Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

[blockski]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

While I understand that those fans traveling to St. Paul run the risk of only seeing one game, that risk is already there in the old format for fans of the play-in teams. Are you suggesting that if your team was in the play-in game you wouldn't come because you weren't assured at least two games? That seems like a bandwagon argument to me. Support your team or don't, you shouldn't need incentives to make the trip.

The third place game is often meaningless, and as already pointed out it is rarely well-attended. I would also point out that if a team wins the play-in game but loses the semi-final, they have to play a third game with little to no value to them other than a possible PWR bump. If they are already in the tournament, I would bet most coaches would rather have the night off than risk fatigue and injury a week before the NCAAs, even if it does mean a better seed.

The new format is the same for the WCHA, they get 5 games worth of revenue. Plus, by expanding the number of fan bases involved, it is hopefully going to increase attendance. The drive from Nebraska-Omaha would suck, but for the first couple of years many of their fans may make the drive just to see the Final Five in person.

The new format trades a Saturday day game for a Thursday day game. Combine that with the lost guarantee that 4 of 5 teams will see at least two games, and it will have an effect on traveling fans - the question is how much of an effect.

[The Rube]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

What are you trying to say? Ferris State didn't make the tournament this year because they lost twice, Duluth fell out of the top 14 because they lost to UND. There have been a few times where losing in the WCHA Final Five twice cost a team a spot.

Sorry, meant 3rd place game only.

[bigblue_dl]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

The new format trades a Saturday day game for a Thursday day game. Combine that with the lost guarantee that 4 of 5 teams will see at least two games, and it will have an effect on traveling fans - the question is how much of an effect.

Nobody travels from Colorado anyway. I don't think it will have an effect if UAA somehow makes it back. You couldn't get less Badger fans than showed up this year. Tech fans will show up because they're Tech fans and getting to the Final 5 is about a twice in a lifetime event. Bemidji, Duluth, St. Cloud, Mankato and North Dakota fans will show up the same no matter what. UNO is a complete wildcard.

I don't expect this to affect attendance very much, especially at first.

[The Rube]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

Nobody travels from Colorado anyway. I don't think it will have an effect if UAA somehow makes it back. You couldn't get less Badger fans than showed up this year. Tech fans will show up because they're Tech fans and getting to the Final 5 is about a twice in a lifetime event. Bemidji, Duluth, St. Cloud, Mankato and North Dakota fans will show up the same no matter what. UNO is a complete wildcard.

I don't expect this to affect attendance very much, especially at first.

If anything, I think it will boost attendance. Most people I know that travel get here on Wednesday, so they can relax a little before the Thursday night game. Now there's a Thursday afternoon game, and Saturday afternoon remains "open" for them like usual.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

Sorry, meant 3rd place game only.

2010: Ferris State for a start...too busy at work to accomplish much more on this today.

[aparch]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

2010: Ferris State for a start...too busy at work to accomplish much more on this today.

2008: Notre Dame losing to NMU gave them an NCAA berth. W/L would have, tie would have eliminated them from the NCAA's.

Not quite as busy at work, but I wouldn't know where to start in trying to calculate out PWR for prior years. I had a hard enough time trying to find a few years worth of past PWR information from Archive.org.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

2008: Notre Dame losing to NMU gave them an NCAA berth. W/L would have, tie would have eliminated them from the NCAA's.

Not quite as busy at work, but I wouldn't know where to start in trying to calculate out PWR for prior years. I had a hard enough time trying to find a few years worth of past PWR information from Archive.org.

http://www.slack.net/~whelan/tbrw/2008/
change the year and click on do-it yourself calculator

[state of hockey]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

I love the current format. But, this one is the only good option with a six team field. Obviously you can't have play-in games on different days, same with semis.

The best way to keep it five games/five teams is to just eliminate 11 and 12 from first round series. They won't do it though. Gets rid of the possibility of anyone being able to get a championship, and they want the $$$ from an added playoff series.

The latter is the bigger reason, of course.

[GOPHER FREAK]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

I love the current format. But, this one is the only good option with a six team field. Obviously you can't have play-in games on different days, same with semis.

The best way to keep it five games/five teams is to just eliminate 11 and 12 from first round series. They won't do it though. Gets rid of the possibility of anyone being able to get a championship, and they want the $$$ from an added playoff series.

The latter is the bigger reason, of course.

I'm not huge on the new format but I can live with it if Friday remains two sessions. If they do a 4/7pm on session on Friday it will ruin it. Half the fun of the final five is between games bar time in my opinion. The Wild game is a bad idea. No WCHA fans are going to be able to get tickets and they would have to start no later than 1pm to avoid a mess downtown.

[Runninwiththedogs]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

I'm not huge on the new format but I can live with it if Friday remains two sessions. If they do a 4/7pm on session on Friday it will ruin it. Half the fun of the final five is between games bar time in my opinion. The Wild game is a bad idea. No WCHA fans are going to be able to get tickets and they would have to start no later than 1pm to avoid a mess downtown.

I agree the Wild game is stupid. Some WCHA fans would get tickets, but we'd probably have at least 1.5x the amount of fans down there we normally would, and it would be a total cluster****. I hope that gets past the censors! *edit* It did not. Stupid.

I think the whole thing is stupid, of course.

[RedFreak]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

I agree the Wild game is stupid. Some WCHA fans would get tickets, but we'd probably have at least 1.5x the amount of fans down there we normally would, and it would be a total cluster****. I hope that gets past the censors! *edit* It did not. Stupid.

I think the whole thing is stupid, of course.

Yeah, the more I think about it, the more moronic the Wild game idea becomes. We stay at a hotel one block away, so it's no biggy, but if your driving downtown and you want to park, the spots will be taken. If there's enough time separation, maybe you can get a parking spot close to the evening start time, but if you want to come down 3 - 4 hours early and spend some money at the local establishments, where are you going to park?

If there's only the championship game on Saturday, they should hold it in the afternoon. Then we can drive home afterwards rather than needing a room.

[state of hockey]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

If there's only the championship game on Saturday, they should hold it in the afternoon. Then we can drive home afterwards rather than needing a room.

Too much of a disadvantage to the Friday night semifinal.

[Dirty]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

Too much of a disadvantage to the Friday night semifinal.

Oh no! The Gophers might have to deal with the same thing every other team had to deal with when it came to the play-in game/Thursday Afternoon semifinal! Scrap that plan immediately!

[state of hockey]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

Oh no! The Gophers might have to deal with the same thing every other team had to deal with when it came to the play-in game/Thursday Afternoon semifinal! Scrap that plan immediately!

That has never been the case for any team going into the championship game, though. Nice try.

[Dirty]

Re: Format for 2011 WCHA final Five

That has never been the case for any team going into the championship game, though. Nice try.

Who cares if it's the championship game or not, the point still stands.