Hockey East Tourney on the Move

[BeloBrasil]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Is there really a need to "cultivate interest" in Manchester, Providence, and/or Worcester for Hockey East? The league already dominates those markets, and HE teams have made the Worcester and Manchester NCAA regionals some of the most successful regionals in recent memory not played on a team's home ice. And any lack of interest in Providence doesn't have to do with the conference, but the team.

The NCAA Northeast Regional was a success in 2010? Who knew? Perhaps I am naive in my assessment of these matters insofar as I have always been under the impression that the one determining factor in whether an event like the NCAA Northeast Regional is a success is attendance. Many of the attendees in Worcester this year must have been on their way to a costume party for so many of them were dressed as empty seats. I have been to chuch services that were more raucous than the B.C. vs. Alaska-Fairbanks tilt. ...and if you were paying attention you saw the same thing in Fort Wayne, IN as well.

So to answer your question YES there is a compelling need to cultivate interest in the sport outside the Boston area. Take a look at the state of the game today. Wayne State University disbanded its hockey program. Findlay University disbanded its program as well. Bowling Green University has been considering disbanding its program. Ohio State University just dumped its coach for among other reasons poor attendance. The CHA has disbanded and now Alabama-Huntsville is a program in search of a conference. These are not good signs. We here in the northeast should take note of these matters for the same thing could easily happen here. Northeastern just dumped its football program. Is it so far-fetched to think that perhaps some school like Providence, Northeastern, Holy Cross, Bentley, or UMass-Lowell might not consider dumping its hockey program if the program cannot sustain itself? I submit it is not and it would behoove Hockey East and the Atlantic Hockey Association to do all they can to generate as much interest in this sport as possible if for no other reason than to secure their own survival.

 

[Federal League]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Students? Are you kidding? How many Boston College students were at the TD Garden this past spring for the Hockey East Championship? I don't know the exact number, but I can tell you there were just as many Maine students as there were Boston College students. Hell, those students at B.C. barely attend games at the Conte Forum so please spare me the "public transporation" argument.

Providence, Lowell, Worcester, Manchester (and even Springfield) are all easy to get to via train or bus if one does not have a car and the last time I checked Hockey East consisted of a goodly number of teams who played outside the "617" area code. So like I said. Share the wealth. Both the league and the college hockey in general might benefit.

What arena would draw the most fans?
What arena would draw the most media coverage?
What arena would bring in the most money?
What arena is in the same city as three HE teams and the same state as three others?
What arena is in the largest city in New England?
What arena is in the same city as HE headquarters?
What arena is one city away from NESN, the network airing the games?
What arena would be most attractive to recruits?

I really don't see how any sane person can even try to argue that it should be moved.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

6,572
6,054

2nd best to the West Regional (which was in a better location than Worcester)

If the Northeast Regional was at the Garden (I know), I bet it would have outdrew the West regional.

 

[CHFAN222]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

6,572
6,054

2nd best to the West Regional (which was in a better location than Worcester)

If the Northeast Regional was at the Garden (I know), I bet it would have outdrew the West regional.

Garden would never agree to regional only frozen four. They have to repaint the ice and deal with all other sorts of NCAA rules like no alcohol sales. What they could/should consider doing is having a regional at either Agganis or Conte. They could also host a regional up in Portland or Burlington.

 

[slurpees]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Garden would never agree to regional only frozen four. They have to repaint the ice and deal with all other sorts of NCAA rules like no alcohol sales. What they could/should consider doing is having a regional at either Agganis or Conte. They could also host a regional up in Portland or Burlington.

Burlington's too small. I believe the NCAA has a rule that regional sites have to have 6,000+? I could be wrong. Nonetheless, Burlington's a bit too small, and if UVM didn't make it, they'd be fairly screwed.

 

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

That's why I put an (I know)

Just using it to compare what attendance would have been like compared to the West Regional held at an NHL venue.

 

[BC/HE]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

What arena would draw the most fans?
What arena would draw the most media coverage?
What arena would bring in the most money?
What arena is in the same city as three HE teams and the same state as three others?
What arena is in the largest city in New England?
What arena is in the same city as HE headquarters?
What arena is one city away from NESN, the network airing the games?
What arena would be most attractive to recruits?

I really don't see how any sane person can even try to argue that it should be moved.

While the TD Bank Garden probably is the answer to all of these, there is the possibility that the two statements in bold could be accomplished elsewhere. First of all the cost of running it in Providence or Manchester has to be less expensive than Boston so ticket prices could be a little lower bringing in more fans and more money. If they can accomplish that why not give it a try in todays economic climate. Perhaps the Garden may respond by lowering their fees and Hockey East comes out a winner either way. Hotel rooms in those other locations are cheaper as well so fans travelling for the weekend save that way too. Make it a doubleheader on Saturday and a Sunday afternoon final and it becomes easier for fans to make it also.

 

[acs64]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Amazing how regionalized you Boston fellas are. You want to grow this sport, spark more interest? If so, you gotta think outside the box. Lets face it, the HE tourney in Boston has gotten stale. HE needs to do something about it. Heres how.

Every other year move the tourney outside of Boston. One year in Portland, then back to Boston, next year in Manchester, back to Boston followed by Providence. How to deal with smaller arenas? Simply raise the price of tickets. The smaller venues will still fill and its much more important for this sport to be played in front of packed houses than a nearly half full Garden. Generate some interest, gd it! What we have now suffices but it doesnt move the sport forward.

 

[slurpees]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Make it a doubleheader on Saturday and a Sunday afternoon final and it becomes easier for fans to make it also.

Not possible, NCAA selection committee announces their decision Sunday morning.

 

[slurpees]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Every other year move the tourney outside of Boston. One year in Portland, then back to Boston, next year in Manchester, back to Boston followed by Providence. How to deal with smaller arenas? Simply raise the price of tickets. The smaller venues will still fill and its much more important for this sport to be played in front of packed houses than a nearly half full Garden. Generate some interest, gd it! What we have now suffices but it doesnt move the sport forward.

You're advocating raising interest by raising prices and moving it far away from the majority of fans to a place like Portland with a dumpy arena and makes the conference look ridiculously bad? You can't be that stupid.

 

[satyking]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Providence is well known throughout college hockey as a very hospitable venue and most of those who actually go to the games would love to return there......Manchester has not established itself as a to go place for college hockey......Portland is just Portland and not hockey so I believe it is out as is Worchester

Either place would be a good change and the tourney would be a big deal in the chosen city unlike Boston where most of the city could care less if it was there or somewhere else

Hotel cost would be lower, food about the same but the new scenery well worth the change

 

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

If the author is actually serious then I am compelled to inquire as to what color is the sky in this person's world? A chance to interact with "visitors from Europe"? What self-respecting fan of college hockey (at tournament time no less) has the slightest interest in any form of interaction with the hordes of Euro-filth skulking around our streets and taking up space in our restaurants?

You nitwit. Try to follow the conversation. The conversation went off on a tangent discussing what is and isn't a world-class city and someone did some drugs and then posted that Boston wasn't a world-class city. Boston is a world-class city. That tangent had nothing to do with hockey.

 

[Carmine Scarpaglia]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Not possible, NCAA selection committee announces their decision Sunday morning.

Clearly they'd have to wait for the games to be finished and would have to do it after a possible Sunday game.

Doesn't college basketball have some Sunday afternoon games and then Selection Sunday occurs after those on Sunday evening?

 

[Cat lover]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

You're advocating raising interest by raising prices and moving it far away from the majority of fans

Majority of Boston's schools fan you mean.

 

[Federal League]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Clearly they'd have to wait for the games to be finished and would have to do it after a possible Sunday game.

Doesn't college basketball have some Sunday afternoon games and then Selection Sunday occurs after those on Sunday evening?

Yep. But moving the selection show to later in the day would mean less of a chance of ESPN making room to cover it. And let's face it, that show is a half hour of the highest degree of unintentional comedy.

 

[acs64]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

You're advocating raising interest by raising prices and moving it far away from the majority of fans to a place like Portland with a dumpy arena and makes the conference look ridiculously bad? You can't be that stupid.

Far away from the majority of fans? Yeah sure, I love seeing those Boston rinks on TV with a handful of people in the stands on NESN. That is impressive. You raise ticket prices to balance the total gate at a smaller venue. Surely that isnt a difficult thing for you to grasp.

Again, HE tourney in Boston is stale...if you want to keep it that way, then leave things as they are and interest in the sport doesnt grow. If you want the opposite then showcase it to different areas, different people, different businesses. Pretty simple concept.

 

[slurpees]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Far away from the majority of fans? Yeah sure, I love seeing those Boston rinks on TV with a handful of people in the stands on NESN. That is impressive. You raise ticket prices to balance the total gate at a smaller venue. Surely that isnt a difficult thing for you to grasp.

No, what you're not grasping is that you're assuming that you can make up the difference. You'd essentially have to double the ticket prices in Portland in order to equal the gate in Boston, assuming the attendance is the 12-13k number, not to mention less people = less concessions, less merchandise sold, less parking revenue, etc. You're not factoring in that you'd be moving it to a more economically-strapped region of New England, and raising ticket prices. Business-wise this is 100% foolish.

And Cat Lover, not only are you moving it from the 3 Boston schools, but you're m, you're making lowell fans drive 70 miles more and removing the easy public transportation line that drops them off in the basement of the arena. You're essentially doing the same thing for Merrimack fans also, not that this really matters much. You're making UMass fans drive an extra 80 or so miles and moving it away from their main alumni base. You're moving it farther from PC, but again, doesn't matter that much. It's the same distance for UVM fans, and you have to take back roads the whole way. It's also negligible for UNH fans, the same distance and availability of the Downeaster. So you're making a change that negatively affects 70% of the teams, makes no difference for 20% of them, and makes it somewhat better for 10%. Your anti-Boston statements continue to get dumber and dumber.

 

[acs64]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

No, what you're not grasping is that you're assuming that you can make up the difference. You'd essentially have to double the ticket prices in Portland in order to equal the gate in Boston, assuming the attendance is the 12-13k number. You're not factoring in that you'd be moving it to a more economically-strapped region of New England, and raising ticket prices. Business-wise this is 100% foolish.

And Cat Lover, not only are you moving it from the 3 Boston schools, but you're m, you're making lowell fans drive 70 miles more and removing the easy public transportation line that drops them off in the basement of the arena. You're essentially doing the same thing for Merrimack fans also, not that this really matters much. You're making UMass fans drive an extra 80 or so miles and moving it away from their main alumni base. You're moving it farther from PC, but again, doesn't matter that much. It's the same distance for UVM fans, and you have to take back roads the whole way. It's also negligible for UNH fans, the same distance and availability of the Downeaster. So you're making a change that negatively affects 70% of the teams, makes no difference for 20% of them, and makes it somewhat better for 10%. Your anti-Boston statements continue to get dumber and dumber.

Yep, these folks in Portland are really economically strapped. Who ta phk do you think it was that made that showing in Boston last year? But you're right, if those folks could save the $25 parking fee, the $250 hotel bill and the $100 for meals, they wouldnt be able to shell out 25 bucks more for a ticket. Good thinking.

 

[Rover]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Far away from the majority of fans? Yeah sure, I love seeing those Boston rinks on TV with a handful of people in the stands on NESN. That is impressive. You raise ticket prices to balance the total gate at a smaller venue. Surely that isnt a difficult thing for you to grasp.

Again, HE tourney in Boston is stale...if you want to keep it that way, then leave things as they are and interest in the sport doesnt grow. If you want the opposite then showcase it to different areas, different people, different businesses. Pretty simple concept.

Maybe if your team was any good it wouldn't seem so stale. Portland while a decent city is strictly small time, the arena sucks, and you may as well have it in Burlington because its on the outer reaches of the hockey east territory. Not to mention the finances - none of these places would earn the $$$ or exposure that the Garden does. Why downsize the event when you don't have to?

As far as Boston being expensive, that's what happens in places where people actually want to be in. Live a little and have some excitement in the big city once a year.

 

[acs64]

Re: Hockey East Tourney on the Move

Maybe if your team was any good it wouldn't seem so stale. Portland while a decent city is strictly small time, the arena sucks, and you may as well have it in Burlington because its on the outer reaches of the hockey east territory. Not to mention the finances - none of these places would earn the $$$ or exposure that the Garden does. Why downsize the event when you don't have to?

As far as Boston being expensive, that's what happens in places where people actually want to be in. Live a little and have some excitement in the big city once a year.

The event is already downsized. It has become small time because its essentially a non-event in Boston. I do get into Boston once or twice a year...usually for a Sox game, only because the tickets are free. I do love the crowds and traffic though, the rundown trolley system, and the stench leaving the ballpark and getting into the T station. Makes it all worthwhile. Lol, nah you can have your so-called "world class city", which it is not, by the way, even close to. Those would be cities like Paris, New York, London, San Fran, Sydney, Rome.....but Boston ?? hahaha