NCAA Hockey - 2023/24 **Insert Witty Tagline**

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

*Checks NMU score*

*Grabs bottle of Basil Hayden*

With that score, I'd check to make sure the Berlin Wall is still gone.

[Fighting Sioux 23]

Kudos to Augustana (for notching their program's first victory last night), Hunter Bischoff (for scoring the program's first ever goal), and Arnaud Vachon (for tallying the Vikings' first ever game winner with just under 3 to play). I'm sure there will be bigger wins and goals scored in years to come, but something special about those firsts...particularly at home.

[Jimjamesak]

Hot take but can we finally ban the whole benches on opposite sides of the rink thing? It was always pretty stupid to begin with but understandable given the age of some buildings. But with all the remodeling going on these days it’s time to bury the anachronism for good. It’s also ridiculous they allowed the new buildings to have it.

[Kepler]

Hot take but can we finally ban the whole benches on opposite sides of the rink thing? It was always pretty stupid to begin with but understandable given the age of some buildings. But with all the remodeling going on these days it’s time to bury the anachronism for good. It’s also ridiculous they allowed the new buildings to have it.

Put them behind the net.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Hot take but can we finally ban the whole benches on opposite sides of the rink thing? It was always pretty stupid to begin with but understandable given the age of some buildings. But with all the remodeling going on these days it’s time to bury the anachronism for good. It’s also ridiculous they allowed the new buildings to have it.

How may arenas have this setup? I can’t think of any offhand

[aparch]

How may arenas have this setup? I can’t think of any offhand

Michigan State, Notre Dame, Nebraska Omaha, Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Lake State, most of Hockey East...

[Jimjamesak]

How may arenas have this setup? I can’t think of any offhand

aparch listed the notable ones. I'm a bit surprised you couldn't get Michigan State and Notre Dame off the bat.

It's the new construction that really gets me. Like, I understand that Northeastern and Michigan Tech play in old buildings but Omaha and Notre Dame are pretty egregious.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Huh. Weird I never noticed that on tv.

[Scarlet]

Hot take but can we finally ban the whole benches on opposite sides of the rink thing? It was always pretty stupid to begin with but understandable given the age of some buildings. But with all the remodeling going on these days it’s time to bury the anachronism for good. It’s also ridiculous they allowed the new buildings to have it.

Why?

Also, after this weekend, I'm getting ready to plan a long trip in April since it's apparent I will no longer to keep days open to maybe possibly go to St. Paul. Siiigh.

[Deutsche Gopher Fan]

Why?

Also, after this weekend, I'm getting ready to plan a long trip in April since it's apparent I will no longer to keep days open to maybe possibly go to St. Paul. Siiigh.

Your team will be in St. Paul scarlet, I’d bet on that

[Jimjamesak]

Why?

Also, after this weekend, I'm getting ready to plan a long trip in April since it's apparent I will no longer to keep days open to maybe possibly go to St. Paul. Siiigh.

It's a built-in advantage (literally) for the home team to have their penalty box next their bench. It's a penalty box, they should be completely separated from the bench.

[Russell Jaslow]

Michigan State, Notre Dame, Nebraska Omaha, Northern Michigan, Michigan Tech, Lake State, most of Hockey East...

RIT. And that's one of the new buildings.

In D3, Oswego built a brand new building a while ago, with opposite sides also.

One advantage I can see is that it keeps the teams on opposite sides of the rink. Thus, the home team can grab extra real estate for their locker space, training rooms, lounge, meeting rooms, etc. Especially if they also have a women's team, as they can also use that extra space, and of course overall will need more space.

[Jimjamesak]

One advantage I can see is that it keeps the teams on opposite sides of the rink. Thus, the home team can grab extra real estate for their locker space, training rooms, lounge, meeting rooms, etc. Especially if they also have a women's team, as they can also use that extra space, and of course overall will need more space.

What exactly does this have to do with the placement of the benches though? I've seen this argument before and it's just silly. Locker rooms don't need to be next to the benches.

[Russell Jaslow]

What exactly does this have to do with the placement of the benches though? I've seen this argument before and it's just silly. Locker rooms don't need to be next to the benches.

That's true, now that I think about it. D'uh!

I guess I'm so familiar with the layout of the Oswego building, I just got sucked into that concept.

[WeAreNDHockey]

I think having the benches on opposite sides of the ice is ridiculous. But one of the main reasons I think it is ridiculous is I have never seen any ACTUAL benefit to it. I know the theory as to why it is assumed to be advantageous to the home team, but I just don't see the evidence via either the eye test or in any numbers. Does anyone know of any actual empirical evidence based on statistics that shows it to be an advantage?

As far as it goes, I don't see it as any different than Olympic ice versus "NHL" ice or any of the other varied sizes of the ice surface. If I had my druthers everyone would have benches on the same side, and the rinks would all be 200'X85'. The Bruins played on a surface at the old Boston Garden that was advertised as being something like 190'X83' but many said it was actually only 185' long. I don't know that playing on that odd sized surface ever really mattered to their record or playoff success, or lack thereof. Bobby Orr would have been a hall of famer playing on a rink 150'X50' or on an aircraft carrier.