Lake Placid Attendance

[marty]

Albany is great. Nice rink, lots of hotels, bars, restaurants in the vicinity of the rink. Seems to be somewhat the geographic center of the league, though I'm sure some other place with a decent rink is more central (Bridgeport? Hartford?) Wonder if a potential RIT addition might make somewhere like Syracuse, Binghamton or even Elmira more viable.

Better facility than it was in 2010. That improvement helped draw the regionals back this weekend.

And apparently there are more improvements on the way.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2015/07/31/times-union-center-wish-list-improvements.html

[upprdeck]

i know many people who stopped going once it moved out of boston. so much more to do and so much easier to get to and get around in. if want to make it crazy go to toronto or montreal.  its a drive but at least it would be different and so many of the canadian fans would love it.  why not philly? would that be much different than LP for many?

[Trotsky]

Better facility than it was in 2010. That improvement helped draw the regionals back this weekend.

Interesting.  What's new?  (The TU was a bit rundown last we were there, so improvement is A Good Thing).

[marty]

Better facility than it was in 2010. That improvement helped draw the regionals back this weekend.

Interesting.  What's new?  (The TU was a bit rundown last we were there, so improvement is A Good Thing).

I'm not sure what is already done but check this.

http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/news/2015/07/31/times-union-center-wish-list-improvements.html

[redice]

By the end of the Albany stretch fans had developed some nice routines and figured out how to make the most of it.  It really is the obvious, albeit far less romantic, choice.

I would like them to just pick a site and stop bouncing already.  Stability is the most important thing to the habit of casual fans going at all.  The hardcores will go even if it's in Sault Ste. Marie.

I always considered myself to be hardcore, after all of those trips to Boston (starting in the mid-1960's).    And Albany most years.......

But, when they wandered to AC & LP, they lost me......Undesirable locations thats, unlike Boston, did not make it worth the long drive...

[Trotsky]

The last time it was tried, the ECAC teams were probably less able to compete with the HE Champ.

It was actually before HE opened up their big gap with the ECAC.  It wasn't the quality of the teams but the dominance of the HE of local fan base and media.  That would be even worse, now.  Boston would be, for a host (get it?) of reasons, a huge step backwards for the ECAC.

I don't know why it would be a huge step backwards. You don't think we could get 4-5000 fans, which is what we get now? You don't think we'd have better press than we get from LP?  Sure HE would be the main focus, but I still think being a lesser focus in Boston is stronger than the only focus in LP.

I know that if it were in Boston, my wife and I would probably go every year. There's so much to do there, but with LP, once you've been there a few times, well that's it. I'd probably go to the HE games, and my wife would pick up a museum or two. We'd both be happy. I thought about going to LP this year, but my wife wasn't interested. With Boston it would change the calculation completely.

Boston was the perfect ECAC destination when BU and BC were in the league.  Without them it's just another rundown eastern city in slush season.  Boston = Worcester = New Haven = Albany = Bridgeport.  Bleah.

If we want to do a "Destination Location," skip all the small fry and go to NYC.  If we want to do a "Barn of Dreams Destination," stay in LP.  Otherwise, it's convenience and West Troy.

[Rosey]

i know many people who stopped going once it moved out of boston. so much more to do and so much easier to get to and get around in. if want to make it crazy go to toronto or montreal.  its a drive but at least it would be different and so many of the canadian fans would love it.  why not philly? would that be much different than LP for many?

My contention is that convenience is more important than "craziness" (or event-focus, or whatever people want to call it). Does anyone actually think there are more people willing to make a 4 day weekend vacation out of the ECACs than there are people who'd go if they could cut out of work early on Friday and return Sunday morning and not have to drive 10-12 hours?

Given the choice between losing one or two vacation days driving to Montreal or Philly (or AC, or LP) and watching on TV or internet... TV gets my vote. I just don't want to spend that much time in the car for what could be a single game. The downside risk is too great.

[Trotsky]

Given the choice between losing one or two vacation days driving to Montreal or Philly (or AC, or LP) and watching on TV or internet... TV gets my vote. I just don't want to spend that much time in the car for what could be a single game. The downside risk is too great.

The elimination of the consolation does suck, but it aint coming back -- IINM the coaches were for it unanimously, and the ECAC can't decide water is wet unanimously.

It probably ought to have put the nail in the LP coffin.  The league just extended, so presumably they aren't worth it to Albany.  This year, opposite us the TU hosted the "NYSFSSAA Basketball Tournament of Champions" and, whatever that is, it is (1) misspelled according to the NYSPHSAA homepage, and (2) apparently a better revenue source than we.

[upprdeck]

the HH bball probably brings way more people since its 2-3x as many teams and most of them stay over  with games starting so early and late.

[Weder]

Not a misspelling; the NYSPHSAA is a member of the other group. The federation events bring together the champions of the NYS, NYC, Catholic school and independent school associations.

[Trotsky]

Not a misspelling; the NYSPHSAA is a member of the other group. The federation events bring together the champions of the NYS, NYC, Catholic school and independent school associations.

That... actually makes sense.  Thanks.

[Swampy]

The last time it was tried, the ECAC teams were probably less able to compete with the HE Champ.

It was actually before HE opened up their big gap with the ECAC.  It wasn't the quality of the teams but the dominance of the HE of local fan base and media.  That would be even worse, now.  Boston would be, for a host (get it?) of reasons, a huge step backwards for the ECAC.

I don't know why it would be a huge step backwards. You don't think we could get 4-5000 fans, which is what we get now? You don't think we'd have better press than we get from LP?  Sure HE would be the main focus, but I still think being a lesser focus in Boston is stronger than the only focus in LP.

I know that if it were in Boston, my wife and I would probably go every year. There's so much to do there, but with LP, once you've been there a few times, well that's it. I'd probably go to the HE games, and my wife would pick up a museum or two. We'd both be happy. I thought about going to LP this year, but my wife wasn't interested. With Boston it would change the calculation completely.

Boston was the perfect ECAC destination when BU and BC were in the league.  Without them it's just another rundown eastern city in slush season.  Boston = Worcester = New Haven = Albany = Bridgeport.  Bleah.

If we want to do a "Destination Location," skip all the small fry and go to NYC.  If we want to do a "Barn of Dreams Destination," stay in LP.  Otherwise, it's convenience and West Troy.

How about Brooklyn? -- Problem with bball and Islanders conflicts.

[dbilmes]

How about Brooklyn? -- Problem with bball and Islanders conflicts.

As convenient as NY would be for many fans, I imagine it would be a lot more expensive for the ECAC to hold the tournament in NY, not to mention the lack of affordable hotel rooms for out of town fans without any friends/relatives to stay with. Ticket prices would also have to get more expensive, too. The Barclay Center may not be MSG, but it's not cheap, either.

[RichH]

The last time it was tried, the ECAC teams were probably less able to compete with the HE Champ.

It was actually before HE opened up their big gap with the ECAC.  It wasn't the quality of the teams but the dominance of the HE of local fan base and media.  That would be even worse, now.  Boston would be, for a host (get it?) of reasons, a huge step backwards for the ECAC.

I don't know why it would be a huge step backwards. You don't think we could get 4-5000 fans, which is what we get now? You don't think we'd have better press than we get from LP?  Sure HE would be the main focus, but I still think being a lesser focus in Boston is stronger than the only focus in LP.

I know that if it were in Boston, my wife and I would probably go every year. There's so much to do there, but with LP, once you've been there a few times, well that's it. I'd probably go to the HE games, and my wife would pick up a museum or two. We'd both be happy. I thought about going to LP this year, but my wife wasn't interested. With Boston it would change the calculation completely.

Boston was the perfect ECAC destination when BU and BC were in the league.  Without them it's just another rundown eastern city in slush season.  Boston = Worcester = New Haven = Albany = Bridgeport.  Bleah.

If we want to do a "Destination Location," skip all the small fry and go to NYC.  If we want to do a "Barn of Dreams Destination," stay in LP.  Otherwise, it's convenience and West Troy.

How about Brooklyn? -- Problem with bball and Islanders conflicts.

This discussion has to be our version of the "College Hockey Video Game" topic on the USCHO board.

[Chris '03]

The last time it was tried, the ECAC teams were probably less able to compete with the HE Champ.

It was actually before HE opened up their big gap with the ECAC.  It wasn't the quality of the teams but the dominance of the HE of local fan base and media.  That would be even worse, now.  Boston would be, for a host (get it?) of reasons, a huge step backwards for the ECAC.

I don't know why it would be a huge step backwards. You don't think we could get 4-5000 fans, which is what we get now? You don't think we'd have better press than we get from LP?  Sure HE would be the main focus, but I still think being a lesser focus in Boston is stronger than the only focus in LP.

I know that if it were in Boston, my wife and I would probably go every year. There's so much to do there, but with LP, once you've been there a few times, well that's it. I'd probably go to the HE games, and my wife would pick up a museum or two. We'd both be happy. I thought about going to LP this year, but my wife wasn't interested. With Boston it would change the calculation completely.

Boston was the perfect ECAC destination when BU and BC were in the league.  Without them it's just another rundown eastern city in slush season.  Boston = Worcester = New Haven = Albany = Bridgeport.  Bleah.

If we want to do a "Destination Location," skip all the small fry and go to NYC.  If we want to do a "Barn of Dreams Destination," stay in LP.  Otherwise, it's convenience and West Troy.

How about Brooklyn? -- Problem with bball and Islanders conflicts.

This discussion has to be our version of the "College Hockey Video Game" topic on the USCHO board.

Gratuitous mentions of Bridgeport, Worcester, Hartford, and Springfield as sites.

Also, Harvard to hockey east.

And look out for Brom next year.

Also, just because they announced an extension with LP doesn't mean they're staying. They made the same announcement in 2002.