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The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

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Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

gfmorris said:
Or the fact that my mother had a heart attack last week and my dad had one yesterday. Yeah, I'm already over the Boston thing.

GFM <-- doesn't welcome a Tim Thomas trade, but would support it, if we're going to be completely off-topic.
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A thread with this many Tech fans actively reading on topic? HAHA!

And hope everyone is alright!
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Unsolicited tournament idea: Royal Rumble style!

All teams on the ice at once and if you're checked through the glass your team is out. Play continues until the automatic qualifier is determined.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

3W said:
Unsolicited tournament idea: Royal Rumble style!

All teams on the ice at once and if you're checked through the glass your team is out. Play continues until the automatic qualifier is determined.
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Replace the glass with chain link or chicken wire!
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

AHCA Convention in Naples, FLA is over, and the only thing I can find looking back through twitter is that all the coaches appreciated having John Buccigross at the event.

No word on if I can change UAH from gray to lime green yet, or a tournament location.

More interesting, is the NCHC's silence this week after the AHCA conference since they had a lot of "planned announcements." If you're interested in that more, then go to the NCHC thread.


Speculation: could the NCHC be playing second fiddle to the WCHA's plans?
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

aparch said:
AHCA Convention in Naples, FLA is over, and the only thing I can find looking back through twitter is that all the coaches appreciated having John Buccigross at the event. No word on if I can change UAH from gray to lime green yet, or a tournament location. More interesting, is the NCHC's silence this week after the AHCA conference since they had a lot of "planned announcements." If you're interested in that more, then go to the NCHC thread.
Speculation: could the NCHC be playing second fiddle to the WCHA's plans?
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I thought we voted down that there is no tournament location on here already. What are they waiting for.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Pure speculation on my part but could it also be that the nchc is just being cheap and that the reason no announcement is no funds?
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Word on Twitter is that the NCHC is close to signing an agreement with the Target Center. What this means for the WCHA? There is talk that the tournament could be held at the Amsoil Arena in Duluth.

I'm not quite a fan of the idea, for the fact that it's decked out in tUMD's logo and slogans. But it is a neutral site close to all teams (except for both Alaskas, Ferris, and BGSU) and would be easily traversed to by fans.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Best two of three series with home-ice ad based on regular season finish until there is a tournament champion and share the revenues amongst all members.

The Butt-Hurt's league tournament will be a money loser and a new WCHA tournament wouldn't make any money either especially if it's in some Butt-Hurt team's barn.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I'm DEFINITELY against giving the tourney to one of the "like-minded teams'" arena. Why should they make money off the WCHA?
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Terrible idea if it's Duluth. For one there's the shame of letting an NCHC city make money off of us. Plus Duluth isn't a destination city. Unless you live in that part of Minnesota it's hard to get to.

This tourney location debate has been beaten to death already but if UAH is invited I think the league would be crazy to not give Nashville a look.
 
Squarebanks said:
Terrible idea if it's Duluth. For one there's the shame of letting an NCHC city make money off of us. Plus Duluth isn't a destination city. Unless you live in that part of Minnesota it's hard to get to.

This tourney location debate has been beaten to death already but if UAH is invited I think the league would be crazy to not give Nashville a look.
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Duluth has a great number of hotels, bars, and nice restaurants within walking distance of the arena. However, there is the giant "Home of the Bulldogs" etched underneath the press box. I do wish Green Bay was still available for the long term. I would say Duluth is equal to Green Bay in terms of being a destination.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

Flashy Man said:
Duluth has a great number of hotels, bars, and nice restaurants within walking distance of the arena. However, there is the giant "Home of the Bulldogs" etched underneath the press box. I do wish Green Bay was still available for the long term. I would say Duluth is equal to Green Bay in terms of being a destination.
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Ferris would have a home field advantage!
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I'd just like to point out that what warmed me (a little) to the idea of hosting in Duluth is that the Amsoil Arena is part of the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center complex and not part of tUMD's campus. It isn't owned/operated by the University of Minnesota-Duluth either, but instead by the City of Duluth/Duluth Entertainment Convention Center.

As for the teams participating in the championship, it's not home ice since tUMD isn't part of your conference. And I see from some photos online that there are murals and such, but those could easily be covered by WCHA and participating team banners. tUMD's banners could also be rolled up, and it's not difficult to overlay a new center ice logo for the weekend (see: CCHA Logo at JLA).

Worst case is that the arena has one week to turn over the building from tUMD to a "neutral" facility for the WCHA. I would believe that past working relationships between the WCHA, WCHA member schools, and the DECC staff would facilitate a natural fit for the tournament.



And, wouldn't it be spectacular to poke the NCHC by hosting a sell out weekend of successful hockey in the rink of one of their members while they flounder at the Target Center while playing the same weekend as (potentially) the Gophers and the B1G Tourney at the Xcel Energy Center? :D
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I personally like the idea that Duluth gets a crack at hosting the nWCHA tourney. I think it is a great middle of the road location for all the teams that would drive. I have been to enough games here to know that for regular season games MTU, BSU and MSU do travel fairly well there. I can think of alot worse places to hold it. Duluth has alot to offer visitors for a family weekend. If it sells well for attendance, then I think that you can look at upgrading to the next level arena in a bigger city. For now though, let the NCHC "aka, the Colorado hockey conference" go flounder in a big city where no one really cares they are playing cause the true big boys are playing across the river at the X. If the WCAH has to step back to a smaller arena to get a good atmosphere and the spot light, then so be it. My real concern is that the Duluth market is pretty fair weather at times, and I'm not sure what the walk up gate will be. But good promotions and getting in touch with local youth programs could help that.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I think no matter what neutral site you pick, walk up sales/local interest may be suspect. The CHA found that out with holding their tournaments in Kearney, NE, and in Des Moines, IA. And those two arenas have very good USHL followings. Will the average hockey fans in Duluth, who is not a graduate of any of the schools involved, flock to Amsoil for the tournament? I would venture to guess no, especially if UMD is still alive in the NCHC playoffs and they are on television.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

I would guess that no conference tournament is going to get a real great walk up crowd. These things seem to be as successful as the yearly ticket renewals. Unless the conference gains a large annual following, I don't suspect that attendance is going to be great no matter where it's held. The only solution that makes sense from a purely attendance standpoint (and yes, I realize that there are other issues with this) is to hold it at a school's home rink. Without that, I don't really see how attendance is going to really go anywhere.
 
Re: The New WCHA 2, The Electric Boogaloo (2013-14)

beaverhockeyfan said:
Will the average hockey fans in Duluth, who is not a graduate of any of the schools involved, flock to Amsoil for the tournament? I would venture to guess no, especially if UMD is still alive in the NCHC playoffs and they are on television.
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Hockey fans who can't (won't) make the trip to Minneapolis/St. Paul could be coaxed to attend the WCHA championship. Seeing as it's in such a central location, traveling fan bases would be more likely to make the trip. Fan buses can even be arranged by booster clubs. Only downside is potential weather, but that was true of all the fan bases at their current championship venues. As stated, Duluth feels like Green Bay in what there are for fans to do for food, quenching of thirst, and touristy events to do outside of the games. The benefit of having just 6,600 seats to fill.



Bale said:
The only solution that makes sense from a purely attendance standpoint (and yes, I realize that there are other issues with this) is to hold it at a school's home rink. Without that, I don't really see how attendance is going to really go anywhere.
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This isn't the '80's. The WCHA will not be hosting their tournament on campus sites of the regular season champ or last season's champ. It's cost prohibitive and some of these teams are even having troubles filling their barns during the playoffs of their own teams (if you haven't seen any box scores lately). Selling a championship event to fans who won't show up for a playoff game isn't going to happen.

If the WCHA does go through with campus location for the tournament, I'll eat my hat. And for the record, I wear a hat made of delicious, crispy bacon.
 
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