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BU Hockey '24-'25: Reloaded for another Frozen Four run

Scarlet said:
A few more random notes:
- Wasn’t sure if the PA announcer was the Blues’ announcer or some NCAA flack but it bothered me how he kept saying Boston Terriers and no one corrected him
- The two in-house announcers were annoying.
- I hated how the Jumbotron showed replays while live play was going on.
- I have to say, I thought the WMU fans/student section were great. Cheering for their team, not against who they were playing.

I’m sure I’ll have more later. Need to get to sleep. Early flight in the morning.
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The Boston Terriers thing was driving me nuts. Later in the championship game, he started calling the Boston U., which is a bit better but lazy.

The two spirit announcers are always annoying.

I agree on the Jumbotron showing replays during play. I'm very surprised they showed plays under review as, having officiated another NCAA sport, they do not allow replay in the venue for a play under review. Speaking of the Jumbotron, what happened to the on-ice video show that we've seen in just about every other arena in the last several years.

Overall, I thought St. Louis did a terrible job with the FF.
- The Frozen Fest was cramped with only one small tent for beer and food.
- I didn't notice on Saturday as I ate at a bar prior to going to the game, but when I got into the Enterprise Center on Thursday, many of the food venues didn't have food available...and that was after I spent an hour in line because I picked the most incompetent merchandise salesperson.
- Other than a couple of bars, I don't think I saw any local businesses with Frozen Four specials and the marketing was very limited outside of the 3-4 block radius of the Enterprise Center.
- Honestly, if it wasn't for WMU making the final game, I don't think the game would have been a sellout. I doubt that the Pios would have brought in the one game attendees. That also makes me wonder... obviously the NCAA and NHL have to do some coordination to make the venue available. Why would they schedule a very important game for the Blues up against the final game?

This was likely the worst FF I've attended other than Boston.
 
FireKnight said:
The Boston Terriers thing was driving me nuts. Later in the championship game, he started calling the Boston U., which is a bit better but lazy.

The two spirit announcers are always annoying.

I agree on the Jumbotron showing replays during play. I'm very surprised they showed plays under review as, having officiated another NCAA sport, they do not allow replay in the venue for a play under review. Speaking of the Jumbotron, what happened to the on-ice video show that we've seen in just about every other arena in the last several years.

Overall, I thought St. Louis did a terrible job with the FF.
- The Frozen Fest was cramped with only one small tent for beer and food.
- I didn't notice on Saturday as I ate at a bar prior to going to the game, but when I got into the Enterprise Center on Thursday, many of the food venues didn't have food available...and that was after I spent an hour in line because I picked the most incompetent merchandise salesperson.
- Other than a couple of bars, I don't think I saw any local businesses with Frozen Four specials and the marketing was very limited outside of the 3-4 block radius of the Enterprise Center.
- Honestly, if it wasn't for WMU making the final game, I don't think the game would have been a sellout. I doubt that the Pios would have brought in the one game attendees. That also makes me wonder... obviously the NCAA and NHL have to do some coordination to make the venue available. Why would they schedule a very important game for the Blues up against the final game?

This was likely the worst FF I've attended other than Boston.
Click to expand...
RE: merchandise - I got to the arena during the Denver-WMU game to get a t-shirt and a pin. I asked for the BU shirt in Large. She couldn't find one, said they were out. I said the games just started and the BU fans probably wouldn't be showing up for another hour. There is no way you sold out of one size. She went to check the display model and I made her give me that one. Seriously - how hard is it to plan for all sizes at all of the merch stands? That was very poorly run.

Did you get the email from the NCAA after the event? Other than complaining about the PO announcer, I said how none of the local business (meaning restaurants/bars) seemed to be aware the event was taking place. I said they need to do a better job working with the cities as, in the past, certain places were surprised about the crowds and were understaffed because they didn't think they needed people.
 
OH! One other thing I was curious about and didn't get an answer while in St. Louis. On Thursday night, BU was the home team. They attacked the goal at the opposite end of the ice from where I was sitting in periods 1 and 3. I assumed, that since BU was the away team on Saturday, that would switch and BU would attack the goal in front of the BU section in periods 1 and 3. Why was that? Did WMU get a choice of which goal to attack and if so, why that one? You'd think they would have wanted their fans where they attacked twice. Did they mention anything on the broadcast?
 
Scarlet said:
OH! One other thing I was curious about and didn't get an answer while in St. Louis. On Thursday night, BU was the home team. They attacked the goal at the opposite end of the ice from where I was sitting in periods 1 and 3. I assumed, that since BU was the away team on Saturday, that would switch and BU would attack the goal in front of the BU section in periods 1 and 3. Why was that? Did WMU get a choice of which goal to attack and if so, why that one? You'd think they would have wanted their fans where they attacked twice. Did they mention anything on the broadcast?
Click to expand...
I was surprised as well. Our semifinal was the only one where home team didn’t attack that net twice. If you look at Blues seating charts, home team should attack that one twice, but our semi didn’t. Looking for that explanation.
 
BU93 said:
I was surprised as well. Our semifinal was the only one where home team didn’t attack that net twice. If you look at Blues seating charts, home team should attack that one twice, but our semi didn’t. Looking for that explanation.
Click to expand...

"Team benches will be determined based on locker room assignments. When possible, a team shall be placed directly in front of or across from its ticketed allotment. If each team competing in a game has its ticket allotment at the same end of the ice, the team that has tickets assigned directly behind the bench shall be assigned to it."
 
FireKnight said:
The Boston Terriers thing was driving me nuts. Later in the championship game, he started calling the Boston U., which is a bit better but lazy.

The two spirit announcers are always annoying.

I agree on the Jumbotron showing replays during play. I'm very surprised they showed plays under review as, having officiated another NCAA sport, they do not allow replay in the venue for a play under review. Speaking of the Jumbotron, what happened to the on-ice video show that we've seen in just about every other arena in the last several years.

Overall, I thought St. Louis did a terrible job with the FF.
- The Frozen Fest was cramped with only one small tent for beer and food.
- I didn't notice on Saturday as I ate at a bar prior to going to the game, but when I got into the Enterprise Center on Thursday, many of the food venues didn't have food available...and that was after I spent an hour in line because I picked the most incompetent merchandise salesperson.
- Other than a couple of bars, I don't think I saw any local businesses with Frozen Four specials and the marketing was very limited outside of the 3-4 block radius of the Enterprise Center.
- Honestly, if it wasn't for WMU making the final game, I don't think the game would have been a sellout. I doubt that the Pios would have brought in the one game attendees. That also makes me wonder... obviously the NCAA and NHL have to do some coordination to make the venue available. Why would they schedule a very important game for the Blues up against the final game?

This was likely the worst FF I've attended other than Boston.
Click to expand...
Sounds like the experience we had in Cincinnati many moons ago. If the city couldn't care less about the event, why exactly is it being held there?
 
Bomber said:
Regarding the fan base/travel discussion. I know in theory we're all rich due to your Boston University diploma's 🙃 but airfare runs $600-$700 dollars. The tickets are what? $250? The hotel, food, etc. Going to the Frozen Four could cost you $2k per person. It's a factor. Oh, and Western was a 5.5 hour car ride.

BU Hockey: Waiting for the Goodbyes...
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They were 60% of the fan base in Worcester in 2023
 
Scarlet said:
RE: merchandise - I got to the arena during the Denver-WMU game to get a t-shirt and a pin. I asked for the BU shirt in Large. She couldn't find one, said they were out. I said the games just started and the BU fans probably wouldn't be showing up for another hour. There is no way you sold out of one size. She went to check the display model and I made her give me that one. Seriously - how hard is it to plan for all sizes at all of the merch stands? That was very poorly run.

Did you get the email from the NCAA after the event? Other than complaining about the PO announcer, I said how none of the local business (meaning restaurants/bars) seemed to be aware the event was taking place. I said they need to do a better job working with the cities as, in the past, certain places were surprised about the crowds and were understaffed because they didn't think they needed people.
Click to expand...
The merch stands are always an issue at the FF. I've had to go to several different stands to get what I wanted in the sizes I need (I need a 2XL and my wife a women's small). That is what it is, because you have 15,000 people all wanting to get merch in one weekend, whereas the Blues, I'm sure, have a fraction of that wanting merch on a nightly basis. The issue I had is that the sales representatives seemed to have little to no training and their app to process the purchases appears to be made by a third grader. Seriously, everything has a barcode. Just scan and sell.

I didn't get the email after the event, but I did scan that QR code that the St. Louis sports committee (or whatever they're called) was carrying around on big boards. Unfortunately for them, I got it and filled it out while waiting in line for merch. The bar closest to my hotel knew about the FF because they were contracted for a WMU pregame party but everywhere else I went, not so much. I would say that's what happens when your host school is over a thousand miles away from the arena. Heck, why couldn't they have partnered with Lindenwood or for that matter the Mizzou (since you don't need a D-1 hockey team to host the FF)? Then again, Wisconsin has hosted the FF in Tampa twice and they've done a great job.
 
The Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravelli tweeted:
Hearing the Canucks and 2023 first round pick Tom Willander have an agreement in place on an entry-level deal that begins in the 2025-26 season.Not entirely clear when deal will be announced, but he’s turning pro. Willander is back on campus finishing out the semester.

Details on McLaughlin
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