10 for ‘10: The Questions (Part I)

10 for ‘10: The Questions (Part I)

Click here to read the story on the Inside College Hockey website.

The 2010 Frozen Four will be unlike anything we’ve seen before in our game and with that opportunity comes distinct advantages and disadvantages. Our first two 10 For ‘10 questions deal with both sides of argument regarding the Ford Field event.

1. What do we look forward to about the Frozen?

Ford Field is going to work for a number of reasons: Huge event experience partnered with a knowledgeable planning committee, growth and exposure in a non-traditional manner, affordability and access to tickets, geography, and proud local residents.

This stadium has hosted the NCAA men’s basketball final four, a men’s basketball regional, a Super Bowl and even Wrestlemania within the last five years. Any unusual issues with traffic, parking, concessions and other fan amenities have certainly been dealt with and are planned for by now. The CCHA and organizing committee has been actively researching and following these events and will know of any potential issues that might arise. It’ll be a great fan experience.

It is expected that the 2010 Frozen will set attendance records, simply because of the size of the venue. Some tickets for games are priced as low as $10. While they might not be the greatest seats in the house, they’ll give fans a chance to see our game at a fantastic price and help boost the expected record-setting numbers. It’s certainly the best option for Frozen newcomers to see the event, as many fans retain their tickets from year to year and travel no matter what teams are involved. Those reasons will draw greater media attention on national networks and create a spectacle that all sports fans will remember.

The city of Detroit takes its knocks, but the people of the Motor City and surrounding areas take great pride in putting on a good event and giving visitors positive reasons to come back. The fact that many major Canadian cities are a relatively short drive away, and Detroit’s airport is a major hub that serves most cities in the United States will make it easy to get in and out of town. Strong college hockey ties through the CCHA and elite programs could draw in alumni bases if any of the conference’s schools make it to the event.

2. Why are we skeptical about the 2010 Frozen Four?

Those of you who watched this year’s men’s basketball Final Four (either on television or in person) may have noticed that the seats — even the good ones — were a million miles from the action. Sure, a hockey rink is about twice as long and twice as wide as a basketball court; still, there will be far more bad seats than good. Why shell out your hard-earned dollars to watch the game on a Jumbotron 300 yards away when you can sit in the recliner at home and see it in high definition?

Hardcore college hockey fans will fill any arena in the nation for the Frozen Four, but it’s gonna take more than the regulars to pack this joint. Had the four teams in this year’s Frozen (Bemidji State, Boston University, Miami, and Vermont) played at Ford Field, the place wouldn’t have been half full. Will the casual fan show up the Frozen is bereft of marquee schools (i.e. Michigan or Minnesota) or the novelty of playing hockey in a football stadium has worn off? That’s the risk of supersizing the venue.

Right or wrong, certain fans will likely stay away because of the location. In case you haven’t noticed, Detroit suffers from a bit of an image problem, having been the butt of jokes for more than four decades. Of course, St. Louis has many of the same issues that plague Detroit, but that was hardly mentioned in 2007.

Will the ice surface itself be a concern? Probably not, but if you ran the NCAA, would you be willing to play the three most important games of the season on a temporary rink? There are other behind-the-scenes issues. A reliable source told INCH that it was a two-minute walk up a significant incline from the court to the locker room for the Final Four teams. Now try the same walk in skates or, even worse, in goalie equipment. Players could easily spend 40 percent of their intermission walking to and from the ice. Call it a hunch, but coaches would probably prefer their teams expend energy more important matters.

3. What rules changes might we see for 2009-10 and what would INCH like to see enacted?

The NCAA hockey rules committee makes major rules changes (shootouts and the like) on a two-year cycle but there is a window for smaller rules adjustments every season. One rule that was discussed by coaches at their annual convention in Naples was professional hockey’s rule regarding defending players and goalies flipping the puck out of play from their defensive zone and assessing a two-minute minor for delay of game. INCH wholeheartedly supports that call and thinks it would be good for the college game. It’s a good rule because it takes away easy stoppages from the defense and forces that team to make plays. It’s a better rule because no responsibility falls on officials to judge intent. If it’s out, it’s out. Two minutes, and the time of game or score doesn’t matter.

4. What’s it going to take for Boston College and Michigan State to get back to good?

The Eagles really aren’t that far off. Half of their 14 losses last season were one-goal decisions. The prime factor in the team’s struggles was a dramatic drop in scoring — after scoring 162 goals in 2007-08, BC registered just 112 goals last season. That was partially due to the early departure of Nathan Gerbe, but the production of a few returnees plummeted dramatically, specifically forwards Ben Smith (from 25-25—50 to 6-11—17) and Joe Whitney (11-40—51 to 7-8—15).

BC loses four veterans from a steady, if unspectacular, defensive corps, but goalie John Muse, who was excellent last season, is back. If Smith and Whitney can return to form, Brian Gibbons once again chips in 30 points, and a promising batch of freshmen forwards led by Cam Atkinson and Barry Almeida continue to grow, the Eagles can plan on a trip to the NCAA Tournament next season.

A perfect storm contributed to Michigan State’s worst showing since joining the CCHA nearly three decades ago. Graduation and early departures left the Spartans with a lineup loaded with untested rookies. Injuries, suspensions, and a couple mid-season subtractions further depleted the roster, leaving MSU with goaltender Jeff Lerg and little else.

With Lerg gone, the Spartans could actually be worse this season unless coach Rick Comley finds a few guys who can score (no returnees put up more than nine goals or 17 points last season), defenseman Jeff Petry plays like he as a freshman (great) and not as a sophomore (the opposite of great), and goalie Drew Palmisano is better than he was in a half-dozen uneven starts during his rookie campaign. There aren’t any difference makers among MSU’s incoming freshman class, so unless the familiar faces improves, it could be a long winter in East Lansing.

5. Bemidji State pulled off the shocker of the season and one of the great underdog stories in college hockey history by making the 2009 Frozen Four. If you had to pick another team from College Hockey America or the Atlantic Hockey Association to make the 2010 Frozen Four, which would it be?

In the long shot or sleeper category, we’ll go with Mercyhurst. The Lakers quietly won 22 games last year and advanced to the championship game in Atlantic Hockey where they lost to a very good Air Force team that was one shot away from going to the Frozen Four. The Lakers return 12 of their 14 leading scorers including Steve Cameron (50 points last year) and Scott Pitt (45), five of seven regular defensemen, and standout goalie Ryan Zapolski. As a sophomore, Zapolski stepped into the blue paint after about a month and went on to post an 18-5-3 record with four shutouts. Mercyhurst had wins over Princeton and Air Force during the regular season and will expect bigger things in 2010.