hockey east decision coming(june)

[freescooter]

There seems to be a real unity on this topic. I have yet to see one person against it.

If you read Manuel's comments (all our teams play in high profile leagues...)and Bruce's comments (sometimes when a door opens you just need to walk through) it sure sounds like it is going to happen. The report I read says 2013-14 season, which sounds a little quick,but if that's the deal they should do it...

 

[HuskyDogArt]

A hockey barn in the new downtown Storrs district would be sweet. Plus, the local residents would love it.

Especially if it looks like a barn... (make it look like an old barn (to mark UConn as an Agiculture school)), but inside have a modern 5 or 6 K arena and open it it for youth leagues.

 

[freescooter]

here's what I heard on this (by the way art, any arena in Storrs is going on the site of the existing Freitas more or less)...UCONN plans to make this move. It will probably occurr the year after Notre Dame (2014-15 season). They will either expand Frietas or replace it within 5 years with expansion the preferred option, although 5000 is tough given site constraints. Since Merrimack, Vermont, Providence and one or two others don't meet that standard, something closer to 4000 might be acceptable. In any case, UCONN will likely split time between Storrs and Hartford in the short term. They will likely play the Hockey East, and any name non-conference games at the XL and then play most of their non-conference schedule at Freitas Forum. Assuming 13 home HEA games and 6 non-conference games, that means 6 games in Storrs and 13 in Hartford. although it is at least possible that 1 or two of the lesser HEA games will be played on campus to build the student fan base. Long term, more games will be played at Freitas, but look for the big ones, BC, BU, UNH, Maine for example to remain in Hartford. Unlike basketball, though, in hockey you typically play a conference team multiple times in a season, at least twice, sometimes 3 times so it would also be possible to play some better known teams on campus one night and in Hartford the next...And while Hartford isn't ideal, it could work out ok.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Wow! Amazing amount of work to be done at this time. New hoops facility, bb , softball, soccer stadiums, new hockey forum and Storrs Center.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

here's what I heard on this (by the way art, any arena in Storrs is going on the site of the existing Freitas more or less)...UCONN plans to make this move. It will probably occurr the year after Notre Dame (2014-15 season). They will either expand Frietas or replace it within 5 years with expansion the preferred option, although 5000 is tough given site constraints. Since Merrimack, Vermont, Providence and one or two others don't meet that standard, something closer to 4000 might be acceptable. In any case, UCONN will likely split time between Storrs and Hartford in the short term. They will likely play the Hockey East, and any name non-conference games at the XL and then play most of their non-conference schedule at Freitas Forum. Assuming 13 home HEA games and 6 non-conference games, that means 6 games in Storrs and 13 in Hartford. although it is at least possible that 1 or two of the lesser HEA games will be played on campus to build the student fan base. Long term, more games will be played at Freitas, but look for the big ones, BC, BU, UNH, Maine for example to remain in Hartford. Unlike basketball, though, in hockey you typically play a conference team multiple times in a season, at least twice, sometimes 3 times so it would also be possible to play some better known teams on campus one night and in Hartford the next...And while Hartford isn't ideal, it could work out ok.

MC, UVM, and PC are the only ones below the 5K threshold in any real significance, and they were grandfathered in after the rule was implemented about new member arena requirements. ANYTHING being in Hartford long term is a bad, bad idea. There is no reason to build a brand new arena and then outsource the top games to a hole in Hartford 40 minutes from where the students are, and where no one on a Friday night will want to go drive that far to see the game. IT. WONT. WORK. Also, I have trouble seeing HE agreeing to play a season with 11 teams and have incredibly unbalanced schedules, so look for this to happen in 13-14. There is only so much I think the AD's of HE schools will go for, and an 11 team league is not one of them, nor is playing in front of an empty cavernous building far from campus as a permanent solution. Temporarily while something on campus is being built, that's one thing. But long term, it's a disastrously bad idea, and as a HE fan, I'd rather see RPI invited than UConn if that's the plan.

 

[freescooter]

MC, UVM, and PC are the only ones below the 5K threshold in any real significance, and they were grandfathered in after the rule was implemented about new member arena requirements. ANYTHING being in Hartford long term is a bad, bad idea. There is no reason to build a brand new arena and then outsource the top games to a **** hole in Hartford 40 minutes from where the students are, and where no one on a Friday night will want to go drive that far to see the game. IT. WONT. WORK. Also, I have trouble seeing HE agreeing to play a season with 11 teams and have incredibly unbalanced schedules, so look for this to happen in 13-14. There is only so much I think the AD's of HE schools will go for, and an 11 team league is not one of them, nor is playing in front of an empty cavernous building far from campus as a permanent solution. Temporarily while something on campus is being built, that's one thing. But long term, it's a disastrously bad idea, and as a HE fan, I'd rather see RPI invited than UConn if that's the plan.

And my friendthe Quinipiac fan wants them invited, but neither RPI not QU are getting an ivite. simple as that. As far as an unbalanced schedule, that might happen anyway with 12 teams, depending on how things play out there might be 2 divisions with 3 divisional games and 2 against the other division. Not sure that has really been figured out yet. I also think the XL center plan is still evolving in the long term. In some respects UCONN is different from the Boston schools (by the way Matthews at Northeastern is on about 4500-4600 (I've seen both numbers quoted) and the UMasses in that it has a statewide fanbase which I suspect they hope to tap for hockey, too, which is why they are thinking XL long term, not for every game of course but for some every season. Let's face it. this is an athletic department which managed to make womens basketball a big deal--something nobody else has done to the same extent and maybe only Tennessee has even approached, and it is working to do the same with baseball (they play at New Britain Stadium next week and have games at Norwich as well) And not by appealing to the student body. I think they are looking at hockey in a similar way. If it doesn't work they can move all the games back to Frietas 2.0. As far as the 11 team season, I don't know for sure, but I think it has gone so far that that won't be a deal killer at this point. Whether anyone else could make the move more quickly given the timeline, notice periods and all that, I'm not totally certain. I guess it comes down to whether UCONN can be in a position to play at that level even marginally come 2013. One last point on the arena size: Vermont has been in Hockey East only since 2005-06, and gutterson is 4000 seats, so it isn't like this has been a huge issue with repect to new members. My guess is they'll say close enough.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

And my friendthe Quinipiac fan wants them invited, but neither RPI not QU are getting an ivite. simple as that. As far as an unbalanced schedule, that might happen anyway with 12 teams, depending on how things play out there might be 2 divisions with 3 divisional games and 2 against the other division. Not sure that has really been figured out yet. I also think the XL center plan is still evolving in the long term. In some respects UCONN is different from the Boston schools (by the way Matthews at Northeastern is on about 4500-4600 (I've seen both numbers quoted) and the UMasses in that it has a statewide fanbase which I suspect they hope to tap for hockey, too, which is why they are thinking XL long term, not for every game of course but for some every season. Let's face it. this is an athletic department which managed to make womens basketball a big deal--something nobody else has done to the same extent and maybe only Tennessee has even approached, and it is working to do the same with baseball (they play at New Britain Stadium next week and have games at Norwich as well) And not by appealing to the student body. I think they are looking at hockey in a similar way. If it doesn't work they can move all the games back to Frietas 2.0. As far as the 11 team season, I don't know for sure, but I think it has gone so far that that won't be a deal killer at this point. Whether anyone else could make the move more quickly given the timeline, notice periods and all that, I'm not totally certain. I guess it comes down to whether UCONN can be in a position to play at that level even marginally come 2013. One last point on the arena size: Vermont has been in Hockey East only since 2005-06, and gutterson is 4000 seats, so it isn't like this has been a huge issue with repect to new members. My guess is they'll say close enough.

It's not a matter of wanting them to get an invite or not, I know QU, HC, and RPI won't get invites, I'm saying that if it's UConn at XL or RPI, I choose RPI, though I know it won't happen. Yes, Matthews is 4,666 capacity since its recent renovation, hence my "in any real significance" qualifier. More than half of the conference is at or above 5K. The 5K rule was implemented AFTER UVM's admittance in 2005. RPI can make the move in 10 seconds, they've got the arena, they've got the existing relationships, it'd be a matter of changing the logo on the letterhead. And the population of the greater Boston area is larger than the entire state of CT, so the population argument doesn't really work too well. The games are going to be bone dry in Hartford, and much of the allure of college hockey is the atmosphere. If you're playing in front of 13,000 empty seats, that atmosphere is dull, boring, and people won't come back. They come back playing in front of the few thousand people in a small bandbox that's loud as hell and fun as hell to be in. That's how I got hooked, at BU's old 3,800 piece of crap tin roof rink with the paint falling off the wall, but that was one of the loudest sports arenas I've ever been in. UConn playing at XL would turn into a boring snoozefest AHL game that they can already get with the Whale. Again, if it's temporary while something is being built/renovated, I'm fine with it because I'd like it for the program to make the move up, but as a permanent solution, it's a disastrous idea. And I can tell you, no other HE teams/fans like the idea of playing there. That coming from a good source within BU in addition to most fan's reactions.

 

[SubbaBub]

In college hockey, a rowdy crowd is very important to a program. even 8k in the XL will look terrible if they are sitting on their hands.

 

[Johnbuoy]

Apologize if I'm bringing up something that's already been mentioned, but here's a thought.

Why not let Gampel serve double duty as a basketball and hockey arena. It's gotta be a lot cheaper installing an ice making system than to build another arena dedicated solely to hockey. And then there are other things that can be done too...indoor ice skating for the students, Dancing On Ice, etc, etc, etc...

 

[junglehusky]

It's not cheaper, unfortunately.

 

[Dann]

It's not cheaper, unfortunately.

after the bball pf is built the long term idea should be to gut gampel for a 7k rink. that would be the best thing possible for the program. turn the other rink into a pf for hockey and game on. bball can play its games in the xl for years until we put a 15 arena in dt storrs on day.

 

[kingdobbs]

Apologize if I'm bringing up something that's already been mentioned, but here's a thought.

Why not let Gampel serve double duty as a basketball and hockey arena. It's gotta be a lot cheaper installing an ice making system than to build another arena dedicated solely to hockey. And then there are other things that can be done too...indoor ice skating for the students, Dancing On Ice, etc, etc, etc...

Not so much, when you consider that in all likelihood, a second ice making system will have to be maintained anyway, so that there isn't a mad scramble for practice time between the teams that already use it (there's already four teams that share the ice at Freitas: UConn men, UConn women, EO Smith, and the Northeast IceDogs youth program) in addition to the teams which already use Gampel.

And the Gampel sightlines would suck.

 

[Mr Blueskin]

Agree, 5,000 - 7,000 seat rink on campus would be pumping on Friday and Saturday nights especially with the hockey east competition, BU BC Maine UMass, still wish they thought of this back when they did gampel or at least when they closed in the outdoor rink. Hockey over lacrosse anyday especially when it's the best league in all of college hockey looking for you to join.

 

[SubbaBub]

Gampel opened over 20 years ago in another 10, you'll start hearing about a new multi-purpose facility in the 12k range. Go with the "barn" model, a low-cost prefab ice rink that holds 5k.

 

[zls44]

It is physically impossible to fit the dimensions of a hockey rink into Gampel Pavilion.

That's also a small issue.

 

[huskypantz]

after the bball pf is built the long term idea should be to gut gampel for a 7k rink. that would be the best thing possible for the program. turn the other rink into a pf for hockey and game on. bball can play its games in the xl for years until we put a 15 arena in dt storrs on day.

I still think our best bet is a 3500 seat on-campus arena that would allow for very modest future expansion. If the place sells out, play the big games at HCC.

 

[Dann]

It is physically impossible to fit the dimensions of a hockey rink into Gampel Pavilion.

That's also a small issue.

no its not. gut the place and dig and redo the seating and everything. most here aren't just talking of getting rid of a couple seats and getting the garden hose and the ac going. they want a complete overhaul and as result uconn could have a bueatiful facility.

 

[zls44]

no its not. gut the place and dig and redo the seating and everything. most here aren't just talking of getting rid of a couple seats and getting the garden hose and the ac going. they want a complete overhaul and as result uconn could have a bueatiful facility.

If you didn't lower the ceiling, it would look ridiculous. You could re-grade the seating as brand new, and it'd work, except it would end up costing you as much as a new building. Why not just build a new building?

 

[Dann]

If you didn't lower the ceiling, it would look ridiculous. You could re-grade the seating as brand new, and it'd work, except it would end up costing you as much as a new building. Why not just build a new building?

if the costs really are that high. they yea u got me. but i don't think they would be. the other aspect is the location of gampel on campus vs where they could build a new building. there not going to get rid of gampel to build a new rink right there. i just think it would be kind of something special to see gampel turn into a rink. its the place our bball grew up and we got big time enough where we outgrew the building, its part of history for us. so in seeing that maybe we could gut it and let that be the begining of our rise in puck just like it was in bball. just a bit of a view of mine thinking it would be a cool story/history tale of storrs.

 

[microfich]

BC, BU games in Hartford? As a Whaler season ticket holder, it was gut wrenching to listen to 1/3 arena of Bruin fans. This will be tough to take for a while. Love the idea, though.

 

[zls44]

You build the new rink where the small one is.

 

[CTMike]

What's the remaining life expectancy of Gampel? I know it's not in disrepair but on the other hand it is 22 years old... if the life expectancy is 40 years, that's one thing. If it's 30... then it may be something to think about.

 

[SubbaBub]

It would most likely be what is called in the biz, "renovate as new." There is enough space but it would look a little different. I think the roof would have to go, but I see the potential for the interior space to be a smaller modern take on the old Chicago Stadium, a balconied closed in facility. A layout like that could become the loudest college arena in the country.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Per someone who has a connection over on the popular college hockey board, there's a meeting among HE about UConn's membership June 20.

 

[Jimdish255]

It would most likely be what is called in the biz, "renovate as new." There is enough space but it would look a little different. I think the roof would have to go, but I see the potential for the interior space to be a smaller modern take on the old Chicago Stadium, a balconied closed in facility. A layout like that could become the loudest college arena in the country.

You had me at Chicago Stadium.