"Best rink" means something different to everyone. To me, it means the best place to experience the game, and in any sport the experience is most meaningful when it has historical context. For this reason, every NHL game I watched in the Boston Garden was a better experience than any game at the Fleet Center (or whatever it's called now) because everybody was up close to the ice and there were no suits taking up prime space in luxury boxes, Orr and Bourque played there, all the great Habs teams got heckled there, the stands always shook after big goals, people were swearing and boozing yet my parents brought me as a kid, etc. No thanks to the increase in the amount of money involved in sports, few great historical stadiums are left (in major league baseball, probably the most historical american sport, there are only two) but college hockey is lucky to have several -- Yost, Lynah and Matthews in particular, followed by Gutterson, Alfond and The Whale (that I've seen). I'd rather watch one game in old Mariucci, old Engelstad, Walter Brown or the DU Fieldhouse than ten games in new Mariucci, new Engelstad, Agannis or Magness -- to me, the old rinks and atmospheres are the college hockey experience and luxury boxes and leather seats have no place, donate them to the NBA or something I don't even want to see them. If the level of play on the ice were equal, I'd rather watch a game at Starr Rink or Meahan Auditorium than the Kohl Center -- the one game I saw at Kohl many people were more interested in watching a bowl game on all the televisions. Largely for this reason I oppose College Hockey Inc.'s mission and don't care to see the game expand. Expansion at the expense of the traditions of the game isn't worth it and the old barns are traditions. Please no more new rinks (Penn State, build a throwback).
