The New WCHA (2013-14)

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Sorry beaver fans, I picked this up from your radio guys. Very good show and very thoughtful.I thought it was worth posting. I love the gwoz interview and comments afterwards.
I think the teams in the league are going to be very pleasantly surprised with the quality of play and the competitive nature in 2013. I think what the league needs to do is make sure that the rest of the world finds out because this is not a league that anyone can take for granted.

http://www.kbunam.com/college_hockey_tonight_archive.html

 

[stuckinwi]

Sorry beaver fans, I picked this up from your radio guys. Very good show and very thoughtful.I thought it was worth posting. I love the gwoz interview and comments afterwards.
I think the teams in the league are going to be very pleasantly surprised with the quality of play and the competitive nature in 2013. I think what the league needs to do is make sure that the rest of the world finds out because this is not a league that anyone can take for granted.

http://www.kbunam.com/college_hockey_tonight_archive.html

What minute mark? I dont want to listen to the whole thing on my phone

 

[uaafanblog]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Lets have the conference tournament in Vegas.

That would be a decent place for the Frozen Four even. A school from the league should put in a bid there. I know Anaheim wasn't a big success per se but there have been a helluva lotta eastern frozen fours. Time for it to go back west and I think it'd only be right that a WCHA school host it somewhere cool like Vegas.

I've always thought that Vancouver would be a good place for a Frozen Four as well.

As for a conference tourney ... attendance would likely be brutal eh?

 

[beaverhockeyfan]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Sorry beaver fans, I picked this up from your radio guys. Very good show and very thoughtful.I thought it was worth posting. I love the gwoz interview and comments afterwards.
I think the teams in the league are going to be very pleasantly surprised with the quality of play and the competitive nature in 2013. I think what the league needs to do is make sure that the rest of the world finds out because this is not a league that anyone can take for granted.

http://www.kbunam.com/college_hockey_tonight_archive.html

The Gwoz interview starts almost half way through. I couldn't get the exact minute mark to come up on my computer.

I think Moose did a great job making Gwoz a little uncomfortable.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

That would be a decent place for the Frozen Four even. A school from the league should put in a bid there. I know Anaheim wasn't a big success per se but there have been a helluva lotta eastern frozen fours. Time for it to go back west and I think it'd only be right that a WCHA school host it somewhere cool like Vegas.

I've always thought that Vancouver would be a good place for a Frozen Four as well.

As for a conference tourney ... attendance would likely be brutal eh?

I think they would have to complete the new arena (if it ever happens) before they could have a Frozen 4. Grand Garden only holds about 15,000 for hockey, and I think that is the best current option in Vegas. For the conference tourny, the attendance would be horrible, but hell, the attendance has a good chance at being horrible in several of the options thrown out there. I, for the record, would be there for a conference tournament in a heartbeat.

 

[UpNorthHockey]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I expect the Resch Center for playoffs the first year. I doubt the WCHA is looking to sign a long term deal right out of the gate and Resch is a good, low risk option. If it goes well at Resch, maybe then the tourney stays in GB. I don't see the Bradley Center as much of an option. It's big and expensive. Hotel and parking are also expensive compared with smaller towns and you're unlikely to get much draw from local marketing despite being in a bigger city. Comparatively few Milwaukeeans follow college hockey and there aren't many college hockey ex-pats. I'd think you'd get more local draw in GB than Milw. We're also talking about a pretty small travelling attendance without UW and MN. It's always better to pack a smaller venue than to have a half empty big arena.....makes for a more festive atmosphere.

 

[uaafanblog]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I agree that there doesn't seem to be an over-the-top winner location. Is there some other methodology that could be explored versus the 1st round playoffs followed by a neutral site tourney? Would an extra weekend help to enable some other process? And no .. I'm honestly sorry I don't have a specific suggestion. Are there any playoff models from some other sport that might be adapted?

 

[Squarebanks]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

As funny as the Vegas option for a conference tourney sounds, I'd be way more likely to go to Vegas than some place like Green Bay.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I agree that there doesn't seem to be an over-the-top winner location. Is there some other methodology that could be explored versus the 1st round playoffs followed by a neutral site tourney? Would an extra weekend help to enable some other process? And no .. I'm honestly sorry I don't have a specific suggestion. Are there any playoff models from some other sport that might be adapted?

Bowl Hockey Games? With the 2 highest ranked teams in RPI playing in a Conference Championship Bowl for the autobid.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

As funny as the Vegas option for a conference tourney sounds, I'd be way more likely to go to Vegas than some place like Green Bay.

The league could contract a travel agency to put together fan packages, including hotel, game tickets and chartered flights from, say, Marquette, Minneapolis, Anchorage and Grand Rapids.

 

[Squarebanks]

I've always thought that Vancouver would be a good place for a Frozen Four as well.

As for a conference tourney ... attendance would likely be brutal eh?

I like the Vancouver idea. Another interesting FF site, in my mind, would
be Calgary. The Saddledome is a great hockey venue and the city is hockey-mad. I've read recently that Toronto has expressed interest in a Frozen Four, so the idea of a Canadian-hosted FF isn't that far-fetched.

As for the WCHA tourney, if it's a warm-weather location another idea might be Phoenix/Glendale. With as many people from MN and MI that snowbird there attendance might not actually be half bad.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I like the Vancouver idea. Another interesting FF site, in my mind, would
be Calgary. The Saddledome is a great hockey venue and the city is hockey-mad. I've read recently that Toronto has expressed interest in a Frozen Four, so the idea of a Canadian-hosted FF isn't that far-fetched.

As for the WCHA tourney, if it's a warm-weather location another idea might be Phoenix/Glendale. With as many people from MN and MI that snowbird there attendance might not actually be half bad.

I think we would have to see at least 1, if not more Canadian schools jump to D1 NCAA hockey before the put a Frozen Four in Canada. And I'm not a real big fan of Phoenix, if I'm traveling somewhere for a tournament, Phoenix isn't close to the top of my list for fun places to visit, well ok, maybe it is, but for completely different reasons.

 

[FadeToBlack&Gold]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Unfortunately, having the FF in Canada also means putting up with Canadians who will quickly assert that the Memorial Cup is the superior tournament.

 

[bigblue_dl]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Unfortunately, having the FF in Canada also means putting up with Canadians who will quickly assert that the Memorial Cup is the superior tournament.

Very true. **** Canadians.

 

[hattrick16]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I think the "New WCHA" will be underestimated by many. I'm excited for this conference and the quality of the programs in it. All the schools have succeeded to varying levels in establishing solid hockey programs despite being outspent in nearly every facet of the game by the juggernauts. These nine schools run some of the most efficient hockey programs while still bringing in their fair share of NCAA championships and tournament appearances. This conference's fan base will have a very high hockey IQ and I agree that a well planned, aggressive internet broadcasting approach would be the right path forward. The league members' strength of schedule will take a slight hit, but I'm sure many teams will schedule non-conference games against local Big Ten and NCHC teams to help boost ticket sales and pairwise rankings. I have faith classic rivalries will be maintained (Ferris vs Western) while new hatreds are formed. It's going to be gratifying to watch two or three WCHA teams in the NCAA tournament while the Big Ten, NCHC and Hockey East beat each other up and out of contention. I think this new conference alignment will create an environment where one or two WCHA teams are in the hunt for the National Championship each year.

As the David vs. Goliath storyline becomes even more obvious in college hockey, I'm excited to root on the "New WCHA" in non-conference play.

 

[Squarebanks]

I would tap the brakes on the "in the hunt for the NC" talk, but I agree that a lot of people are underestimating the new WCHA. I don't see this being a westerly AHA as some are suggesting; hockey is a big deal at all of the member schools and I think we will see two or three teams annually headed to the NCAA tourney.

I think the "New WCHA" will be underestimated by many. I'm excited for this conference and the quality of the programs in it. All the schools have succeeded to varying levels in establishing solid hockey programs despite being outspent in nearly every facet of the game by the juggernauts. These nine schools run some of the most efficient hockey programs while still bringing in their fair share of NCAA championships and tournament appearances. This conference's fan base will have a very high hockey IQ and I agree that a well planned, aggressive internet broadcasting approach would be the right path forward. The league members' strength of schedule will take a slight hit, but I'm sure many teams will schedule non-conference games against local Big Ten and NCHC teams to help boost ticket sales and pairwise rankings. I have faith classic rivalries will be maintained (Ferris vs Western) while new hatreds are formed. It's going to be gratifying to watch two or three WCHA teams in the NCAA tournament while the Big Ten, NCHC and Hockey East beat each other up and out of contention. I think this new conference alignment will create an environment where one or two WCHA teams are in the hunt for the National Championship each year.

As the David vs. Goliath storyline becomes even more obvious in college hockey, I'm excited to root on the "New WCHA" in non-conference play.

 

[huskyfan]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

on the Bemidji thread Moose does any interview with Gwoz and absolutely nails him on the "like minded institutions" thing. must listen stuff!!

 

[manurespreader]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

We have had a few ideas on this thread on how to market the new WCHA, are there any more?. I'd like to see the old WCHA attitude put to bed and a new attitude emerge.

 

[Kepler]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

Unfortunately, having the FF in Canada also means putting up with Canadians who will quickly assert that the Memorial Cup is the superior tournament.

Having been to both, the Memorial Cup is actually the superior tournament. Then again I have been able to experience my team winning the Memorial Cup...

 

[AnchorsAway]

Re: The New WCHA (2013-14)

I think Green Bay is the best fit, I had a friend who played for the Gamblers and I made the trip for some games there and PMI does a fantastic job of promoting Gamblers games with promotions and such to get people excited about going to games, they truly make it a "gameday experience" which may bring in some people who don't fit in the "diehard" category that many of us do...It is centrally located, and maybe most important of all, the fact that Green Bay is a blue collar, beer drinking type of town fits perfectly with a league that's schools fans are of that exact mold.

Chicago is a big city but I don't think you would see the same type of aggressive marketing that you would see if PMI got it's hands on it and had the tourney at Resch. Grand Rapids has a nice arena but that is the least hockey fervent region in the state of Michigan and it's not even close so I doubt you would see the due diligence of marketing get done there either. Joe Louis doesnt fill up with the big name schools now plus the Joe is getting rather shabby, and the other sites just dont make much sense to me.

As far as the television stuff goes (and forgive me if I sound like a donkey here, I don't know much about this process) but what about CSTV? They sent a full crew to the Soo last year and televised the first round of the CCHA playoffs between LSSU and OSU...and that was a #8 vs. a #9 CCHA series...Point being that CSTV must not have had many better television options if they were showing that series. All of the "new" WCHA schools collectively have decent fanbases that would provide a consistent ratings base, so at least CSTV would have an idea of what they would be guaranteed ratings wise from week to week...I don't know that much about the network (I only watch it when college hockey is on) but what other types of programs do they usually show? I know they are not considered a top tier college network and even the top tier college networks get marginal ratings for this time of the year college basketball...It seems to me that CSTV could step up and corner the non-BTHC college hockey market, while making the WCHA it's programming base when it comes to broadcasting games much like the Versus network did a few years back by rising out of the cable network doldrums to stake themselves to the NHL and at least give themselves somewhat of an identity.....does this seem even remotely plausible or am I off my rocker here?