ELynah Forum

Triple-A hockey, Fred...much like baseball's top level minor league (IL) that has been nationwide for awhile.  Although baseball atleast splits it up into two separate eastern and western entities during the regular season before the winners meet in the finals.

The AHL absorbed those western castoffs from the IHL when their league fell apart after last season.  The result?  Regular season games that see Hartford traveling to Manitoba and Hershey out to Utah... not exactly the bus league you remember for sure, huh?

And now, San Antonio...go figure.

The Hartford Wolfpack, huh???  Do you know their lineage???  They were the former Binghamton Rangers in the "A" before the local owners had much money dangled in front of their noses by MSG...locals take the money...MSG now has a team to move and fill 40+ dates at the newly vacated Hartford Civiic Center (Whalers to Carolina that spring)...many Binghamton fans heartbroken over loss of the second best hockey league in the land...forced to suffer with the low level UHL for the past 5 seasons...

Cannot wait for the Wolfpack to make their first visit to Binghamton this year.  Their reception should be interesting to say the least!

Not unless they expanded it since my last visit there two weeks ago for a UHL playoff game.  That 7,200 figure is what I assuming they squeeze in there for concerts.

There is talk of state money coming in with the new AHL team this year ('02-'03) and they are looking to expand hockey capacity to 6,000 with luxury boxes as well.

Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena (Binghamton) = 4,680

Coach USA Center (Elmira) = 4,100 (broken up between 3,800 seats + luxury box seating)

Just a "guess"-timate that the dates will either be 27-28 (Fri/Sat) or 28-29 (Sat/Sun).  In talking with Craig Brush (Everblades CEO) on the air last year at the tournament, I believe he mentioned he preferred Sat-Sun to stimulate attendance for the first early game instead of having that at 4pm on a Friday afternoon.  

He also wanted to see a better draw of fans overall and felt that with Everblades having games sandwiched around the college tourney was not good.  With 4 consecutive days of hockey, naturally the college ones would be lowest on the locals' priority list.  He was going to work with their member league (ECHL) and the scheduling to ensure that the college tournament could be showcased and place their pro team on the road during that time.

Don't know if that helps your travel plans, but that's all I know.

Nope, no Mercyhurst/MAAC worries Fred...Coach had talked of them being on the schedule earlier this year on one of the shows but I'm glad that didn't play out.

No idea on dates, but would throw what is strictly a guess out there that they'll start the season at OSU (after the annual Canadian exhibition) for one game and the WMU pair will be mid to late January.  Really cannot picture starting off the year on the road with the WMU pair, but I could be wrong.  Just a guess based on last year's weekends and the opening pair against UAH.

Thanks to all for appreciating the broadcasts of Big Red hockey...believe me, I try to twist Pete's arm (mostly on the air, but even that doesn't shame him into changing his schedule!) into doing more of the games.

I've got the most enjoyable hobby of all: getting paid to watch a Top 10 hockey program and bringing the action home to those that cannot be amongst the Traveling Faithful...I tell ya, it doesn't get much better than that!

I'm just a fan that gets to call the game and hopefully the excitement you feel live at the game comes through in the call on the ones you cannot make it to.  I don't always get it right, but the passion is there and I love what I do!

Special thanks to all of the listeners that have taken the time to e-mail, phone, or chat in person (while I'm at the grocery store or at the rink...).  The support you show for your team (and your radio guy) is amazing and I'm privileged to be a part of that mix.

Bring on the Red/White!!!

LOL...

On the final coaches show last night, we talked about the schedule.  4 games are definites and the remaining three are close to being done:

The 4 definites are:   BU Thanksgiving weekend (Sat/Sun 3pm) and the Florida
Tournament (open with Maine and then OSU/Amherst...I stand corrected that it will not be BC in this year's edition).

The 3 that are in the process of being finalized are OSU and Western Michigan (2) all on the road.

We also talked of playing national powers like UNH and others on a more consistent basis.  Coach is more than willing on a reciprocating basis (we go there one year/they come here the next), but the bigger western powers pretty much turn their noses up at that.  He did say that UNH coach Dick Umilie was interested in coming to Lynah so we'll have to wait and see how that pans out over the next several seasons.

Overall, the non-conference schedule next year looks to be stocked with teams that should most likely be in or near the Top 15 (with the exception of Amherst).  Sure would love to see a Denver, Michigan, Minnesota, or MSU on there though...

In Florida next season, I think it's BC instead of Amherst as the new blood though I've not seen anything on paper yet.  I'll ask about it tonight on the coaches show.  I believe the tentative schedule also includes a home date with Mercyhurst as well.

Back to the original thought on this thread:  No one can possibly be more sick of that tired and worn out Pepsi jingle than yours truly!  Pumping through the old headset everytime it's played for God knows how many years.  I'm sort of surprised that that jingle hasn't triggered some violent psychotic reaction amongst the Faitful listeners (similar to the Mary Hart/ET mental wigouts her voice apparently set off in a select few many years ago).  I HATE THAT PEPSI JINGLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:-(

I'm a little less passionate on the LP subject.  I'll go wherever the games are and have a great time regardless.  Don't like the big ice though...wish it was built with adjustable boards as was the Saddledome in Calgary for the Olympic games held there to allow regualtion or Olympic dependent on the event's preference.

Couldn't watch the game in my hotel in Worcester so I was confined to a choppy audio feed of the SCSU radio feed.  The play-by-play guy was mystified as to why they were reviewing the apparent tying goal and stated that it will be a goal and I'm putting it on the scoresheet.  Then reality set in, goal waved off, and he had a look at the video monitor and agreed that it was a correct call.  But he did make it sound as if the player in the crease wasn't even near where the apparent goal was scored from and was not interfering with the play in any way.

Then there's the misfire by the Hobey Baker candidate on a breakaway that again could have tied the game.  Was it as much of a wide open net as it sounded???  Described as deking Blackburn down then sending the shot wide of an open net...

Despite the unpopular, but correct, call it seems like SCSU had their chances.

Yeah...I wasn't sure what he was referencing, but that would make sense. I've had it pretty good in my relatively short term of following the team with 4 bids overall in my 13 years of being involved with the Red.

I think that it's been 2 at-large bids in 12 years ('91 & '02)...nonetheless, it is still something to savor!

While the site collegehockeystats.com doesn't have HE onboard as far as compiling/providing their stats on their site, the ECAC stats they do compile include games against NC opponents regardless of conference.

Now, about that pronunciation thing ;-)...