UND's New Hockey Conference

[TheEagle]

Last year's field by new conference. The NCHC is going to be a beast.

ATLANTIC HOCKEY

Air Force

BIG 10

Michigan

ECAC

RPI

Union

Yale

HOCKEY EAST

Boston College

Merrimack

New Hampshire

Notre Dame

NCHC

Colorado College

Denver

Miami

Minnesota-Duluth

Nebraska-Omaha

North Dakota

Western Michigan

WCHA

None

[TheEagle]

People put down the addition of Western Michigan, but they are a program that has the resources to be top notch. UND, UMD, Denver, Miami, Colorado College are all top notch programs. Nebraska-Omaha and St. Cloud State probably rank near the bottom, and they aren't bad programs when compared to what the other conferences have at the bottom. Omaha has a lot of potential too. Good rink. Metro area that supports college sports. USHL country. Blais as head coach.

[fargosioux]

Looks like the Big 10 conference tournament is going to rotate between the XCEL Center and Joe Louis Arena from 2014-17:

http://www.uwbadgers.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/041912aaa.html

[Siouxperfan7]

Looks like the Big 10 conference tournament is going to rotate between the XCEL Center and Joe Louis Arena from 2014-17:

http://www.uwbadgers.../041912aaa.html

I would hope that the NCHC is bidding to have their tournament at the X in 2015 and 2017 (the years the Big 10 tourney is in Detroit). Curious to see where they will have the conference tournament in 2014.

[dmksioux]

I would hope that the NCHC is bidding to have their tournament at the X in 2015 and 2017 (the years the Big 10 tourney is in Detroit). Curious to see where they will have the conference tournament in 2014.

My vote would be to rotate between the X and Denver or Omaha if Denver doesn't work.

[Siouxperfan7]

My vote would be to rotate between the X and Denver or Omaha if Denver doesn't work.

If we truly want to expose College hockey on a "National" level (at least for the teams in the NCHC) I think that Nebraska is the last place you would want to have the tournament. We want to have the tournament in a place that people not only can get to, but want to go to. That is what makes the Final 5 so great. St. Paul/Minneapolis is a good destination location. Omaha I am sure is great, but I don't see too many fans getting overly excited about going there. I would love to see the NCHC to rotate the tournament with the X and the United Center in Chicago!! If I am going to travel 8-12 hours to see hockey, I would much rather be in Chicago over Omaha. Chicago is a great city that people would deffinitely come to. Might even pick up some locals that would come check it out.

[siouxjoy]

If we truly want to expose College hockey on a "National" level (at least for the teams in the NCHC) I think that Nebraska is the last place you would want to have the tournament. We want to have the tournament in a place that people not only can get to, but want to go to. That is what makes the Final 5 so great. St. Paul/Minneapolis is a good destination location. Omaha I am sure is great, but I don't see too many fans getting overly excited about going there. I would love to see the NCHC to rotate the tournament with the X and the United Center in Chicago!! If I am going to travel 8-12 hours to see hockey, I would much rather be in Chicago over Omaha. Chicago is a great city that people would deffinitely come to. Might even pick up some locals that would come check it out.

Omaha does have a sweet zoo...

BUT Chicago would rule.

[82SiouxGuy]

Omaha does have a sweet zoo...

BUT Chicago would rule.

You don't have a built in audience in Chicago. It would get lost in everything going on there including the Blackhawks and Bulls. They don't have a college hockey audience built up in Chicago. Omaha makes more sense because of the built in audience and because it is more centrally located. Minneapolis-St Paul, Omaha and Denver make the most sense. I would throw in Kansas City as a wild card. They have a newer facility, it isn't too far from Omaha so they could attract a college hockey audience, it is within driving distance of most schools and it does a good job of hosting events. Plus it wouldn't have the competition of Chicago. KC isn't very likely but the NCHC might want to at least look at it.

[Snake]

We made the Omaha road trip in 2010, and I have to say it's a very fine downtown and completely capable of hosting the conference tournament. I'm very much looking forward to having that trip on the schedule again this coming season.

[BigGreyAnt41]

We made the Omaha road trip in 2010, and I have to say it's a very fine downtown and completely capable of hosting the conference tournament. I'm very much looking forward to having that trip on the schedule again this coming season.

I remember going down there a couple times for football games and I also enjoyed their downtown/boardwalk area.

[GFG]

Haven't seen it on here yet, but today the B1G announced that their conference tournament would take place at the X in 2014 and 2016, and at JLA in 2015 and 2017. There's been speculation of the WCHA getting the X in the years the B1G isn't there and the Target Center was placing a bid for the NCHC.

[dmksioux]

Looks like the Big 10 conference tournament is going to rotate between the XCEL Center and Joe Louis Arena from 2014-17:

http://www.uwbadgers.../041912aaa.html

Yep... you just needed to go back a bit in this thread...

[jdub27]

We made the Omaha road trip in 2010, and I have to say it's a very fine downtown and completely capable of hosting the conference tournament. I'm very much looking forward to having that trip on the schedule again this coming season.

I will second this. Great area and great people. Looking forward to going down there again in February.

[GFG]

Yep... you just needed to go back a bit in this thread...

My bad! I went back and still didn't see it. Making an eye appointment as I type

[fightingsioux4life]

Next year is the last year of Sioux fans hitting the road for the WCHA Final Five and I must confess to being a little sad about it. This has been circled on my calendar for years and now it's going away. I would really like a rotation between Omaha and St. Paul; that would make the most sense for the most teams. Denver is not an optimal location; it is too far west. I think Chicago is a little too far east and is not at all a college hockey market. Whatever they work out, I hope it is as fun as the Final Five has been all these years.

[craw84]

You don't have a built in audience in Chicago. It would get lost in everything going on there including the Blackhawks and Bulls. They don't have a college hockey audience built up in Chicago. Omaha makes more sense because of the built in audience and because it is more centrally located. Minneapolis-St Paul, Omaha and Denver make the most sense. I would throw in Kansas City as a wild card. They have a newer facility, it isn't too far from Omaha so they could attract a college hockey audience, it is within driving distance of most schools and it does a good job of hosting events. Plus it wouldn't have the competition of Chicago. KC isn't very likely but the NCHC might want to at least look at it.

Completely agree with that...there is no fanbase for college hockey in Chicago. Since I live in KC, I'd love to see it at the Sprint Center, but I really don't know if that's viable. Omaha is the nearest team, but that's still 3 hours away. We might get a better feel during the Ice Breaker tournament this fall in KC, as to how many Mav fans will travel down here. I honestly think switching between Omaha and St. Paul every year is the best option. Denver, while a great hockey town, with a fantastic college hockey fanbase, is just WAY too far...especially for WMU/Miami. Just out of curiosity, I figured out the average travel distance for NCHC schools to these locations:

Omaha - 487 miles

St. Paul - 512 miles

Denver - 726 miles

[GFG]

Completely agree with that...there is no fanbase for college hockey in Chicago. Since I live in KC, I'd love to see it at the Sprint Center, but I really don't know if that's viable. Omaha is the nearest team, but that's still 3 hours away. We might get a better feel during the Ice Breaker tournament this fall in KC, as to how many Mav fans will travel down here. I honestly think switching between Omaha and St. Paul every year is the best option. Denver, while a great hockey town, with a fantastic college hockey fanbase, is just WAY too far...especially for WMU/Miami. Just out of curiosity, I figured out the average travel distance for NCHC schools to these locations:

Omaha - 487 miles

St. Paul - 512 miles

Denver - 726 miles

Conferences could care less how far a certain school has to go. Penn State's closest conference tournament will be in Detroit, which is a 7-8 hour drive. They want the arena that will sell the most tickets. The ONLY 4 options the NCHC will be considering, IMO, are REA, Omaha, and the Target Center with a possible visit to the X every other year.

Just my 2 cents.

[as15]

Conferences could care less how far a certain school has to go. Penn State's closest conference tournament will be in Detroit, which is a 7-8 hour drive. They want the arena that will sell the most tickets. The ONLY 4 options the NCHC will be considering, IMO, are REA, Omaha, and the Target Center with a possible visit to the X every other year.

Just my 2 cents.

I would be very surprised if the NCHC didn't rotate their conference tournament location with the Xcel Center, it is very easy to get to (large airport) and will sell more tickets than anywhere else. The other question is where will the tournament be the other two years? REA would be nice, and would sell out as well but are the other team's willing to give UND home ice advantage in exchange for essentially, a guaranteed sellout?

[crb1]

Conferences could care less how far a certain school has to go. Penn State's closest conference tournament will be in Detroit, which is a 7-8 hour drive. They want the arena that will sell the most tickets. The ONLY 4 options the NCHC will be considering, IMO, are REA, Omaha, and the Target Center with a possible visit to the X every other year.

Just my 2 cents.

From a business standpoint this makes sense. I know I have green colored glasses but I have never understood why REA is not talked about as much for a possible option to host. I know other options may be more attractive but I would find it hard to believe they couldn't fill the arena for most games.

[fargosioux]

I'd like to see the National go to the Target Center in years that the Big Ten is at the X, and go head-to-head with them. I think the Twin Cities just makes the most sense from an attendance standpoint.

[GFG]

I would be very surprised if the NCHC didn't rotate their conference tournament location with the Xcel Center, it is very easy to get to (large airport) and will sell more tickets than anywhere else. The other question is where will the tournament be the other two years? REA would be nice, and would sell out as well but are the other team's willing to give UND home ice advantage in exchange for essentially, a guaranteed sellout?

There's been speculation that the WCHA could possibly end up with the X the years that the B1G doesn't have it. I personally don't see it, but the speculation is out there so somebody must know that it's a possibility.

[as15]

There's been speculation that the WCHA could possibly end up with the X the years that the B1G doesn't have it. I personally don't see it, but the speculation is out there so somebody must know that it's a possibility.

It would be an absolute waste of money. They would be lucky to get 5000 fans per game.

[Smoggy]

How much does the X kick themselves if the Target Center gets NCHC every year? That's a lot of money to lose out on to keep umtc happy and get to say you have the B1G tourney. I'm very curious to see if any fans travel from the state of Michigan. Because they don't even show up to Joe Louis the way it is.

[GFG]

How much does the X kick themselves if the Target Center gets NCHC every year? That's a lot of money to lose out on to keep umtc happy and get to say you have the B1G tourney. I'm very curious to see if any fans travel from the state of Michigan. Because they don't even show up to Joe Louis the way it is.

People around here REALLY underestimate what the recession did to the state of Michigan. I go there every summer and it's BAD compared to Grand Forks or Minnesota. I have to imagine that's part of the problem.

I will admit that the one thing the B1G has going for it when it comes to the conference tournament is that fans from all 6 schools can get tickets and travel plans, at this point, years in advance because they know that their team will be in the tournament every year. You would think that will be a little help, compared to the WCHA now or the future NCHC where fans don't know if their team is going to be in the tournament until 4 or 5 days before the tournament starts. That's the one plus the B1G has going for it IMO.

Needless to say, I don't think the B1G will see very many sell outs at the X. Neither would the NCHC, though. I personally expect the B1G and NCHC to rotate at the X, with both having somewhat similar attendance numbers

[siouxjoy]

You don't have a built in audience in Chicago. It would get lost in everything going on there including the Blackhawks and Bulls. They don't have a college hockey audience built up in Chicago. Omaha makes more sense because of the built in audience and because it is more centrally located. Minneapolis-St Paul, Omaha and Denver make the most sense. I would throw in Kansas City as a wild card. They have a newer facility, it isn't too far from Omaha so they could attract a college hockey audience, it is within driving distance of most schools and it does a good job of hosting events. Plus it wouldn't have the competition of Chicago. KC isn't very likely but the NCHC might want to at least look at it.

Just to clarify...

I totally agree with you, I just think Chicago would be a more fun place to visit.