NCHC says no to ASU Hockey

[CL82]

Mike McMahon@MikeMcMahonCHN 20 hours ago
Sacred Heart is close to signing a contract that would move all of its home games to Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport.

Getting ready to slip in and take our place in the American?

 

[huskymedic]

Getting ready to slip in and take our place in the American?

?#icebus#

 

[kingdobbs]

Why does Air Force like playing in the East so much?

They like playing Army.

Beyond that, it was a marriage of convenience at the time. The CHA was an unstable mess, and the WCHA had ten teams and was happy that way.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

This is very big news for SHU. Far better platform than Milford Ice Pavilion.

Is that for this upcoming season?

Air Force competitive in the NCHC? I'd be very impressed if they could pull that off.

Niagara on board with AHA scholarship changes

They are reporting Webster Bank Arena as a done deal for this upcoming season. Awesome. AIC is moving to Mass Mutual Center in Springfield. Will be interesting to see if they can fill the void left by the AHL Falcons. That dyke along the CT River by the Olympia Ice Center is kinda cool.

I believe the AHL Portland Pirates are moving to Springfield to replace the Falcons.

 

[jho]

I believe the AHL Portland Pirates are moving to Springfield to replace the Falcons.

This is correct. The new name is the Springfield Thunderbirds and they're affiliated with the Florida Panthers.

 

[dayooper]

There's some in the media who believe there'll be a new league formed in the mold of an old CCHA, don't know if that would involve the mashup of current WCHA and AHA schools, but there's definitely room for a new home with less travel for some schools. The future landscape looks like there'll be some definite change and the only two schools who definitely won't lose anyone are the B1G and Hockey East, with the NCHC also likely not losing anyone though I do believe UND could be poached by the B1G at some point.

Hadn't heard that some think that there might be a merger at some point. It's an interesting thought, though. I don't know much about the AHC, but having Air Force would be great.

Losing the Alaska schools and Alabama - Huntsville while picking up Air Force, Robert Morris and Army to make an even 10 would look like this:

Air Force
Army
Bemidji State
Bowling Green
Ferris State
Lake Superior State
Michigan Tech
Minnesota State
Northern Michigan
RIT

Not a bad conference if you ask me.

 

[Adios]

Hadn't heard that some think that there might be a merger at some point. It's an interesting thought, though. I don't know much about the AHC, but having Air Force would be great.

Losing the Alaska schools and Alabama - Huntsville while picking up Air Force, Robert Morris and Army to make an even 10 would look like this:

Air Force
Army
Bemidji State
Bowling Green
Ferris State
Lake Superior State
Michigan Tech
Minnesota State
Northern Michigan
RIT

Not a bad conference if you ask me.

If by any chance the Ivies part ways with the rest of the ECAC, the remaining schools (RPI, Clarkson, St Lawrence, etc) would actually fit in well with that conference.

 

[dbmill]

Why does Air Force like playing in the East so much?

Air Force and Army being military service schools don't have athletic scholarships. As per league rules, the rest of the Atlantic Hockey teams don't offer as many scholarships as the other hockey conferences offer. As an example, before the Huskies announced they were joining Hockey East, I don't believe UConn had any players on scholarship during their long tenure in Atlantic Hockey. Because of the scholarship restrictions it is easier for Air Force and Army to be competitive in Atlantic Hockey than it would be if they were in one of the other hockey conferences.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Air Force and Army being military service schools don't have athletic scholarships. As per league rules, the rest of the Atlantic Hockey teams don't offer as many scholarships as the other hockey conferences offer. As an example, before the Huskies announced they were joining Hockey East, I don't believe UConn had any players on scholarship during their long tenure in Atlantic Hockey. Because of the scholarship restrictions it is easier for Air Force and Army to be competitive in Atlantic Hockey than it would be if they were in one of the other hockey conferences.

AHA actually announced yesterday they were allowing up to 18 full scholarships now, in line with other leagues.

 

[Redding Husky]

How is ASU hockey being accepted? They can't find a place to play

No one ever expresses doubts about college ice hockey in the desert Southwest, yet many people become apoplectic when they hear "New England" and "college football" in the same sentence.

I find that situation to be odd.

 

[Adios]

No one ever expresses doubts about college ice hockey in the desert Southwest, yet many people become apoplectic when they hear "New England" and "college football" in the same sentence.

I find that situation to be odd.

Drama sells. ASU has way less room for drama regarding it's hockey program than the northeast does in anything. If ASU's hockey program gets nowhere, then drama will come with that. Northern Arizona University used to have a D1 hockey program, no longer around.

 

[kingdobbs]

No one ever expresses doubts about college ice hockey in the desert Southwest, yet many people become apoplectic when they hear "New England" and "college football" in the same sentence.

I find that situation to be odd.

Plenty of people in the college hockey world have expressed significant doubt.

College hockey is a pretty small world though, especially compared to college football.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

ASU is very much a test case for college hockey in non-traditional markets. NAU's program wasn't a good meter as it's in a small town and the school has a tiny following to begin with. ASU, with their large fanbase and large metro area, should provide a decent insight into whether large west coast schools (basically any Pac-12 school) could potentially make hockey work. I honestly have no idea if it'll work, though their arena situation is troubling. Playing all games in Glendale is a nonstarter, so founding the program but having no plans for anything on or near campus is puzzling.

 

[MountainMan]

ASU is very much a test case for college hockey in non-traditional markets. NAU's program wasn't a good meter as it's in a small town and the school has a tiny following to begin with. ASU, with their large fanbase and large metro area, should provide a decent insight into whether large west coast schools (basically any Pac-12 school) could potentially make hockey work. I honestly have no idea if it'll work, though their arena situation is troubling. Playing all games in Glendale is a nonstarter, so founding the program but having no plans for anything on or near campus is puzzling.

Why is that?

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Why is that?

Way too far away from campus, far away from the population center of the metro area, and the arena is WAY too big for the popularity of the sport in that area.

 

[MountainMan]

On now some schools play sports, even big sports like football, away from campus and it seems to work out. I"m sure they could manage the short drive like the rest of the hockey fans to watch NHL games. I can see how it woudl be weird to have a big arena with a few hundred people though.

What about one of these.
Coyotes Ice Landing Site

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

On now some schools play sports, even big sports like football, away from campus and it seems to work out. I"m sure they could manage the short drive like the rest of the hockey fans to watch NHL games. I can see how it woudl be weird to have a big arena with a few hundred people though.

What about one of these.
Coyotes Ice Landing Site

The Coyotes have historically been one of the worst attended NHL teams, some years being dead last. The last time they finished above the bottom three in the NHL in attendance was 2006-07, when they were a whopping #24. The highest they have ever finished is 18th in the league. Many believe this is in some part because the arena is located out in Glendale, away from the population centers of Phoenix and Tempe. Either way, the NHL experiment in Arizona thus far has been anything but successful. The team is on financial life support because Gary Bettman is a tool.

Other than UConn, there are exactly zero college hockey teams who play in arenas that far from their campus. College hockey is a niche sport so moving it away from campus and away from the population center of your metropolitan area is ridiculously stupid. At least in UConn's case, they're moving it away from campus but further to the middle of the population center.

 

[HuskyDogArt]

Soon there might be 3 college hockey teams (USF, FSU and UF) to play major college hockey in FL...Lightning owner Jeff Vinick is going to help them if they want to upgrade...The Lightning home arena MIGHT be a site for the southern beanpot... (USF, UF, FSU and UAH).

 

[Ha Who]

Soon there might be 3 college hockey teams (USF, FSU and UF) to play major college hockey in FL...Lightning owner Jeff Vinick is going to help them if they want to upgrade...The Lightning home arena MIGHT be a site for the southern beanpot... (USF, UF, FSU and UAH).

The NHL and the sunbelt have worked so well.

 

[Adios]

The NHL and the sunbelt have worked so well.

To some extent, it has. Youth hockey participation has skyrocketed. The #1 pick in the past draft is an Arizonan.

 

[Ha Who]

To some extent, it has. Youth hockey participation has skyrocketed. The #1 pick in the past draft is an Arizonan.

The Business Of Hockey

 

[billybud]

Soon there might be 3 college hockey teams (USF, FSU and UF) to play major college hockey in FL...Lightning owner Jeff Vinick is going to help them if they want to upgrade...The Lightning home arena MIGHT be a site for the southern beanpot... (USF, UF, FSU and UAH).

I do not see FSU adding a varsity hockey program (they play as a club team). Why? Title IX.

If there is another man's sport to be added, it would likely be men's soccer to play with the 12 ACC schools that now field a team.

 

[CTFAN4LIFE]

The Business Of Hockey

probs the worst commissioner of all time in all professional sports is Bettman. All of his sunbelt teams are pitiful and the Jersey and NYI franchises in the shadows of the NHL offices have fallen on desperate times.

 

[Adios]

The Business Of Hockey

That wasn't the purpose of teams in non-traditional markets. The purpose was to grow the sport. Don't you think the NHL knows the Coyotes would be worth more in Halifax than in Phoenix?

http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0039/9587/Done_90-91_to_12-13_Season_Member_Counts.pdf

Youth participation in the southeast is up at least 10x since 1990. Geez, total failure. Franchise valuations is such a short-sighted argument. Like the NHL doesn't know they can get better attendance elsewhere? Really?

 

[Ha Who]

That wasn't the purpose of teams in non-traditional markets. The purpose was to grow the sport. Don't you think the NHL knows the Coyotes would be worth more in Halifax than in Phoenix?

http://assets.ngin.com/attachments/document/0039/9587/Done_90-91_to_12-13_Season_Member_Counts.pdf

Youth participation in the southeast is up at least 10x since 1990. Geez, total failure. Franchise valuations is such a short-sighted argument. Like the NHL doesn't know they can get better attendance elsewhere? Really?

Those grown up players are now filling the arenas and boosting franchise values all these years after the Gretzky trade signaled the birth of the "sunbelt boom". You sound like the Connecticut legislature explaining the exodus of business from Connecticut