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2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

I know that attendance at conference championships in the new era is being discussed in a general thread but since each league has its own nuances I'm curious what the B1G fans are thinking after the weekend.

I was expecting a little more support in St Paul than I saw on TV. Do you think knowing that they were playing there next weekend in the NCAAs had an impact? Since this is our most passionate fan base I think there is reason for concern. JLA will have the benefit of being in range of 3 of the schools but it is coming just as the Michigan program is regressing and MSU seems to be in a state of terminal rebuilding. Plus the popularity of the respective basketball programs is not going away any time soon.

Although I used to live in Chicago I'm not up on its current arena options but I would be curious to see how we would do with an arena the size of the UIC Pavillion (forget trying to fill these 15,000+ arenas) but located in a more fan-friendly area, maybe near the old Rosemont Horizon. Are there any minor league venues in the outer suburbs?

And as long as the leagues have to play their championship on Saturday I'd say bag the Thursday night games, which are never well attended anyway. Maybe having to quality for the playoffs would add a little to the regular season.
 
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Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

I have been indifferent to conference tourneys for several years. Fun to watch and often there is a lot at stake for a few of the teams I find it hard to get worked up enough to attend. Plus I think you're right about the regionals, too. For me I'd rather spend $200 on tickets for a regional (that was all but guaranteed to contain MN for several weeks) where there is something critical on the line for MN.

I'd also add, at lest for the WCHA, I'm in the minority as many MN & WCHA fans were very passionate about the Final Five. I'm also a little "hockeyed out" by the time the FF rolled around, having spent the entire previous weekend at The X for the MN high school tourney. It also helps the WCHA did well simply due to proximity of most of the schools to St. Paul and The B1G doesn't have that luxury. Maybe someday the B1G conference tourney will grow into something similar but it will take time; and I cannot foresee any circumstance where I travel to it.
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

Slightly different topic: I'm sure many fans, including myself, would have preferred that they let the bands play during media timeouts. However, the canned music they went with was pretty good. At first. It gradually got worse and worse as the weekend went on. I was annoyed. I booed. I don't think they cared.
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

WiscDC said:
Slightly different topic: I'm sure many fans, including myself, would have preferred that they let the bands play during media timeouts. However, the canned music they went with was pretty good. At first. It gradually got worse and worse as the weekend went on. I was annoyed. I booed. I don't think they cared.
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That's awful. It's the Big Ten, there is not a bad band in the conference.

Good God, let them play.
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

Greyeagle said:
That's awful. It's the Big Ten, there is not a bad band in the conference.

Good God, let them play.
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During intermissions and stoppages that weren't TV timeouts, they let them play, and they were pretty good. We also got to hear some good stuff during pregame, except for those several minutes before the championship games in which the list of corporate sponsors went on and on and on and on and on. It was those TV timeouts that annoyed me - some commercial or Big Ten announcement that lasted no more than 30 seconds, and then either good rock music or garbage (the ratio shifted in favor of the latter as the weekend went on) for the rest of the break.

It was cool to hear what some of the other bands had in their repertoires.
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

If you thought the crowds sucked for this tournament, wait until next year for non-Michigan games. LOL
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

MGoBlueHockey said:
If you thought the crowds sucked for this tournament, wait until next year for non-Michigan games. LOL
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It'll be worse than the CCHA without UM or MSU. At least Western, Northern and Ferris brought some fans. But Ohio State didn't bring much. The CCHA dumped the Thursday games for good reason. Imagine a Thursday Penn State-Minnesota matchup. Ouch!
 
Greyeagle said:
That's awful. It's the Big Ten, there is not a bad band in the conference.

Good God, let them play.
Click to expand...

I was happy to hear OSU's band play. They are very good.

Edit: Seeming attendance is never going to get to Final Five levels, they should allow the full bands to come in.
 
state of hockey said:
I was happy to hear OSU's band play. They are very good.

Edit: Seeming attendance is never going to get to Final Five levels, they should allow the full bands to come in.
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Considering many of the schools will also be playing in the bouncyball tournament the same weekend, I think that the limited bands will remain.
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

davyd83 said:
It'll be worse than the CCHA without UM or MSU. At least Western, Northern and Ferris brought some fans. But Ohio State didn't bring much. The CCHA dumped the Thursday games for good reason. Imagine a Thursday Penn State-Minnesota matchup. Ouch!
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Ohio State's fan base will no doubt be growing with Rohlik at the helm. I didn't go to the tournament and I'm one of the few who was there for our first season back in '63. It would have been very far and expensive.
I'll be in Detroit next year for it but how many Minnesota and Wisconsin fans will come that far I wonder?
 
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Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

Hockeybuckeye said:
Ohio State's fan base will no doubt be growing with Rohlik at the helm. I didn't go to the tournament and I'm one of the few who was there for our first season back in '63. It would have bee very far and expensive.
I'll be in Detroit next year for it but how many Minnesota and Wisconsin fans will come that far I wonder?
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As for most if not all the MN fans that were at the tailgate/games this weekend: not many to none. No one has the interest nor the desire to spend the money/time to do that trip. And I like to think that we have a decent pulse of the average fan.
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

Since I kept track, these are the 36 teams' jerseys seen at BTHC tourney:

Wisconsin
Minnesota
Penn State
Dubuque Fighting Saints
Philadelphia Flyers

NJ Devils
Edmonton Oilers
RPI Engineers
Charlestown Chiefs
CCCP

Minnesota Wild
Michigan
USA
Finland
St Louis Blues

Aberdeen Wings (NAHL)
Canisius College
Detroit Red Wings
Syracuse Bulldogs (Slap Shot - an Ogie Ogilthorpe!)
Houston Aeros (AHL)

North Dakota
Minnesota Fighting Saints
Montreal Canadiens (Roy)
Minnesota North Stars
Chicago Blackhawks

Ohio State
Michigan State
UMD
Rochester Americans (I think)
Buffalo Sabres

Maine Black Bears
Two Harbors (HS)
St Cloud State
Notre Dame
Boston Bruins

New York Islanders

There was 1 or 2 more that I couldn't make out from across the arena.
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

I saw someone in a #18 Barnes Waterloo Blackhawks jersey on Saturday.

And don't forget the white "B1G" jerseys!
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

I know I am new here but here just some of my thinking as a fan that went to the wcha playoffs the first year they did it at the civic center and had kept my tickets all the years of it. Its going to take time to grow. And all fan bases the teams need to show up better even the MN fans. Yes I am a gopher fan saying that we didn't support our team and we had no reason not to be there. Michigan fans I thought I would see a lot more of you I everyone tells me how great the fans are at Yost makes me wonder is it just the students? But great to hear your band in person. Michigan State I must say I was shocked at how many of you showed up it was nice and a good band to but you only were there for you game just like Michigan. Penn State where was your band? Not like your basketball team was playing. And for a second year team be proud of your season and was great to see a few fans. Ohio State had a nice group as well for a up and coming team good band but please stop playing the same song over and over. Wisconsin had a great group to but nothing like the crowds Wisconsin would bring in the 90's. I remember the civic center being 50/50 Wisconsin MN fans when the playoffs first started. Honestly what was missing this weekend? The fans in green that's about it oh and the ****ed off gopher fans that the WCHA is no more. I do think St Paul will draw better then Detroit. I also think some fan bases need to get over the I hate the big ten BS. Its here and its not going away. The final five was the final five because you lived the conference. You hated everyone but your team. That will come with the big ten in time. But holding on to your dreams of the old WCHA or CCHA will not make it happen. To my fellow gopher fans with the Big mistake sign grow up. If you think its such a mistake why did you buy tickets and give the big ten your money? Must have been better hockey then the NCHA because I sure saw NCHA fans at our games. I think if you hate what happened so much don't show up because with you there it will not have a chance to grow. You need to picture what the conference could be. And help it grow not bring it down. Face it everyone the conference is here and we need to all support it as fans of all the teams if we want to even get close to what the Final Five was.
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

Hockeybuckeye said:
I'm one of the few who was there for our first season back in '63.
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Wait a second....did you see that first meeting against Michigan?

Talk about a back and forth game...:p

But seriously, if you were there, even though you didn't like the outcome, you witnessed history. That number of goals will never be approached.
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

Hockeybuckeye said:
I didn't go to the tournament and I'm one of the few who was there for our first season back in '63. It would have been very far and expensive.
I'll be in Detroit next year for it but how many Minnesota and Wisconsin fans will come that far I wonder?
Click to expand...

I think I posted this before on one of your threads- but I started playing hockey in fall of '73, at French Field House. Not that I can remember any of they actual players, but my parents remind me which OSU players were our coaches. Even got Woody Hayes' autograph at a hockey game. Can't remember who OSU was playing at the time, though- way too young. Even had a summer hockey school there. Way back in the early days of CAHA.

Still don't like OSU, but I was rooting for you.
 
Re: 2014 Inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament 3/20 - 3/22

Tiggsy said:
Are you sure about that? Loud does not equal good... I'm just saying.
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?? Which one is just loud? I think they are all really good. Heck, OSU should have saketed a pre game script Ohio Saturday night.
 
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