Harvard & Dartmouth @ RPI & Union (1/21, 1/22)

[Bullmoose]

Re: Harvard & Dartmouth @ RPI & Union (1/21, 1/22)

I'll let someone who attends regularly comment on the renovation time-line. I just want to say that RPI hasn't retired any numbers. Indeed Oates's 12 is currently in use. Those players and (Harkness as a coach) have banners showing that they have been inducted into the Ring of Honor.

Ahh, allright. I guess Harvard may be the only ECAC school with a retired number, though I could be wrong. Thanks for correcting me, as I've always thought that RPI retired Oates's number.

It's pretty close to complete at this point. Along with the VIP seating in that new area are coaches offices and a video review room. Just noticed this weekend that the above-goal cameras are installed but they may have been there for a while and I didn't see them. Miscellaneous renovation work involved repainting the roof structure and replacing the lighting over the ice to improve the light level on the ice, the big glass front facade to the building (restoring it to its original appearance), aesthetic upgrades to the lobby and ticket office, and a new campus-wide ticketing system free from the grubby claws of Ticketmaster.

This all follows a project a couple years ago which completely renovated the locker rooms, team rooms, and other areas which are mostly behind the scenes and off-limits to fans.

There's still an upgrade to the sound system in the works to go with the new video board, but rumor has it that's been put off a year or two due to lack of budget. The concessions stand was also displaced from its home due to the construction and has been operating in temporary digs so I would hope there's a fix in store for that as well.

Thanks for the comprehensive report!

The facade does look nice. I've never seen it in the light of day before.

 

[GoDanGo]

Re: Harvard & Dartmouth @ RPI & Union (1/21, 1/22)

Now, question for the RPI fans. Last time I was in HFH (Fall 2008, twice -- once for UMass, once for Dartmouth) you had all sorts of cool banners hanging over the entrance. That has been replaced by luxury seating. Will the banners be re-hung someplace in the arena, or is the RPI adopting the Bill Belichik style in removing all the articles of past glory out of sight in hope that that will lead back to success?

Others have covered this pretty well already, but there's one more reason that I suspect they'll be back. I remember hearing that shortly after Seth Appert started as a head coach, he had large pictures (life-size, maybe?) of the 1954 and 1985 championship teams put up in the hallway to/from the home locker room. It's a small thing, but it points in the opposite direction if anything - he seems to be using the past success as encouragement to get back up to that level.