Generic Off Season Thread

[Jordan 04]

Too bad. Doubtful I'd ever make the trip up to LP.

[Beeeej]

Too bad. Doubtful I'd ever make the trip up to LP.

For all my bitching about the distance, the expense, and the hotel cancellation policies, it really is a beautiful place, and they certainly have a better handle than Atlantic City does on how to host a hockey tournament weekend.

I might complain about it, but if Cornell makes it, I'll probably go.

[Jim Hyla]

So, do we start making hotel reservations now, so we can get a room in the town, and then kiss that money goodbye if we don't make it? Or will Adam be correct that the policy will change? This is ridiculous. The only good thing is that I might be able to ski a half day at Whiteface. Let's hope that it's a short stay. I wonder how much money they got with this move. I can come up with more negatives, but will save them for later.::bang::

[RichH]

https://twitter.com/chnews/status/233983776705892352

Per Adam Wodon, "Lake Placid won out in a tight vote that included Providence and Albany."

http://www.collegehockeynews.com/news/2012/08/10_ecac_returning_to_lake_placid.php

Well, that's news that Providence submitted a formal bid, it seems. That was always an intriguing option, in my eye. I would have preferred there or Albany, but anything to get us out of AC.

Since I'm fond of non-car transportation for hockey trips, I just learned that Amtrak does service Lake Placid (bus transfer off the Adirondack route from Westport), so one could travel from NYC or Albany without a car.

[Jeff Hopkins '82]

I'm one of those people who think this is probably the best of a miserable set of options.

For me, LP always had more going for it than the tournament.  The birdwatching is great up there (and on the way home), and if they open the bobsled run, that is a blast.

Now hopefully the hotel deposit situation got fixed.  If that happened, nothing will stop me from going if we're in the tourney.

[adamw]

Al, that stupidity includes the schools that voted for it, so you'll have to be sure you want to call them all stupid.

Mudpuddles is no longer Mudpuddles ... The building is there, but now called Wiseguys. I haven't been in it...I only know this because I'm coincidentally in town for the World Junior Evaluation Camp, and noticed.

I'm going to be writing another article on this soon, but I know that one counter-argument to my April article that advocated for LP was that the mystique of the place meant nothing, or less, to "kids today." I can say this is universally untrue. Every player I've spoken to at camp, most without prompting, have talked about the incredible feeling of being there. They all know the history, they've all seen the movie, they all get the significance, and, most importantly, they all personally feel the significance.

Jim ... I haven't been able to ask yet about hotels. I don't know if there was a guarantee on that yet or not. I will be asking. If the answer is no, then I will certainly be critical of that component of it.

[Al DeFlorio]

Al, that stupidity includes the schools that voted for it, so you'll have to be sure you want to call them all stupid.

I'm quite sure, Adam.  Trust me.

[Scersk '97]

Since I'm fond of non-car transportation for hockey trips, I just learned that Amtrak does service Lake Placid (bus transfer off the Adirondack route from Westport), so one could travel from NYC or Albany without a car.

Given that I have recently done the non-car trip to Placid, I will opine that your best option, and a reasonably comfortable one at that, is actually to chop short at Albany and take Adirondack Trailways there and back.  The Westport shuttle is convenient but slow and expensive; the trip from Albany is longer (bus-wise) but cheaper when combined with a discount ticket via Amtrak to Albany.  I hate cabs, but cab is your best option between the bus station and the Amtrak station across the river—it's only about $10.  Still cheaper overall than the Westport shuttle.

[redice]

Nitwits!!    Fucking nitwits!!

Oh well, at least with this much advance notice it's easy to develop more worthwhile activities for that weekend of March over the next few years.  

The Hockey East tournament is looking better all the time.   A slightly better brand of hockey and there's always BOSTON to enjoy during the off-hockey hours!!   Easy choice to make...

[Trotsky]

There ought to be a way to "timeshare" reservations between fans of the teams that play in the QF.  It's the internet age.  Somebody can make a tidy sum with a 5% markup that insures against getting stuck with tickets if your team is eliminated.

[ursusminor]

Al, that stupidity includes the schools that voted for it, so you'll have to be sure you want to call them all stupid.

Mudpuddles is no longer Mudpuddles ... The building is there, but now called Wiseguys. I haven't been in it...I only know this because I'm coincidentally in town for the World Junior Evaluation Camp, and noticed.

I'm going to be writing another article on this soon, but I know that one counter-argument to my April article that advocated for LP was that the mystique of the place meant nothing, or less, to "kids today." I can say this is universally untrue. Every player I've spoken to at camp, most without prompting, have talked about the incredible feeling of being there. They all know the history, they've all seen the movie, they all get the significance, and, most importantly, they all personally feel the significance.

Jim ... I haven't been able to ask yet about hotels. I don't know if there was a guarantee on that yet or not. I will be asking. If the answer is no, then I will certainly be critical of that component of it.

Adam, I assume that the Camp you were at was for an American team. I would think that the Canadian players don't have a similar feeling overall.

IMO, there are two problems with LP that make either Albany or Providence better -- the ice size and the difficulty to make last-minute plans for attendance. To me that outways the benefits of LP as a recruiting tool and the fact that the town historically has supported the tourney. JMHO.

[Chris '03]

IMO, there are two problems with LP that make either Albany or Providence better -- the ice size and the difficulty to make last-minute plans for attendance. To me that outways the benefits of LP as a recruiting tool and the fact that the town historically has supported the tourney. JMHO.

A way to keep the LP/ECAC connection and alleviate some of the drawbacks is to use LP for some king of ECAC Invitational, sort of like the old GLI. Every year 3 ECAC teams and a guest play a two day tournament in November(?). Every ECAC players gets to do it once. The large ice isn't impacting league titles and folks can book well in advance because the field will be set well in advance. Only issue is attendance but that's going to be an issue in LP Round 2 without Vermont and if Clarkson and SLU don't make it anyway. If you keep CU, SLU, and CCT apart in the rotation you can get some balance...

I don't know, it's something.  I enjoyed going to Lake Placid as a student and would like for younger fans to get that experience too but I would almost certainly not make the trip now due to the distance and expense.  I fear that with Cornell's recent, prolonged, success and national expectations, the Red contingent will not be as strong in LP this time around. As has been kicked around here repeatedly, with sights set on NCAAs and more at large bids available, the ECAC tournament has taken a diminished role in a lot of fans' minds it seems.

[adamw]

Adam, I assume that the Camp you were at was for an American team. I would think that the Canadian players don't have a similar feeling overall.

True, of course, however I'm sure Canadian players also appreciate its significance, and the overall point is that the ECAC being associated with Lake Placid gives it some credibility that the other places don't. To someone in Canada, you can't compare Joe Louis Arena with Albany. But compared to Lake Placid, at least it's something. It doesn't feel as much like an admission of defeat that "we are too small for big arenas" ...even though they are. It feels more like, "we are good enough to have our own cool place too."

IMO, there are two problems with LP that make either Albany or Providence better -- the ice size and the difficulty to make last-minute plans for attendance. To me that outways the benefits of LP as a recruiting tool and the fact that the town historically has supported the tourney. JMHO.

Some good news on this front. They are in the middle of constructing a brand new Hampton Inn here near the arena. Should alleviate things at least a little, we can hope.

[Trotsky]

I fear that with Cornell's recent, prolonged, success and national expectations, the Red contingent will not be as strong in LP this time around. As has been kicked around here repeatedly, with sights set on NCAAs and more at large bids available, the ECAC tournament has taken a diminished role in a lot of fans' minds it seems.

I hope that's not the case.  As much as I like the NCAAs, they will always be the cherry on top.  The ECAC tourney is our tourney.  I'm glad to see it back closer to where it belongs.

Now they just need a 15k facility in downtown Ithaca...  

[Jordan 04]

Too bad. Doubtful I'd ever make the trip up to LP.

For all my bitching about the distance, the expense, and the hotel cancellation policies, it really is a beautiful place, and they certainly have a better handle than Atlantic City does on how to host a hockey tournament weekend.

I might complain about it, but if Cornell makes it, I'll probably go.

Yes. It's lovely. That's about it. I enjoyed my trips there; of course, that was when I didn't have to worry about transportation, accommodation, or other expenses. Or using vacation days.

But now it makes pretty much zero sense for me. I'm not sure how a town is evaluated on "how to host a hockey tournament weekend".  Personally, as long as there's a rink and a way to buy tickets to see the game, I couldn't care less what else happens around it.  In fact, I know it's blasphemy 'round these parts, but I found gambling, shopping, and strolling the boardwalk to be the most enjoyable pre- and post- game activities I've had at an ECAC tournament. (Aside from the year we made our Sweet 16 run, but that was obviously uncorrelated to the location of the ECAC's).