uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

[Squarebanks]

Speaking of cash, don't doubt me when I say the Aces likely have two seasons left. The massive shift in minor league hockey has left them high and dry. With other teams leaving their travel budget has likely doubled and given the attitude shift of NHL teams about how they handle their prospects the Aces aren't likely to be anyone's affiliate. Because of that, they can't compete. And without needed playoff revenue they're going to hurt financially. They'll tread for a year or two but time is running out.

This was in my news feed this morning: http://www.news-sentinel.com/sports/komets/Despite-challenges--remote-Alaska-is-ECHL-cornerstone

(Not necessarily disagreeing with you, just thought it was a timely article)

 

[Jimjamesak]

This was in my news feed this morning: http://www.news-sentinel.com/sports/komets/Despite-challenges--remote-Alaska-is-ECHL-cornerstone

(Not necessarily disagreeing with you, just thought it was a timely article)

Lol. What timing.

Listen, Terry Parks can say all he wants but the fact of the matter is no NHL team is interested in having an affiliate in Alaska. And as long as they don't have one they start every season on the back foot. And minor league sports are cutthroat, you can win a championship one year and be gone the next.

 

[bcmsu9196]

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

25 years ago UAA upset Boston College in the NCAA Tournament. The next year the Seawolves again won 20+ plus games, made the NCAAs, and were playing to big crowds at Sullivan Arena, and the year after that they joined the WCHA.

It seemed like everything was primed for success, especially once UAA gained conference affiliation. 23 years later they have a handful of trips to the WCHA Final Five to show among 20-plus losing seasons--my question is, what the hell what wrong out there?

 

[Wolfman]

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

Lol. What timing.

Listen, Terry Parks can say all he wants but the fact of the matter is no NHL team is interested in having an affiliate in Alaska. And as long as they don't have one they start every season on the back foot. And minor league sports are cutthroat, you can win a championship one year and be gone the next.

Based on this article, it doesn't appear that the Aces are going anywhere. However, not having an NHL team affiliate might change things as you indicated. I think that the Sullivan Arena charging UAA 24,000 a weekend is too much. If they can renegotiate that number, it might help save our hockey team. I think UAF playing at the Patty is not as bad as UAA playing in the WFSC. At least the Patty hockey arena holds 1,700 where UAA only holds 700. I agree that the Carlson needs to be upgraded no matter what.

It will be interesting to see what happens this summer. If UAA cuts sports particularly hockey, what would the community uproar be?

 

[Suze]

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

25 years ago UAA upset Boston College in the NCAA Tournament. The next year the Seawolves again won 20+ plus games, made the NCAAs, and were playing to big crowds at Sullivan Arena, and the year after that they joined the WCHA.

It seemed like everything was primed for success, especially once UAA gained conference affiliation. 23 years later they have a handful of trips to the WCHA Final Five to show among 20-plus losing seasons--my question is, what the hell what wrong out there?

That's a very good question. Many fans put much of the blame at the feet of former coach Dean Talafous. I believe 40 players left the team during his time at UAA. He burned a ton of bridges, including recruiting bridges. It's just been one thing after another since he was here.

The Alaska Aces also came on the scene and took many fans away. Especially when the NHL had their lock out season and home town hero Gomez came home to play for the Aces. However, they have been struggling with attendance as well. I wish I knew the answer to your question. I think the old WCHA was the wrong league for UAA. They never had the facilities (especially their training and practice facilities) to compete on an even playing field.

 

[Suze]

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

This was in my news feed this morning: http://www.news-sentinel.com/sports/komets/Despite-challenges--remote-Alaska-is-ECHL-cornerstone

(Not necessarily disagreeing with you, just thought it was a timely article)

Some things jumped out at me right away.

Because they are only pro team sport and because they win, the Aces are huge in the Anchorage community. Winning also helps recruit players.

They haven't won in two years. They lost 600 season ticket holders from last season when they didn't make the playoffs. They will probably lose that many next season because they aren't making the playoffs this year. They haven't recruited the kind of players it takes to win. They badly need a #1 goalie. Instead of recruiting a goal scorer they bring in a guy with the most penalty minutes in the league.

The team also has an exceptional beat writer in Doyle Woody of the Alaska Dispatch News whom everyone follows and helps continue the team's deep ties to the community.

LOL! The only people who "follow" Doyle Woody are two fans who have been super negative. Doyle himself has been negative Nancy the past two seasons, much how he has been with UAA coverage.

 

[Wolfman]

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

Some things jumped out at me right away.

They haven't won in two years. They lost 600 season ticket holders from last season when they didn't make the playoffs. They will probably lose that many next season because they aren't making the playoffs this year. They haven't recruited the kind of players it takes to win. They badly need a #1 goalie. Instead of recruiting a goal scorer they bring in a guy with the most penalty minutes in the league.



LOL! The only people who "follow" Doyle Woody are two fans who have been super negative. Doyle himself has been negative Nancy the past two seasons, much how he has been with UAA coverage.

Suze,

What in your opinion would it take us to have like a Nodak fan base or a Minn Fan base? Is it more residential students on campus? Maybe the type of student that goes to UAA? A big arena? Winning? I can't put my finger on it.

 

[Jimjamesak]

Based on this article, it doesn't appear that the Aces are going anywhere. However, not having an NHL team affiliate might change things as you indicated. I think that the Sullivan Arena charging UAA 24,000 a weekend is too much. If they can renegotiate that number, it might help save our hockey team. I think UAF playing at the Patty is not as bad as UAA playing in the WFSC. At least the Patty hockey arena holds 1,700 where UAA only holds 700. I agree that the Carlson needs to be upgraded no matter what.

It will be interesting to see what happens this summer. If UAA cuts sports particularly hockey, what would the community uproar be?

That article sounded way more like Terry Parks blowing smoke out of his * than anything else. Like Suze stated they're losing season ticket holders, they're having trouble bringing in players (a sign of possible money problems), and they still don't have an affiliate.

 

[Squarebanks]

Suze,

What in your opinion would it take us to have like a Nodak fan base or a Minn Fan base? Is it more residential students on campus? Maybe the type of student that goes to UAA? A big arena? Winning? I can't put my finger on it.

I'm not Suze, but I have three easy observations.

One is that your school and your program are in their relative infancy. The schools you mentioned were established in the 1800's and UAA didn't exist in its current form until the 1970's. Those schools have generations of alumni and donors that UAA just doesn't have yet.

Two is that you are still mostly a commuter school, and commuter schools tend to not have a very rabid sports following. The fact that you're in a bandwagon town where everyone is from somewhere else, and follows the teams from where they came, hurts too.

Three (and this is also something that hurts UAF) is there is a minuscule level of division 1 talent coming out of Alaska. What talent there is, is also recruited by bigger programs with more prestige around the country, plus the WHL. Something like 10% of the kids playing D1 hockey come from Alaska, and of that number about 10-15% play for UAF or UAA. That's bad, and it's the reason both of our programs recruit Canada so heavily...it's not by choice, but by necessity.

 

[Wolfman]

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

Re: uaa @ UAF March 4 & 5 … Why? …Because it really is never too early.

I'm not Suze, but I have three easy observations.

One is that your school and your program are in their relative infancy. The schools you mentioned were established in the 1800's and UAA didn't exist in its current form until the 1970's. Those schools have generations of alumni and donors that UAA just doesn't have yet.

Two is that you are still mostly a commuter school, and commuter schools tend to not have a very rabid sports following. The fact that you're in a bandwagon town where everyone is from somewhere else, and follows the teams from where they came, hurts too.

Three (and this is also something that hurts UAF) is there is a minuscule level of division 1 talent coming out of Alaska. What talent there is, is also recruited by bigger programs with more prestige around the country, plus the WHL. Something like 10% of the kids playing D1 hockey come from Alaska, and of that number about 10-15% play for UAF or UAA. That's bad, and it's the reason both of our programs recruit Canada so heavily...it's not by choice, but by necessity.

yeah, that totally makes sense. Since I am also a graduate of Texas State, I follow them too in all their sports.