2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

[MavHockey14]

Not against the team, against their insufferable fans who think they are blue bloods.

They’re well on their way to becoming a blue blood, are they not?

Some of the arrogance the fan base has shown sucks, but when you’re consistently winning in March and April, three straight title games, guys playing in the World Juniors and NHL regularly, I’d say you’re well on your way to becoming a blue blood.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

And this is what I never understood. If you lower the price by 25% and get 25% more people, you come out ahead, because you can't leave the building so the concessions sales increase dramatically. Unless they don't get much of the concessions revenue???

It’s been almost 15 years since the last time this event flirted with 10% empty/unsold seats, so I doubt that anyone’s had to consider this for a loooong time.

I’m sure their strategy is to keep increasing prices until something like this happens. What will be curious is to see how pricing is changed for Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Boston with this in mind.

 

[chickod]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

I would’ve agreed with you until I started coaching — I’d much rather have a 2 goal cushion than a 1 goal cushion.

Well it depends on what level you're coaching at. Young kids are fearless. I guess my point was UMass got so "cautious" that they stopped playing. I think they would have kept the foot on the gas with only a one-goal lead. The other factor was that they were totally gassed after the 2nd period. It's almost as if scoring all those goals in succession (and I think they forgot they had a 2-man advantage twice) made them all full of themselves that this was going to be easy. They just seemed to be waiting for the clock to run down after that. And I have seen that with them all year. They play in spurts, which is NOT what you want to do in these games. Teams have pride and they are not going to quit. Hopefully UMass learned a lesson last night.

 

[MavHockey14]

Buffalo might be a great "host" but as a neutral, I had no plans of ever making a trip out of it. If we're talking Nashville, Vegas...that gets my wife interested and I am more likely to make a trip out of it. With the closest team still being a 6 hour drive, that obviously didn't help either.

I’m not hopping on a $500-$600 flight, $300 ticket, etc. to go to Buffalo without my team there — totally with you though; I’d be there if it were Vegas, Nashville, Tampa, etc.

 

[MavHockey14]

Well it depends on what level you're coaching at. Young kids are fearless. I guess my point was UMass got so "cautious" that they stopped playing. I think they would have kept the foot on the gas with only a one-goal lead. The other factor was that they were totally gassed after the 2nd period. It's almost as if scoring all those goals in succession (and I think they forgot they had a 2-man advantage twice) made them all full of themselves that this was going to be easy. They just seemed to be waiting for the clock to run down after that. And I have seen that with them all year. They play in spurts, which is NOT what you want to do in these games. Teams have pride and they are not going to quit. Hopefully UMass learned a lesson last night.

I’ve coached High School hockey for the last 7 years. I get the sentiment, but part of it is on the coaching staff to make sure the players don’t get off their game plan and let off the gas. Preparing them for situations like that throughout the season, etc. that wasn’t the first time UMASS has had a 2 goal lead.

Momentum can swing drastically and turn a 2 goal lead into a tie real quick, but I’m always taking the 2 goal lead over the 1 goal lead.

 

[zman09]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

It isn’t a Buffalo problem. It is a lack of foresight with ncaa hockey.

You got that right. I don't have a dog in this fight but was going to take my son to the semis. Like thousands of other Western New Yorkers, we love hockey and would be happy to attend. When I looked last week, the NCAA was pointing me towards the 300 Level nosebleeds at $120/each. That's a No Way before parking and food are even considered. I didn't even look again after that. I know a bunch of locals who were thinking about going but didn't want to pony up more money than a Leafs/Sabres game for teams they know nothing about. Much like the World Juniors (Buffalo 2018), the NCAA and IIHF are so greedy and completely overestimated the price point for tickets. I assume they think because Buffalo has rabid hockey fans along with easy access for thousands of Southern Ontario folks...that people would be willing to pay just about anything. Those days are over. Watching the games on a big HD TV can be just fine. If it's reasonable (like $50 per ticket max) people would come out and it would be a full building and better atmosphere. I watched some of the Regionals, and even those small arenas seemed rather empty (except when a home team is playing at home). With Denver and Duluth so far away, how many of those people would realistically make the trip East? Back when i attended in 2003 in BUF, it was packed with Cornell and UNH fans...and Michigan/Minnesota brought a huge amount. Thomas Vanek was a Sabres draft pick so locals were very interested in that angle as well.

Anyway- that's my ten cents.. Thanks NCAA for embarrassing the city of Buffalo by having swaths of empty prime seats and literally freezing out the locals with high prices. This is NOT on Buffalo (and Canisius & Niagara Univ.), who are putting on a first class event. Good Luck to UMASS and UMD. Hopefully it's a great finals and maybe a whole bunch of UMASS fans make the 6 hour drive over to Key bank Arena and fill up the place.

I had to re-register to post. It's been a while since my last post and the site blew out my username i guess.

 

[UMD21]

I hadn’t paid attention to this part, but how bad were they again? Compared to other years?

It’s Buffalo. The availability of flights. The weather. They set the attendance record with UMD-DU in Chicago two years ago. Neither huge fanbases or that long ago.
I didn’t have a problem getting last minute flights to Chicago or MSP but even looking at Buffalo or other airports Det/Pit/Cle/Toronto and driving flights are still $700-900 on average. Not an easy place to get to

 

[Thiessen'sBetter]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

I also don't get why they choose to go up against NHL playoff hockey. I gotta imagine some PC and UMASS fans who are also Bruins fans stayed home with two monitors or were flipping back and forth rather than make the trip and pay a bunch of money to watch in-person and miss their NHL team's playoff game. Same goes with Denver fans with the Avs.

If the basketball Final Four and championship is the weekend before on Saturday/Monday why not do the Frozen Four and championship on Friday/Sunday of the same weekend? Instead they schedule the Frozen Four during some of the best few days in the NHL calendar.

 

[PrezdeJohnson09]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

I also don't get why they choose to go up against NHL playoff hockey. I gotta imagine some PC and UMASS fans who are also Bruins fans stayed home with two monitors or were flipping back and forth rather than make the trip and pay a bunch of money to watch in-person and miss their NHL team's playoff game. Same goes with Denver fans with the Avs.

If the basketball Final Four and championship is the weekend before on Saturday/Monday why not do the Frozen Four and championship on Friday/Sunday of the same weekend? Instead they schedule the Frozen Four during some of the best few days in the NHL calendar.

Here's another question...what would have happened if the Sabres were in line to host the first two games of a first round playoff series this year? I can't imagine they are going to be playing NHL playoff games in the same rink from Wednesday to Saturday with this event going on?

 

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Here's another question...what would have happened if the Sabres were in line to host the first two games of a first round playoff series this year? I can't imagine they are going to be playing NHL playoff games in the same rink from Wednesday to Saturday with this event going on?

Happened in 2004 in Boston with the Bruins hosting MTL in the first round. The NHL is forced to schedule around it as best they can.

Jeremy Jacobs told the NCAA they would NOT be painting over the spoked B at center ice. It rubbed a lot of people wrong at the NCAA but the NCAA is ridiculous so I'm glad Jacobs told them to go pound sand.

 

[Fishman'81]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

I also don't get why they choose to go up against NHL playoff hockey. I gotta imagine some PC and UMASS fans who are also Bruins fans stayed home with two monitors or were flipping back and forth rather than make the trip and pay a bunch of money to watch in-person and miss their NHL team's playoff game. Same goes with Denver fans with the Avs.

If the basketball Final Four and championship is the weekend before on Saturday/Monday why not do the Frozen Four and championship on Friday/Sunday of the same weekend? Instead they schedule the Frozen Four during some of the best few days in the NHL calendar.

Completely agree. And maybe even in the same city..?

 

[joecct]

Happened in 2004 in Boston with the Bruins hosting MTL in the first round. The NHL is forced to schedule around it as best they can.

Jeremy Jacobs told the NCAA they would NOT be painting over the spoked B at center ice. It rubbed a lot of people wrong at the NCAA but the NCAA is ridiculous so I'm glad Jacobs told them to go pound sand.

It also cost Boston two shots at hosting the FF.

 

[state of hockey]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Trivigno out. It's the right decision, but boy Denver has to be ticked.

 

[Split-N]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

...If we're talking Nashville, Vegas...that gets my wife interested and I am more likely to make a trip out of it...

I would move heaven and earth (and hell, if necessary) to go to a FF in Nashville. Vegas too. And I still haven't heard anyone who was at either of the two held in Tampa say a bad word the those experiences.

 

[ticapnews]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

I would move heaven and earth (and hell, if necessary) to go to a FF in Nashville. Vegas too. And I still haven't heard anyone who was at either of the two held in Tampa say a bad word the those experiences.

Buffalo today: 55 and cloudy, humidity 91%
Tampa today: 88 and sunny, humidity 41%

 

[ecachawkeyfan]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Here's the hit that got Trivigno suspended for the title game: https://twitter.com/cjzer0/status/1116540932663463937

More: https://scoutingtherefs.com/2019/04...bby-trivigno-suspended-for-championship-game/

 

[The Zlax45]

It also cost Boston two shots at hosting the FF.

Doubt he cares...he hosted the Final Four in Women’s hoops and that building is packed no matter what is there from the Circus to the Celine Dion concert (yes none of those have played the building lately but just go with it)

 

[dxmnkd316]

Re: 2019 Frozen Four: NCHC vs. Hockey East

Trivigno out. It's the right decision, but boy Denver has to be ticked.

Denver can b-tch all they want, but my understanding was they still had a challenge right? Or do you not get to use it after you use your TO?

If they could have used it, that’s on the coach.

Gwoz would have challenged it

 

[Sean Pickett]

It also cost Boston two shots at hosting the FF.

Boston hosted in 2015 and will again in 2022, so the the gap of 11 years means they only missed one chance to host.

Sean

 

[Sean Pickett]

Denver can b-tch all they want, but my understanding was they still had a challenge right? Or do you not get to use it after you use your TO?

If they could have used it, that’s on the coach.

Gwoz would have challenged it

Yes, the articles quoted Coach Carle that he chose not to have it reviewed, but the articles did not give his reasons.

Sean