Re: 2019 Frozen Four
Why was the ice so bad? Too warm outside?
If the ice was really as bad as people are saying, then QU shouldn't host again until this is fully addressed. At the same time, if the culprit is the "need" for on-ice tournament logos, then this is another case of the NCAA needing to modify its hosting requirements. Good ice is so much more important than any marketing value gained by the logos.
The benches on both sides of the rink is SO yuck. What real hockey rink has that?
Can't share that emotion. Sure, it's irregular. But within reason, building quirks can be part of the fun.
Doesn't Cheel Arena at Clarkson have that set-up? That's a nice rink in my book. I'm struggling to recall from last week's webcast, but I think each team's penalty box was on the same side of the ice as their bench. If accurate, that really eliminates any inequity.
I think the NC$$ should do what they do for baseball and just have the FF at the same location every year....Ridder. You know you will have great ice, modern locker rooms, big city amenities, and at least one of MN or UW there every year, so they will get butts in the seats. Eastern team don't attend well, that is a fact, so why shoot yourself in the foot?
The Men's Tournament had a permanent site in the 1950's -- Colorado Springs. Now that's well before my time. But I can imagine that the teams thought it was pretty cool to go out to the U.S. Winter Olympics Training Site at the Broadmoor. But the problem with that is obvious. The location precluded a significant percentage of the fans from attending on any sort of regular basis. By the 1960's Men's Hockey figured out that rotating the site was more advantageous. Women's Hockey can learn from that history. No need to prove the point again.
Would the place have been full if one of the matchups was BU/BC last night? The next 3 years are Agganis (BU or BC?), Erie Insurance Arena (guessing Mercyhurst? 8.5 hr drive from WI) and Pegula (10.5 hrs). I guess I won't be attending the frozen 4 anytime soon the nc$$ isn't interested in getting butts in the seats.
Agreed, attendance matters. The track record on attendance is a factor that should be taken into account. But last time Mercyhurst hosted the tournament in Erie, attendance was perfectly fine. Don't know how BU or PSU will do, but I believe those locations are worth a try.
You can call 8.5 hours of driving a hardship if you want. I call it a day's drive.
I get that Madison to Boston is a very long haul. But any claim that Boston shouldn't get an opportunity to host a hockey tournament because of its "remote" location is just silly. If flying is an option, break down and splurge once every few years. If not, then it's just your turn to take a year off.
At least the B7 has the rights for 1 more year, so it gets on cable.
Strongly agree with this one. Really enjoy having the games on my regular TV. Hope that contract can be renewed.
Ugh. I am seeing this argument so much. Ridiculous that only Minnesota should host the Frozen Four. Just incredibly elitist. Minnesota is already so spoiled with all they get to host... an NCAA quarter final and 2 NW games just last week.
Any city that applies, has a rink that meets the specs, should be considered...
I suspect that this subject will be will be revisited at length in the off-season. If so, you can count on my support.
) It looks like Hamden will continue to be in the mix, but it would be nice if they could figure out the ice and get tickets into the hands of people who will attend. Who bought them? Scalpers? When I looked online a month or so ago, there were very few tickets available, but it doesn't seem to translate into people to watch two Midwest teams and two from upstate New York.
