OT - Ice Braker Tournament 2015

[DarthGrumpy]

A friend just sent me this. U Maine is hosting the traditional college hockey first puck drop of the season event in 2015 - The Ice Breaker Tournament. Oddly, U Maine is hosting the event in Portland, which is about 140 miles away from Orono, at the Cross Insurance Arena, which was recently renovated & renamed (old Cumberland County Civic Center). The tournament begins October 9th and 4 teams are involved - U Maine (host), Lake Superior St, Michigan St, and North Dakota. Not a bad selection.

https://bangordailynews.com/2015/05...arena-to-share-ice-breaker-expenses-revenues/

 

[Adios]

I might have to go to that.

 

[dbmill]

A friend just sent me this. U Maine is hosting the traditional college hockey first puck drop of the season event in 2015 - The Ice Breaker Tournament. Oddly, U Maine is hosting the event in Portland, which is about 140 miles away from Orono, at the Cross Insurance Arena, which was recently renovated & renamed (old Cumberland County Civic Center). The tournament begins October 9th and 4 teams are involved - U Maine (host), Lake Superior St, Michigan St, and North Dakota. Not a bad selection.

https://bangordailynews.com/2015/05...arena-to-share-ice-breaker-expenses-revenues/

I think Maine plays a game or two in Portland every season.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I think Maine plays a game or two in Portland every season.

With nearly 1/2 of the state's population located in just 2 (of 16 counties) - Cumberland (Portland) and York (between Portland and NH), no big surprise. That's where the jobs are and thus that is where U Maine's alumni are (not to mention a few NYC transplants. U Maine basketball actually plays in Bangor now, which is about 15 miles south of Orono.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

There are UMaine fans all over the state, so this will sell well. They do play every year in Portland at least a couple of times. It's also easier and more attractive for UND, MSU, and Lake State fans to get there as opposed to Orono or Bangor, both of which are terrible places to spend a weekend.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

There are UMaine fans all over the state, so this will sell well. They do play every year in Portland at least a couple of times. It's also easier and more attractive for UND, MSU, and Lake State fans to get there as opposed to Orono or Bangor, both of which are terrible places to spend a weekend.

I have actually heard goo things about Bangor lately with the new arena in town (where U Maine now plays all of its hoop games) and the waterfront amitheater in the summer.

http://www.waterfrontconcerts.com/about

http://www.crossinsurancecenter.com/page/958/home

That said, both are on a 'Maine' scale, so it is small and the hotel options are limited in Bangor plus flying there (unless one is a drunk Brit on a transatlantic flight) is a hassle. Portland has a lot more going on is, is even getting high end hotels (Press Hotel is a new Marriott Autograph collection) and a lot of U Maine alumni (just like UConn playing hoops in Bridgeport), and is just a lot of fun, outside of when a Nor'easter rolls in. Several friends of mine who have been to NYC and Portland call it a mini-Brooklyn.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

The only difference with Maine playing in Portland unlike UConn in Bridgeport or even Hartford is that it's UMaine playing MUCH closer to the population density of the state, and in general. It also makes the game much easier for anyone coming from outside of Maine to get to, etc. There is absolutely nothing up by Orono except for Bangor, which amounts to basically Manchester, CT. Storrs is nowhere near the same island that Orono is.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

The only difference with Maine playing in Portland unlike UConn in Bridgeport or even Hartford is that it's UMaine playing MUCH closer to the population density of the state, and in general. It also makes the game much easier for anyone coming from outside of Maine to get to, etc. There is absolutely nothing up by Orono except for Bangor, which amounts to basically Manchester, CT. Storrs is nowhere near the same island that Orono is.

No arguments there, except for one. U Maine Orono has 1 advantage over Storrs - is only about 3 miles from the nearest highway (I-95).

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

No arguments there, except for one. U Maine Orono has 1 advantage over Storrs - is only about 3 miles from the nearest highway (I-95).

I'll give you that, but the amount of traffic on 95 in Orono is roughly equivalent to the amount of traffic on 44 through Mansfield

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I'll give you that, but the amount of traffic on 95 in Orono is roughly equivalent to the amount of traffic on 44 through Mansfield

Except in the summer of 1997 when 75,000 Phishheads made their way past Orono for a concern at the just closed Loring AFB in Limestone, which, for the duration of the concert, made Loring AFB the largest (tent) city in Maine.

 

[brasssbonanzaa]

Except in the summer of 1997 when 75,000 Phishheads made their way past Orono for a concern at the just closed Loring AFB in Limestone, which, for the duration of the concert, made Loring AFB the largest (tent) city in Maine.

Touche

 

[DarthGrumpy]

Touche

As a FYI, my wife worked in one of the Maine Turnpike Rest Areas over summer break in 1997 (Burger King at the rest area paid +5$ more an hour than the Burger King in town). Just for working that rest area during the Phish migration, my wife and the rest of the staff there would have likely flunked any drug test given that week.

 

[TheJerk]

I'll give you that, but the amount of traffic on 95 in Orono is roughly equivalent to the amount of traffic on 44 through Mansfield

I get stuck in those horrible rush hour backups all the time up there