2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

[bigmrg74]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

I think a regional in Ontario would really be a good idea, there are a number of OHL arena's that seat around 10,000 or just under and would expose canadian kids to NCAA hockey, although i'm not sure how much the CHL would appreciate that. But you place the Midwest Regional just across the border in Windsor or London or even SArnia and it would be the most profitable regionals by far. Specially if there are some local kids playing in it that decided to go the NCAA route. I think it would be good for the NCAA to think outside the box like this but we all know that is not something the NCAA is very good at. just gotta look at NCAA football for your answer...

Hamilton wouldn't be that bad of a pick either for a regional either. And, if the NCAA really clamps down on no home arena's, North Dakota could probably host one in Winnipeg, but thats bit of a stretch I think.

You certainly could give them out at birth - adding a $100 government fee to the birth process, however, once children turn 10, what percentage of them would expire and not be renewed? 50% 75% Higher? You're still asking for $100 (every ten years) from every 10 year old in America for something that they may never use in their entire life! Now, it may make sense in Europe, where countries are the size of states (and sometimes smaller), but in this country, you can, in some cases, travel thousands of miles and never need a passport. What's the motivation to get one if you don't need it?


Conseco Fieldhouse holds 14,400 for hockey, and the AT&T Center holds 13,400 - neither are gonna happen...

Not too big for a regional for those, and there's always Lucas Oil in Indy too. *ducks!*

 

[UHall6]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

You certainly could give them out at birth - adding a $100 government fee to the birth process

The ACLU and/or the Democratic Party would kill that in a second because it smells like a mandatory national ID card.

 

[Puck Swami]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

With respect to a regional or FF being held in Canada, from the US State Department website:

Anyone with a criminal record (including misdemeanors or Driving While Impaired (DWI) charges) may be barred from entering Canada and must obtain a special waiver well in advance of any planned travel.

I don't think the NCAA would want to take a chance a player could get barred from traveling with his team. Or they could try to clear every player in the NCAA months ahead of the tournament.

The NCAA already allows a D-I college bowl game in Toronto, so I don't think hockey players would be an issue...

http://www.internationalbowl.org/

 

[UHall6]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

The NCAA already allows a D-I college bowl game in Toronto, so I don't think hockey players would be an issue...

http://www.internationalbowl.org/

True, but the International Bowl has no impact on deciding a National Championship. I doubt Canada would bar someone with a misdemeanor from playing in a tournament but if there is even the possibility I wonder if the NCAA would take the chance when there are plenty of options in the US.

 

[CHFAN222]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

True, but the International Bowl has no impact on deciding a National Championship. I doubt Canada would bar someone with a misdemeanor from playing in a tournament but if there is even the possibility I wonder if the NCAA would take the chance when there are plenty of options in the US.

I don't think they would deny anyone entry. Canada has hosted NFL games and has franchises in the NHL, NBA, and MLB. I can't think of anytime a player was denied entry. If anything Canada would not make such a stupid move and jeopardize chances at hosting future events.

 

[ScottK]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

I don't think they would deny anyone entry. Canada has hosted NFL games and has franchises in the NHL, NBA, and MLB. I can't think of anytime a player was denied entry. If anything Canada would not make such a stupid move and jeopardize chances at hosting future events.

Bob Probert wasn't allowed to travel into Canada with the Wings for a year or two in the early 90s after his cocaine bust.

 

[Larch]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

Bob Probert wasn't allowed to travel into Canada with the Wings for a year or two in the early 90s after his cocaine bust.

They don't even allow their own in?

 

[BoomGoestheDynamite]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

Quebec City should be a non-starter. The Colisee Pepsi is a hole, the population is predominantly (like 98 percent) francophone (and unlike Montreal there isn't a large bilingual population or any kind of anglophone media), and its a much further trip for fans than several other Canadian cities and much less accessible by air.

 

[UHall6]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

I don't think they would deny anyone entry. Canada has hosted NFL games and has franchises in the NHL, NBA, and MLB. I can't think of anytime a player was denied entry. If anything Canada would not make such a stupid move and jeopardize chances at hosting future events.

A professional athlete would have his or her travel schedule months in advance and if they did have a criminal record they would have plenty of time to apply for the waiver. There is less than a week between the end of college hockey league tournaments and the start of the NCAA tournament regionals or two weeks between regionals and the Frozen Four. And visiting athletes have to pay income tax on the prorated portion of their salary earned while playing in Canada so there is plenty of incentive to let them in.

 

[dggoddard]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

Anyone with a criminal record (including misdemeanors or Driving While Impaired (DWI) charges) may be barred from entering Canada and must obtain a special waiver well in advance of any planned travel..

That rules out Clarkson & North Dakota making the Frozen Four.

 

[Ralph Baer]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

That rules out Clarkson & North Dakota making the Frozen Four.

I was waiting for that or something similiar with a couple of other teams.

 

[beyou78]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

In looking at sites I like the tie in to baseball. Detroit tigers opening game in 2010 will be on friday the 9th. The makes for a great weekend.

 

[midwesterner]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

Canada...no way, no chance...wont happen! Logistics big issue and I don't think Canadians are as crazy about college hockey as we are in the US, even though about 1/2 the players come from there, I get that. Been to Toronto a bunch and they are all about the NHL...personally don't like that idea and think it should stay state side.

I'm all for "the burgh", Chi-town, and Dallas. Been to all cities and all are a great time.

 

[moose97]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

In looking at sites I like the tie in to baseball. Detroit tigers opening game in 2010 will be on friday the 9th. The makes for a great weekend.

I agree with this 1000%. I ended up somewhat disapointed that the Nat's weren't at home this past FF (even though they stink).* I don't know if that's something the DC Sports Commission, who co-hosted along with Navy, could have worked with the Nationals and MLB on ensuring home games that weekend.

* I'll also note that it wasn't a huge deal, as I had another trip to DC scheduled, and saw Nationals Park in July, but if I hadn't, I'd have been pretty ticked (I've been to 25 current and former MLB ballparks, and am trying to get to all of them, so that would have been disapointing).

 

[JHG722]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

Outside of Philly, NYC, D.C., and Baltimore, Pittsburgh is the next most convenient city to me. Sounds great to me

 

[bigmrg74]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

A professional athlete would have his or her travel schedule months in advance and if they did have a criminal record they would have plenty of time to apply for the waiver. There is less than a week between the end of college hockey league tournaments and the start of the NCAA tournament regionals or two weeks between regionals and the Frozen Four. And visiting athletes have to pay income tax on the prorated portion of their salary earned while playing in Canada so there is plenty of incentive to let them in.

Ummm... so why would a college player need to pay taxes to Canada on income they would have earned via playing in a Frozen Four??

 

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

Is Dallas an actual bid, or are people just speculating?

I'd rather see it in Houston, myself. I wouldn't call either city a great tourist city, but I think there's more to do in Houston. Early April is a good time to be there, it should be close to the peak of wildflower season. (For the cracks about playing in 90 degree weather, in Houston in early April, the high temps should be in the 70 to 80 degree range. It's a great time of year. I don't think Dallas is much warmer.)

(Of course, Austin and San Antonio would be better still, but San Antonio only really has the Alamodome as a suitable facility as their smaller arena is dimensioned for basketball. Austin has some sort of arena where the Ice Bats play, but I don't know where it is or how big it is.)

San Antonio put in a bid during the last round with UTSA hosting. Having watched hockey there, it would be much like Columbus...and San Antonio would be a lot more fun. I'd love to see a group of college hockey fans at a place like Dick's Last Resort on the Riverwalk where the staff is supposed to be rude, the customers are supposed to give it right back...and obscenity is encouraged.

Conseco Fieldhouse holds 14,400 for hockey, and the AT&T Center holds 13,400 - neither are gonna happen...

The AT&T's seating for hockey does not include the entire top level (plus, some on one of the ends as well). I would imagine those seats would be available for the Frozen Four.

 

[Badger Abroad]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

You certainly could give them out at birth - adding a $100 government fee to the birth process, however, once children turn 10, what percentage of them would expire and not be renewed? 50% 75% Higher? You're still asking for $100 (repeted every ten years for the rest of their life) from every 10 year old in America for something that they may never use in their entire life! Now, it may make sense in Europe, where countries are the size of states (and sometimes smaller), but in this country, you can, in some cases, travel thousands of miles and never need a passport. What's the motivation to get one if you don't need it?


Conseco Fieldhouse holds 14,400 for hockey, and the AT&T Center holds 13,400 - neither are gonna happen...

U.S. passports for minors are only good for 5 years, I am not sure about how much the fee was for my son's, but I think it may have been cheaper than for an adult passport. EU citizens do not need passports (just a national ID card) to travel within the EU and some bordering countries (Croatia is the only non-EU country I am sure of).

 

[slurpees]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

San Antonio put in a bid during the last round with UTSA hosting. Having watched hockey there, it would be much like Columbus...and San Antonio would be a lot more fun. I'd love to see a group of college hockey fans at a place like Dick's Last Resort on the Riverwalk where the staff is supposed to be rude, the customers are supposed to give it right back...and obscenity is encouraged.

The AT&T's seating for hockey does not include the entire top level (plus, some on one of the ends as well). I would imagine those seats would be available for the Frozen Four.

I was at the Final Four in San Antonio and I must say they did a spectacular job of hosting and the city is absolutely awesome - hockey fans would have a ball on the Riverwalk. You really can spend a whole weekend there and not see/go to every place along the way. The only problem is the arena setup is much like the US Airways Center in Phoenix with the cut-off end seating:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/148/437692160_7724abee48.jpg

There is the possibility they put it in the Alamodome and set it up as they did for basketball at the end of the field so no one would be that far away. I can't emphasize enough how much fun San Antonio would be. Though travel would be an issue - it's not driveable for anyone really and it's surprisingly more difficult than one would think to get a direct flight.

 

[blockski]

Re: 2013, '14, '15 Frozen Four Sites

The AT&T's seating for hockey does not include the entire top level (plus, some on one of the ends as well). I would imagine those seats would be available for the Frozen Four.

The reason those seats are not available is because they're obstructed view - it's the same basic configuration as the New Orleans arena.

San Antonio's only realistic shot to get at the seating threshold is to hold the game in the Alamodome.

Here's the ATT Center for hockey:

All arenas these days can at least accommodate a 200 x 85 surface, as that's the standard for rock concerts, etc. But the ones built with basketball in mind first do not feel the need to have all the seats getting good views of the ice, since rarely would hockey tenants get that kind of attendance.

Hence, those arenas are non-starters.

Not. Going. To. Happen.