets most of their revenue and attendance from the 1st & QFinal Rounds on campus. The atmosphere is very good. Time for the ECAC to start thinking about campus sites. I would suggest Quinnipiac.

• Over 4,000 seats, plus standing room
• Another 200 excellent seats and dining in the University Club
• HD-TV WOULD happen for semis and finals
• pretty centric to ECAC
• excellent atmosphere
• expenses would be minimal
• Over 2500 FREE parking spaces
• Many hotels in nearby New Haven

Time to start looking at full seats , not empty ones. Also time to start thinking "outside the box" and have good atmosphere, lots of TV and lots of revenue!!

All great points...I think there is alot of merit to considering Q as a solution. One small quibble, though, isn't seating capacity more like 3200 or 3300, not 4000? To me, less than 4000 isn't a big problem and might even lead to...sellouts! How great would that be...

[Eph72]

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

...

Other cities mentioned that doen't make sense - Hartford, Springfield, Bridgeport - though fairly centrally located, no college hockey following or tradition.

I would quibble with your reaction to Bridgeport as far as college hockey interest is concerned...Both Yale and Quinnipiac (not to mention Sacred Heart) are less than a half hour away. Yale and Quinnipiac regularly sell out, which is not the norm these days around the ECAC...

[FlagDUDE08]

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

First, Lynah is NOT the best rink in the league. I've been to them all except Bright. They have, HANDS DOWN, the best hockey atmosphere in the east but that doesn't make it the best rink. Actually, it has some of the worst sight lines, behind on HFH in that category. If you want to have the championships at a league arena that can actually handle 4 teams, press contingents, etc., you would have to pick the TD Center, HFH, Thompson, or Cheel. Cheel doesn't seat enough and is way too far out of the way. HFH is central but it's a dump, even with its recent renovations. Thompson is old and kind of out of the way; if you're going to go to Manchester, why not grab the AHL rink there. The TD Center would be the only logical choice but I believe it would be way too small.

Aww, someone's offended we put him behind the pole because we don't want to have to look at him during the game...

Have it in a location with a video board. Hmm, leaves two options...

[ZYanksRule]

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

All great points...I think there is alot of merit to considering Q as a solution. One small quibble, though, isn't seating capacity more like 3200 or 3300, not 4000? To me, less than 4000 isn't a big problem and might even lead to...sellouts! How great would that be...

They've packed 4,500 into the building for the biggest games, but there are many standing rooms. I wonder if 4,500 is the limit, or if they could get even closer to 5,000 with standing room. I believe there are somewhere around 3,500 seats in the actual seating bowl.

[redhead18]

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

All great points...I think there is alot of merit to considering Q as a solution. One small quibble, though, isn't seating capacity more like 3200 or 3300, not 4000? To me, less than 4000 isn't a big problem and might even lead to...sellouts! How great would that be...

This is why I think Glens Falls could be a great location, if the NYS high school basketball tournament left. The place was built for hockey and holds just under 5000, which could also lead to possible sellouts. The seating is fantastic, if your sitting in the back row, it still feels like your ontop of the ice.

Heres what the place looks like if youve never been inside.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaPVi3JiCK4

[sshablak]

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

Glens Falls looks great ! Is it available ?

[redhead18]

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

Glens Falls looks great ! Is it available ?

Nope. The NYS high school basketball tournament is held there on the same weekend. I guess the Carrier Dome is interested in hosting the high school basketball event, so it could become available for the 2013-14 season.

[LynahFan]

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

They've packed 4,500 into the building for the biggest games, but there are many standing rooms. I wonder if 4,500 is the limit, or if they could get even closer to 5,000 with standing room. I believe there are somewhere around 3,500 seats in the actual seating bowl.

Standing room is one thing for one game, but even I wouldn't really want to stand through two full games with potentially 20-minute overtimes. And then do it again the next day...

[FlagDUDE08]

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

Standing room is one thing for one game, but even I wouldn't really want to stand through two full games with potentially 20-minute overtimes. And then do it again the next day...

That's what the railing is for.

[FireKnight]

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

Aww, someone's offended we put him behind the pole because we don't want to have to look at him during the game...

Have it in a location with a video board. Hmm, leaves two options...

Behind the pole and on the corner. I literally couldn't see the entire north end goal. I guess that's partially our fault though, since RPI had to hire a Clarkson engineer to design the HFH. But seriously, irrespective of the dumb poles, the place is a complete and utter dump. I'm not even sure it could handle the press/media contingent for 4 schools. It looks like they have to expand the press area every time Clarkson is in town. I do, however, like the new suite where section 1 used to be.

[Eph72]

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

...I'm not even sure it could handle the press/media contingent for 4 schools. It looks like they have to expand the press area every time Clarkson is in town. I do, however, like the new suite where section 1 used to be.

Another good thing about Q is that they have about 10 locker rooms (combined basketball/hockey) and (I believe) the press/media facilities are state of the art (or should be!).