BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

[SteveO]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

For the record, announced attendance for today's B1G 2-game session was 3,387.

From what I read attendance for the B1G tourney dropped from 42,000 tickets sold in 2014, to 16K in 2015, and 15K in 2016. Whoever conceived of this central location swap between the X and Joe really laid an egg.

 

[D2D]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

Andrew Sturtz was injured in the first period and never returned. Any word on the extent of his injury?

I hate to see anyone get injured. But if it's serious and Sturtz cannot play tomorrow, and possibly beyond, that would obviously be a huge loss for the Nittany Lions.

 

[The Rube]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

From what I read attendance for the B1G tourney dropped from 42,000 tickets sold in 2014, to 16K in 2015, and 15K in 2016. Whoever conceived of this central location swap between the X and Joe really laid an egg.

The Joe sucks. We all knew that. The corpies didn't figure that out. And St Paul has been cracking down on tailgating (owners of lots, specifically). That also hurts. Campuses next year, and UM doesn't want tailgating. They are not growing the sport.

 

[RapidsCity]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

Thanks Big Ten for taking a kick arse postseason tourney (WCHA), and a pretty good one, that included the best awards ceremony and blowing them up. The most important conference in college hockey, or hockey for schmucks...

 

[D2D]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

Thanks Big Ten for taking a kick arse postseason tourney (WCHA), and a pretty good one, that included the best awards ceremony and blowing them up. The most important conference in college hockey, or hockey for schmucks...

Totally disagree! I am totally on board with the "B1G" schools conference now. And I predict: within five years it will become, no question, the dominate conference in D1 hockey!

 

[The Rube]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

Totally disagree! I am totally on board with the "B1G" schools conference now. And I predict: within five years it will become, no question, the dominate conference in D1 hockey!

You're missing the point. The Final Five was like a family reunion. And now that's gone. And those rivalries are gone. It sucks. We now get 80 people on a Thu afternoon at the Joe. Whee.
The fans were sh* on for the mythical dollar that doesn't really exist in this sport. Just look at attendance numbers. And if you think TV is going to make up that revenue? Ha!

 

[AKSWF]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

You're missing the point. The Final Five was like a family reunion. And now that's gone. And those rivalries are gone. It sucks. We now get 80 people on a Thu afternoon at the Joe. Whee.
The fans were sh* on for the mythical dollar that doesn't really exist in this sport. Just look at attendance numbers. And if you think TV is going to make up that revenue? Ha!

I'd be totally down getting back together, not like we're doing any better against lesser teams.

 

[chickod]

Totally disagree! I am totally on board with the "B1G" schools conference now. And I predict: within five years it will become, no question, the dominate conference in D1 hockey!

Are you on drugs? It's a football and basketball conference. Many of the schools couldn't care less about hockey (or think it's "field hockey")

 

[D2D]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

You're missing the point. The Final Five was like a family reunion. And now that's gone. And those rivalries are gone.

Old fans who decry the loss of old WCHA rivalries will gradually die off, replaced by new fans who will embrace new B1G rivalries, mirroring those that we already have in the B1G in other major sports.
It's inevitable!

 

[SteveO]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

Totally disagree! I am totally on board with the "B1G" schools conference now. And I predict: within five years it will become, no question, the dominate conference in D1 hockey!

I could say I've turned the corner I guess and become a fan of the B1G, but with some changes needed going forward. The conference playoffs at campus sites is a positive move. Besides the potential for increases in attendance and atmosphere, the prize of a bye and home ice for the #1 seed means the compete level will increase during the B1G regular season. Even with ND coming in next year, I'd like to see another team added asap to increase competition and curtail the reshuffling in the postseason. I think if B1G teams start consistently making the NCAAs, add some FF appearances, maybe capture an NC, the conference could become very strong.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

The Joe sucks. We all knew that. The corpies didn't figure that out.

The Joe didn't suck the way the CCHA ran the show. The B1G either didn't care or are too arrogant to see what worked before and adopt it. They even have the former CCHA commissioner working for the B1G network as a on ice analyst so you can't tell me they don't have someone with the knowledge to tell them what they're doing wrong - if they'd ask his input!

 

[Koho]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

So, who do you think has a better chance of knocking off Minnesota, Michigan or Penn State?

I'll go with Penn State.

 

[alfablue]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

The Joe didn't suck the way the CCHA ran the show. The B1G either didn't care or are too arrogant to see what worked before and adopt it. They even have the former CCHA commissioner working for the B1G network as a on ice analyst so you can't tell me they don't have someone with the knowledge to tell them what they're doing wrong - if they'd ask his input!

Exactly.

If you don't like the Joe because it's an old building, that's fine. It's old and getting replaced.

But all of us CCHA people know, the party was really fun. Not sure why old WCHA people want to convince us that we had a bad time when we had fun- that's just strange. Sure, it could have been better- and I've tried to make that point to the CCHA in the past.

Where the B1G failed is that they relied fully on the BTN and did not care about people in the seats. Given that the CCHA went away- just picking up what they had, and adding the same thing to Wisconsin and Minnesota would have been a good way to start- even starting in Minneapolis. But they didn't. And when fans went directly to them telling them what to do, they totally ignored the suggestions. It would be easy for a handful of B1G promoters, who I'm betting they have at EACH school, to go to home games. It would also be easy to get large amounts of promotional stuff FOR FREE (and gladly handed out) from Visit Detroit and Visit Twin Cities to help fans go to each city.

Why they ignored that? No idea. IMHO, even with renting the Joe and the X, they could easily have done better in terms of income than the home site set up. This isn't rocket science, it's marketing 101.

BTW, pretending that the WCHA/CCHA is going to come back- well, good luck with that. Someday you will realize that this is the direction we are going, and while you are welcome to hate it, it seems like a waste of time and energy.

 

[ExileOnDaytonStreet]

Thanks Big Ten for taking a kick arse postseason tourney (WCHA), and a pretty good one, that included the best awards ceremony and blowing them up. The most important conference in college hockey, or hockey for schmucks...

Oh whatever.

Yeah the death of the WCHA and the Final Five stinks. But the B1G finally had six, and the bloated conferences left no room for expansion of the sport. It was an inevitable, bitter pill to swallow so griping about it makes as much sense as that fuss my 2-year-old makes when I try to give him medicine.

 

[alfablue]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

Are you on drugs? It's a football and basketball conference. Many of the schools couldn't care less about hockey (or think it's "field hockey")

Relative to football and basketball, sure.

Relative to other schools, some that are basically hockey schools, not so much.

At the moment, the only school that I would really question their support is OSU, and that goes back to when I had a hockey camp with some of the first players in the OSU program. Why it's never really caught on is pretty much all football (in spite of the support from people like Woody Hayes).

MSU is quite confusing right now that they support a coach who hasn't shown any ability to win. But I still think that at the core, they support them.

No question about Minnesota or Wisconsin, and I don't think that Michigan has any real support problems. PSU's rise and their great new rink speak for themselves.

 

[alfablue]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

Thanks Big Ten for taking a kick arse postseason tourney (WCHA), and a pretty good one, that included the best awards ceremony and blowing them up. The most important conference in college hockey, or hockey for schmucks...

Two teams left for the B1G. The rest of the teams could have easily run with what was left.

IMHO, the WCHA could have survived without the Gophers and Badgers. (sadly- the way the CCHA was run, it would not have lasted long without MSU or UM- which was pretty stupid in that respect)

 

[aparch]

But all of us CCHA people know, the party was really fun. Not sure why old WCHA people want to convince us that we had a bad time when we had fun- that's just strange. Sure, it could have been better- and I've tried to make that point to the CCHA in the past.

Not having been to the old Final Five but from knowing and talking to many who have, both leagues had their own type of party.

The WCHA was, as Brent pointed out, more of a family reunion because people came to tailgate, hang out, and be around friends in the neighboring parking lots they hadn't seen in a year (or more). This was hosted by, and put on by, the fans of the teams (think Milwaukee Brewers Tailgate).

The CCHA hosted their own after party. Somewhere fans could mingle and be around friends they hadn't seen in a year (or more) at the Ren Center party.

The WCHA took the gate fees from the Final Four and cut a check to every team in the league. Fans had to pony up their own booze.

The CCHA took the gate fees from the Super Six/Championship and paid for a night of booze for the fans. And NMU hosted an alumni social at the Joe also providing free booze.

To each their own, but both conferences did one Hell of a job each year under the old leagues. The social side of each event was just supported differently.



Now as for the annual conference awards, my money is on the CCHA doing it better than the WCHA. Not sure how it gets better than dinner and awards at the Fox Theater in Detroit.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

So, should we blame Penn State for getting a hockey team and screwing it all up? Everything was fine until they came into the picture.

 

[aparch]

Two teams left for the B1G. The rest of the teams could have easily run with what was left.

IMHO, the WCHA could have survived without the Gophers and Badgers. (sadly- the way the CCHA was run, it would not have lasted long without MSU or UM- which was pretty stupid in that respect)

Agreed. It didn't help that the two new "heads" of the CCHA (in Miami and Notre Dame) wanted out as fast as they could.

 

[Hockeybuckeye]

Re: BTHC Tourney '17: The Stands May Be Empty, But The Games Still Matter

Now as for the annual conference awards, my money is on the CCHA doing it better than the WCHA. Not sure how it gets better than dinner and awards at the Fox Theater in Detroit.

Except maybe for the very last one. I was expecting a gourmet spread and when they took the silver lids off the trays there was stacks of WHITE CASTLE SLIDERS!
But again, they were liquidating everything and were at the end of their funds. I liquidated that dinner as well if you get my meaning!!