UConn vs. Vermont - First Hockey East Home Playoff Series (3/4 - 3/6) | Page 2 | The Boneyard

UConn vs. Vermont - First Hockey East Home Playoff Series (3/4 - 3/6)

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brasssbonanzaa said:
Tough to build an expandable arena. Once the structure is in place, you have to start knocking down walls to add seats unless there are open gaps like the old corners in Gampel. I wish they'd just recreate ND or PSU's arena structure. It'd fit the UConn brand and fanbase size perfectly. Just do without ND's ridiculous balcony structure and railings.

Even UVM's new arena they're investigating is pegged at nearly 6K. http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/...roposed-uvm-arena-still-need-donors/79091506/
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By expandable I mean make area's where future boxes/club seating can be put up. At the tops of each section on the concourses. I'm with you on this but unfortunately if the XL upgrade doesn't die this will be scaled back to league minimum. My ideal on-campus facility is 6500.
 
ct06111 said:
^^^^. <5000. less than 5k Too late to edit. League average is around 4K and Quinnipiac sells out WAY to easy with its 3800 rink for even a casual fan to attend. You want to drive demand and make the intimate close atmosphere, so I think somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 is the sweet spot. Do less seats and standing room if you have to.
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They should build to required league size (I think that's 4500)....that way there is no issues from the other schools.
 
I haven't been this excited for a playoff game played in this arena since 1992 - Game 6. For those of you too young to remember, Yvon Corriveau tapped in a game winner in OT to force Game 7 against Montreal. The Whale, of course, went on to lose on a backbreaking Russ Courtnall softie in Game 7 2OT. That kids, was the last time a playoff hockey game that Dooley is/was 100% invested in was played on our ice.

I. Am. Pumped.
 
Dooley said:
I haven't been this excited for a playoff game played in this arena since 1992 - Game 6. For those of you too young to remember, Yvon Corriveau tapped in a game winner in OT to force Game 7 against Montreal.
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Yeah, except this game will have fans at it.

#TheWhalersAreNeverComingBackGetOverIt
 
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Dooley said:
I haven't been this excited for a playoff game played in this arena since 1992 - Game 6. For those of you too young to remember, Yvon Corriveau tapped in a game winner in OT to force Game 7 against Montreal. The Whale, of course, went on to lose on a backbreaking Russ Courtnall softie in Game 7 2OT. That kids, was the last time a playoff hockey game that Dooley is/was 100% invested in was played on our ice.

I. Am. Pumped.
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I remember that game. What is it with the Whale and Montreal OT playoff games - game 7 was disgusting.

Anyway, I just looked online and it seems there are still a decent amount of tix available in the lower bowl. I wonder what kind of walk-up they get.
 
The Viking said:
I remember that game. What is it with the Whale and Montreal OT playoff games - game 7 was disgusting.

Anyway, I just looked online and it seems there are still a decent amount of tix available in the lower bowl. I wonder what kind of walk-up they get.
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I was figuring on around 6K for attendance...similiar to the UNH game. It also seems like every game there are always people sitting up in the high corner sections that aren't blocked off.
 
FDNY99 said:
That Whaler game had fans at it...it was actually sold out. Just like ALL the Whaler playoff games. Don't let it get to you @Dooley!
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http://articles.courant.com/1992-04-24/news/0000202826_1_first-home-playoff-fan-tickets

Thrusdays game against Montreal had 5,602 people with 6,728 sold.

Sucks hockey fans across the country always point to this attendance figure showing Hartford is not a hockey market. I was 8 at the time. If I could drive, I woulda went. Parents aren't really hockey fans. Birthday presents were the only time I got to see the whalers

UVM:
14/15: 5,072
15/16(whalers night): 6,442
Average: 5,757
 
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ct06111 said:
http://articles.courant.com/1992-04-24/news/0000202826_1_first-home-playoff-fan-tickets

Thrusdays game against Montreal had 5,602 people with 6,728 sold.

Sucks hockey fans across the country always point to this attendance figure showing Hartford is not a hockey market. I was 8 at the time. If I could drive, I woulda went. Parents aren't really hockey fans. Birthday presents were the only time I got to see the whalers

UVM:
14/15: 5,072
15/16(whalers night): 6,442
Average: 5,757
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That series was so poorly attended. Game 3 had about 6k. Game 4 (weekend) had 10k. Game 6 dropped back down to the 8k range. I went to all 3 but I was in high school so I could drive myself.

I've always said that they left at the worst time. Younger fans who grew up with the Whale were getting old enough to have discretionary spending money. Season tickets, with an improved product, would have been good. The issue was that there was so much bad blood between ownership and the state that even when faux ticket drive metrics were met, they were leaving no matter what.

Oh well, without that, the Rent probably never gets built and UConn is left playing hoops in a depleted mid major conference for eternity.
 
ct06111 said:
http://articles.courant.com/1992-04-24/news/0000202826_1_first-home-playoff-fan-tickets

Thrusdays game against Montreal had 5,602 people with 6,728 sold.

Sucks hockey fans across the country always point to this attendance figure showing Hartford is not a hockey market. I was 8 at the time. If I could drive, I woulda went. Parents aren't really hockey fans. Birthday presents were the only time I got to see the whalers

UVM:
14/15: 5,072
15/16(whalers night): 6,442
Average: 5,757
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Ahhh yes...I apologize @zls44 ...the downhill slider the Whale started a year before when that dope Eddie Johnston traded Ron Francis, Ulf Samuelson, and Grant Jennings to Pittsburgh for John Cullen, Zarley Zalapski, and Jeff Parker. Basically the beginning of the end for the Whalers....
 
Dooley said:
That series was so poorly attended. Game 3 had about 6k. Game 4 (weekend) had 10k. Game 6 dropped back down to the 8k range. I went to all 3 but I was in high school so I could drive myself.

I've always said that they left at the worst time. Younger fans who grew up with the Whale were getting old enough to have discretionary spending money. Season tickets, with an improved product, would have been good. The issue was that there was so much bad blood between ownership and the state that even when faux ticket drive metrics were met, they were leaving no matter what.

Oh well, without that, the Rent probably never gets built and UConn is left playing hoops in a depleted mid major conference for eternity.
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They were out the door the minute Bettman and the NHL approved the sale of the team to Karmanos and his clan of merry men. You would have most likely seen a stadium on campus that fit the minimum of 30 or 35K that was required by the Big East...and it would have been built with the football facility as part of it. Perkins was on a mission to upgrade football from the minute he stepped on campus. The BEST line I ever heard at a sporting even was muttered by a Whaler season ticket holder sitting in front of me one night at the Civic Center...it was early in the season and after a loss where they flat out played like total garbage...he turned around to me as he was getting his coat and said "every year they say this will be our year; that this team is greatly improved from last year....and every year they put the same product out on the ice for us to watch"
 
Just checked XL website. There are a ton of tickets left. Looks as though it will be disappointing attendance wise.
 
mac2351 said:
Just checked XL website. There are a ton of tickets left. Looks as though it will be disappointing attendance wise.
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Reason: not 1 courant article after win. Only a 2 sentence blurb. Tmrws paper will be filled with the @ SMU game.

Not even a mass wide marketing email from UConn yet? Come on. People need time to plan. Not everyone is a Season ticket holders. Casual fans probably have no clue. Hardly any radio/tv mentions during other games....
 
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ct06111 said:
Reason: not 1 courant article after win. Only a 2 sentence blurb. Tmrws paper will be filled with the @ SMU game.

Not even a mass wide marketing email from UConn yet? Come on. People need time to plan. Not everyone is a Season ticket holders. Casual fans probably have no clue. Hardly any radio/tv mentions during other games....[/QUOTE
It's quite possible people are not believers in the team yet? As exciting as it was last Friday night with the win over UNH at the XL Center there were some piss poor performances against alot of mediocre teams this year played at the XL - Army, Sacred Heart etc... Hopefully people can forget the regular season record and jump on the bandwagon because VT can definitely be beat!!
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ct06111 said:
Check out this link: Really great breakdown of what happened... Check out the other links at bottom of page. Really nice blog from back in the day. Lot of good info.

http://sophia.smith.edu/~jeue/John/pete.html

A more recent 8 part series "making a relocation". Great stuff. Haven't read all of them yet.
https://cthockeyviolence.wordpress....ntold-story-of-how-hartford-lost-the-whalers/
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Thanks for these...good reads. It's no wonder Karmanos cried poverty a few blackouts ago...and is desperate to sell at least a portion if not all of his team.
 
mac2351 said:
Just checked XL website. There are a ton of tickets left. Looks as though it will be disappointing attendance wise.
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If UConn draws over 3,500 for these events, it will be seen as a success by the league. These octofinal/QF games are HUGE attendance drags nationwide.
 
FDNY99 said:
They were out the door the minute Bettman and the NHL approved the sale of the team to Karmanos and his clan of merry men. You would have most likely seen a stadium on campus that fit the minimum of 30 or 35K that was required by the Big East...and it would have been built with the football facility as part of it. Perkins was on a mission to upgrade football from the minute he stepped on campus. The BEST line I ever heard at a sporting even was muttered by a Whaler season ticket holder sitting in front of me one night at the Civic Center...it was early in the season and after a loss where they flat out played like total garbage...he turned around to me as he was getting his coat and said "every year they say this will be our year; that this team is greatly improved from last year....and every year they put the same product out on the ice for us to watch"
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My favorite fan quote came from the year that their ticket ad campaign was "The Icemen Cometh."...

"The Icemen sure Cometh alright. Right after they bend us all over to pay and watch this ."
 
mac2351 said:
Just checked XL website. There are a ton of tickets left. Looks as though it will be disappointing attendance wise.
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I just looked at the website...I'm gonna go with about 4500 sold so far from what the availability looks like.
 
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Dooley said:
Never trust the green dots.
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Even 4500 would be a good number; but with the regular season game against UVM (1/22) being the first home game in over a month (12/11) most likely helped get the attendance number to 6442. I told my wife I figured there were about 5100-5200 against UNH...and the attendance was 6254 so hopefully the numbers for this weekend are closer to the regular season UVM and UNH games.
 
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brasssbonanzaa said:
He's just angry they haven't yet fired the entire assistant coaching staff of the men's basketball team.
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Hah...I'm actually just upset that the entire program is being built upon the cross of a failed NHL franchise. UConn does not need to associate itself with the Whalers.
 
zls44 said:
Hah...I'm actually just upset that the entire program is being built upon the cross of a failed NHL franchise. UConn does not need to associate itself with the Whalers.
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If you really feel that way, then you should resign as my #icebus tour director
 
From Mike Anthony:
http://www.courant.com/sports/college/hc-state-college-notebook-0304-20160303-story.html
UConn's Huge Win

UConn hockey coach Mike Cavanaugh stopped short of calling Corey Ronan's overtime goal Saturday in the regular season finale at New Hampshire a program-changing moment, but it was another step in the program's evolution.

The victory marked the first time the Huskies had erased a three-goal deficit in the third period under Cavanaugh. It also bumped UConn up to the No. 8 position in Hockey East and landed the Huskies home-ice advantage for a first-round playoff series against No. 9 Vermont (Friday-Sunday at the XL Center). The Huskies finished one spot higher than they did in 2014-15, their debut Hockey East season.

"And the magnitude of the game, knowing it was going to determine whether we stayed home for the playoffs, to be able to do it was pretty special," Cavanaugh said.

As of Thursday afternoon, about 2,500 tickets had been sold for Game 1, which begins at 7:05 p.m. Game 2 is Saturday at 7:05 and Game 3, if necessary, is Sunday at 5:05. With walk-ups, UConn expects a crowd more than 5,000 Friday.

UConn (11-19-4) lost both regular season meetings to Vermont – 2-1 Nov. 13 in Burlington, Vt., and 4-2 Jan. 22 in Hartford. The Catamounts are 12-20-3.

"I don't think there's any secret formula on how to succeed in the playoffs," Cavanaugh said. "I think when you get to this point, it's not so much about a forecheck or defensive zone coverage or neutral zone play — it's making sure you compete every shift, that you're mentally plugged in."

Sophomore David Drake, arguably UConn's best defenseman before being sidelined with a broken hand sustained in the second game against Vermont, returned to full-contact practice Thursday but it remains a long shot for him to play Friday.
 
Nice little segment about the playoffs just now on nbc Connecticut during 6 o'clock news. Will try to find later... Literally just happened.
 
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