Lake Placid Attendance

[Chris '03]

After all the gnashing of teeth about the move, what do we think the attendance is going to look in Lake Placid with Union, Quinnipiac, Colgate, and Cornell competing?

Red means Cornell played meaningful (non-consolation) game.

Placid:
1993: ---- / 7867
1994: ---- / 6316
1995: ---- / 6562
1996: ---- / 8300
1997: ---- / 8081
1998: ---- / 5289
1999: ---- / 8469
2000: 5389 / 6790
2001: 4990 / 6256
2002: 5422 / 6518
Finals average: 7249

Albany:
2003: 6936 / 8296
2004: 5641 / 6489
2005: 7580 / 8637
2006: 6255 / 7093
2007: 4484 / 5565
2008: 5074 / 4851
2009: 3517 / 4857
2010: ? / 6505
Finals average: 6536

New Jersey:
2011: 3351 / 4126
2012: 3462 / 4131
2013: 3145 / 4017
Finals average: 4091

Placid:
2014: 4227 / 4850


So by exactly one fan, the finals attendance was the worst non-AC final of the past 20 years.

[Jim Hyla]

Could be huge difference depending upon Cornell winning Friday or not. I don't think any of the other 3 teams travel particularly well. Colgate doesn't, Union might and should, and I just don't see a lot of Q fans making the 4-5 hour drive. If Q wins Friday, some might drive Sat to try and see their first championship. If we win Friday, CU fans wll stay, and some might drive up Sat. If we lose, some people will leave and not stay for Sat night's game. However they'll still be included in stats, if they bought All-session tickets. So I'm not looking for the Placid average, I hope I'm wrong.

[KeithK]

During the previous run in Lake Placid there at least one of the North Country schools made the field each year. Without the Knights and Saints this year I think the tournament wil struggle to do as well.

[RichH]

Could be huge difference depending upon Cornell winning Friday or not. I don't think any of the other 3 teams travel particularly well. Colgate doesn't, Union might and should, and I just don't see a lot of Q fans making the 4-5 hour drive. If Q wins Friday, some might drive Sat to try and see their first championship. If we win Friday, CU fans wll stay, and some might drive up Sat. If we lose, some people will leave and not stay for Sat night's game. However they'll still be included in stats, if they bought All-session tickets. So I'm not looking for the Placid average, I hope I'm wrong.

Q is running the type of ship that I would expect them (over any other ECAC organization) to charter several buses filled with kids who are fine with ditching the Hamden/New Haven bars and also ship loads of free yellow t-shirts, thunderstix, paddlegames, and whatever else so they look like impressive fans. However, given that they are hosting the NCAA Women's Frozen Four this weekend, I'm guessing the Quinnipiac Athletics Corporation wants most of their resources dedicated to running that event and looking good on the teevee.

[ScrewBUHarvardtoo]

There's a fair amount of students here who want to go to the game, and are more than willing to buy tickets, but either have no means of transportation to get there, or no place to stay. If the University offered some sort of transportation or something, I'm sure a bunch of students would do it. Or you could just be in the pep band and get to go for free! I'm aware that Lake Placid being even more in the middle of nowhere than Ithaca will probably negatively impact attendance, but I'm excited to see where the Miracle on Ice happened at least

[Jim Hyla]

Posted this in another thread, probably better here.

From Brian Sullivan's latest USCHO blog:


   

Just spoke with Hagwell: Still too early to note or predict ticket sales, but Cornell and Union each requested more than the vague "standard block" of tickets, so the Dutchmen and Big Red should be quite well represented. Not sure about QU/Colgate's level of fan interest so far... Hagwell anticipates actual numbers by Tues/Wed, so stay tuned.

[billhoward]

There's a fair amount of students here who want to go to the game, and are more than willing to buy tickets, but either have no means of transportation to get there, or no place to stay. If the University offered some sort of transportation or something, I'm sure a bunch of students would do it. Or you could just be in the pep band and get to go for free! I'm aware that Lake Placid being even more in the middle of nowhere than Ithaca will probably negatively impact attendance, but I'm excited to see where the Miracle on Ice happened at least

Go to a school trying to build a name for itself. Marist circa 2009 got its women into the NCAA basketball tournament and the school chartered a plane for the first round game for however many fans fit the plane. First come, first serve. Deeply discounted flght and tix. Seated in a group near the court, Marist-colored T-shirts for TV exposure. That's the quick way. Compare that to Wisconsin chartering dozens of buses to get fans to the men's hockey NCAAs. 17 hours, Madison to Boston. Those are fans.

[Trotsky]

Compare that to Wisconsin chartering dozens of buses to get fans to the men's hockey NCAAs. 17 hours, Madison to Boston. Those are fans.

That must have been one helluva trips.  I wonder how many babies were conceived on 90 East.

[billhoward]

Compare that to Wisconsin chartering dozens of buses to get fans to the men's hockey NCAAs. 17 hours, Madison to Boston. Those are fans.

That must have been one helluva trips.  I wonder how many babies were conceived on 90 East.

Wisconsin fans were the kind who made third-place games well-attended. At the time. Imagine being the driver(s): 17 hours in winter driving with the window cracked open to keep the burning leaves smell from overwhelming you. Now, you'd just get over to Milaukee or O'Hare and fly to wherever you're going.

[LGR14]

There's a fair amount of students here who want to go to the game, and are more than willing to buy tickets, but either have no means of transportation to get there, or no place to stay. If the University offered some sort of transportation or something, I'm sure a bunch of students would do it. Or you could just be in the pep band and get to go for free! I'm aware that Lake Placid being even more in the middle of nowhere than Ithaca will probably negatively impact attendance, but I'm excited to see where the Miracle on Ice happened at least

I am in this camp. Can't make it Friday because I can't afford a hotel nor the gas/energy to drive back and forth. Bought for Saturday and am hoping they can get there. Figured I am going to be less upset about losing the money than I would be if they get to the finals and win while I watch on tv.

[KeithK]

There's a fair amount of students here who want to go to the game, and are more than willing to buy tickets, but either have no means of transportation to get there, or no place to stay. If the University offered some sort of transportation or something, I'm sure a bunch of students would do it. Or you could just be in the pep band and get to go for free! I'm aware that Lake Placid being even more in the middle of nowhere than Ithaca will probably negatively impact attendance, but I'm excited to see where the Miracle on Ice happened at least

I am in this camp. Can't make it Friday because I can't afford a hotel nor the gas/energy to drive back and forth. Bought for Saturday and am hoping they can get there. Figured I am going to be less upset about losing the money than I would be if they get to the finals and win while I watch on tv.

Hotel rooms aren't that expensive if you split the cost six or eight ways.  Sure, you might end up sleeping on the floor but there are worse things.

[Trotsky]

Hotel rooms aren't that expensive if you split the cost six or eight ways.  Sure, you might end up sleeping on the floor but there are worse things.

It builds esprit du corps.  When I was an undergrad (shakes cane) the first time we went on the Harvard trip we split a hotel room with 2 queen beds between 8 kids, a guinea pig, and a birthday cake.  Learning to sleep soundly in a bathtub is an invaluable life skill.

[billhoward]

Hotel rooms aren't that expensive if you split the cost six or eight ways.  Sure, you might end up sleeping on the floor but there are worse things.

It builds esprit du corps.  When I was an undergrad (shakes cane) the first time we went on the Harvard trip we split a hotel room with 2 queen beds between 8 kids, a guinea pig, and a birthday cake.  Learning to sleep soundly in a bathtub is an invaluable life skill.

Old alums talk wistfully about sleeping on the floor on a road trip and being a better person for it. Fast forward multiple decades and everyone gripes about having to sleep in dorm beds at reunion and sharing bathrooms. Where's the pioneering spirit?

[Rosey]

Hotel rooms aren't that expensive if you split the cost six or eight ways.  Sure, you might end up sleeping on the floor but there are worse things.

It builds esprit du corps.  When I was an undergrad (shakes cane) the first time we went on the Harvard trip we split a hotel room with 2 queen beds between 8 kids, a guinea pig, and a birthday cake.  Learning to sleep soundly in a bathtub is an invaluable life skill.

Old alums talk wistfully about sleeping on the floor on a road trip and being a better person for it. Fast forward multiple decades and everyone gripes about having to sleep in dorm beds at reunion and sharing bathrooms. Where's the pioneering spirit?

So, which of you is volunteering to sleep in the bathtub next weekend?

[Trotsky]

So, which of you is volunteering to sleep in the bathtub next weekend?

A lot of stuff that was fun at 19 is not fun at 50.