Rather than have the discussion in the hockey start up rumor thread, figured a new thread would be good for it.

Officially started off with UMass taking on Denver. It's a very odd situation where it's a "neutral site" but is only 30 minutes from UMass Campus, despite Denver being the #3 overall seed and UMass being the last team in the tournament. Denver winning their conference tournament is actually what put UMass in and had Denver need to travel across country to face what's essentially a home team.





BC and BU are the top two seeds, with Denver and Michigan State coming in as the 3 and 4.


Denver has the hardest time in terms of travel in their region. The other 3 teams are all fairly local and will have a lot of fans in attendance.

In the only game currently under way: Denver struck first in the second period, but UMass has since tied it up.

Definitely a UMass crowd there (which would be crazy if it were a Denver crowd). Denver is the stronger team for sure though.

Go Mavs! Omaha's already overachieved this season by getting to the playoffs and conference finals. I don't have much confidence in us being Minny, but this team's been really good at defying odds this year. They've made a Cinderella Frozen Four run once before, coincidentally by beating a 4-seeded RIT in the regional final.

A very good Colorado College team got left out. There are plenty of reasons to criticize the hockey tournament, but the lack of real room between the 12th team and the 15th or 16th team in the Pairwise is another thing that's really frustrating. You could have a great year and have nothing to show for it.

(03-28-2024 02:25 PM)e-parade Wrote:  In the only game currently under way: Denver struck first in the second period, but UMass has since tied it up.

Definitely a UMass crowd there (which would be crazy if it were a Denver crowd). Denver is the stronger team for sure though.

It's a 2pm Thursday crowd, however so it's not a full home ice advantage

The NCAA has got to change the hockey tournament format—Denver should have been playing on home ice (or the closest neutral site to home), not the other way around.

3 higher seeds win (BU, Denver, UMinn) the last a Cornell win over Maine

Anyone care to make predictions on today’s games?

I’ll go with BC and then a Big 10 sweep.

Sucks for the Omaha guy who fell with the puck on what looked like bad patch of ice which led to a turnover and the game winning goal for UMinn

(03-28-2024 06:19 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  The NCAA has got to change the hockey tournament format—Denver should have been playing on home ice (or the closest neutral site to home), not the other way around.

It was a perfect storm of events that led to this. Had UMass either not made the tournament or made it as a 3 seed instead of a 4 seed, it wouldn't have been an issue (as a 3 seed BU would have been in the Springfield regional instead of Denver).

But yeah it's still really crazy that it was able to happen that way. I think Denver will have a really tough time against Cornell (who still is pretty close for travel purposes).


That was one hell of a game between us and Denver though. I expected a loss, but I didn't expect it to be so exciting.

NCAA hockey is a lot like its springtime brother, NCAA men's lacrosse: very regional (hockey: New England, Great Lakes, and outliers like Denver vs. men's lacrosse: mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes, and, well, Denver), a big deal in the region and largely ignored everywhere else.

(03-29-2024 10:26 AM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-28-2024 06:19 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  The NCAA has got to change the hockey tournament format—Denver should have been playing on home ice (or the closest neutral site to home), not the other way around.

It was a perfect storm of events that led to this. Had UMass either not made the tournament or made it as a 3 seed instead of a 4 seed, it wouldn't have been an issue (as a 3 seed BU would have been in the Springfield regional instead of Denver).

But yeah it's still really crazy that it was able to happen that way. I think Denver will have a really tough time against Cornell (who still is pretty close for travel purposes).


That was one hell of a game between us and Denver though. I expected a loss, but I didn't expect it to be so exciting.

Why didn't the flip Denver and Boston U. Send Denver to South Dakota and Boston U to Springfield?

(03-29-2024 11:19 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 10:26 AM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-28-2024 06:19 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  The NCAA has got to change the hockey tournament format—Denver should have been playing on home ice (or the closest neutral site to home), not the other way around.

It was a perfect storm of events that led to this. Had UMass either not made the tournament or made it as a 3 seed instead of a 4 seed, it wouldn't have been an issue (as a 3 seed BU would have been in the Springfield regional instead of Denver).

But yeah it's still really crazy that it was able to happen that way. I think Denver will have a really tough time against Cornell (who still is pretty close for travel purposes).


That was one hell of a game between us and Denver though. I expected a loss, but I didn't expect it to be so exciting.

Why didn't the flip Denver and Boston U. Send Denver to South Dakota and Boston U to Springfield?

BU and UMass can't play in the first round together due to being in the same conference. Which is why if UMass was a 3 seed instead of a 4 it would have been fine. BU would have been the 1 seed in Springfield and UMass the 3 with Maine being shifted to a different region, and potentially Cornell as well.

(03-29-2024 12:31 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 11:19 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 10:26 AM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-28-2024 06:19 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  The NCAA has got to change the hockey tournament format—Denver should have been playing on home ice (or the closest neutral site to home), not the other way around.

It was a perfect storm of events that led to this. Had UMass either not made the tournament or made it as a 3 seed instead of a 4 seed, it wouldn't have been an issue (as a 3 seed BU would have been in the Springfield regional instead of Denver).

But yeah it's still really crazy that it was able to happen that way. I think Denver will have a really tough time against Cornell (who still is pretty close for travel purposes).


That was one hell of a game between us and Denver though. I expected a loss, but I didn't expect it to be so exciting.

Why didn't the flip Denver and Boston U. Send Denver to South Dakota and Boston U to Springfield?

BU and UMass can't play in the first round together due to being in the same conference. Which is why if UMass was a 3 seed instead of a 4 it would have been fine. BU would have been the 1 seed in Springfield and UMass the 3 with Maine being shifted to a different region, and potentially Cornell as well.

That makes sense

But then why not send UMass to the Midwest region as the #4

Michigan State v. UMass in Missouri
Boston U v. Western Michigan in Mass
Denver v. RIT in South Dakota

Or just put Denver v. UMass in South Dakota and Boston U v RIT in Springfield

Seems like the prioritized getting UMass in Springfield

(03-29-2024 12:54 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 12:31 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 11:19 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 10:26 AM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-28-2024 06:19 PM)Fighting Muskie Wrote:  The NCAA has got to change the hockey tournament format—Denver should have been playing on home ice (or the closest neutral site to home), not the other way around.

It was a perfect storm of events that led to this. Had UMass either not made the tournament or made it as a 3 seed instead of a 4 seed, it wouldn't have been an issue (as a 3 seed BU would have been in the Springfield regional instead of Denver).

But yeah it's still really crazy that it was able to happen that way. I think Denver will have a really tough time against Cornell (who still is pretty close for travel purposes).


That was one hell of a game between us and Denver though. I expected a loss, but I didn't expect it to be so exciting.

Why didn't the flip Denver and Boston U. Send Denver to South Dakota and Boston U to Springfield?

BU and UMass can't play in the first round together due to being in the same conference. Which is why if UMass was a 3 seed instead of a 4 it would have been fine. BU would have been the 1 seed in Springfield and UMass the 3 with Maine being shifted to a different region, and potentially Cornell as well.

That makes sense

But then why not send UMass to the Midwest region as the #4

Michigan State v. UMass in Missouri
Boston U v. Western Michigan in Mass
Denver v. RIT in South Dakota

Or just put Denver v. UMass in South Dakota and Boston U v RIT in Springfield

Seems like the prioritized getting UMass in Springfield

Yes. UMass is the host of the Springfield region and therefore would have been there regardless of seed.

(03-29-2024 01:00 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 12:54 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 12:31 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 11:19 AM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 10:26 AM)e-parade Wrote:  It was a perfect storm of events that led to this. Had UMass either not made the tournament or made it as a 3 seed instead of a 4 seed, it wouldn't have been an issue (as a 3 seed BU would have been in the Springfield regional instead of Denver).

But yeah it's still really crazy that it was able to happen that way. I think Denver will have a really tough time against Cornell (who still is pretty close for travel purposes).


That was one hell of a game between us and Denver though. I expected a loss, but I didn't expect it to be so exciting.

Why didn't the flip Denver and Boston U. Send Denver to South Dakota and Boston U to Springfield?

BU and UMass can't play in the first round together due to being in the same conference. Which is why if UMass was a 3 seed instead of a 4 it would have been fine. BU would have been the 1 seed in Springfield and UMass the 3 with Maine being shifted to a different region, and potentially Cornell as well.

That makes sense

But then why not send UMass to the Midwest region as the #4

Michigan State v. UMass in Missouri
Boston U v. Western Michigan in Mass
Denver v. RIT in South Dakota

Or just put Denver v. UMass in South Dakota and Boston U v RIT in Springfield

Seems like the prioritized getting UMass in Springfield

Yes. UMass is the host of the Springfield region and therefore would have been there regardless of seed.

Ah...well sounds like the rules as written really benefitted Hockey East this year.

Perhaps in the future don't guarantee any #4 seed placement prioritization, even if they are the host team.

(03-29-2024 01:09 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 01:00 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 12:54 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 12:31 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 11:19 AM)solohawks Wrote:  Why didn't the flip Denver and Boston U. Send Denver to South Dakota and Boston U to Springfield?

BU and UMass can't play in the first round together due to being in the same conference. Which is why if UMass was a 3 seed instead of a 4 it would have been fine. BU would have been the 1 seed in Springfield and UMass the 3 with Maine being shifted to a different region, and potentially Cornell as well.

That makes sense

But then why not send UMass to the Midwest region as the #4

Michigan State v. UMass in Missouri
Boston U v. Western Michigan in Mass
Denver v. RIT in South Dakota

Or just put Denver v. UMass in South Dakota and Boston U v RIT in Springfield

Seems like the prioritized getting UMass in Springfield

Yes. UMass is the host of the Springfield region and therefore would have been there regardless of seed.

Ah...well sounds like the rules as written really benefitted Hockey East this year.

Perhaps in the future don't guarantee any #4 seed placement prioritization, even if they are the host team.

It was a combo of that plus the top two overall seeds both being from Boston and in Hockey East.

Though I'm sure BU would have loved to be in Springfield instead.


But yeah, that's why the first comment in this thread was about changing the format so this wouldn't happen again.


(Edit: as to the "why is it this way now?" question - they want to guarantee selling as many tickets as possible so they try to guarantee local teams will be there)

(03-29-2024 01:12 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 01:09 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 01:00 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 12:54 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 12:31 PM)e-parade Wrote:  BU and UMass can't play in the first round together due to being in the same conference. Which is why if UMass was a 3 seed instead of a 4 it would have been fine. BU would have been the 1 seed in Springfield and UMass the 3 with Maine being shifted to a different region, and potentially Cornell as well.

That makes sense

But then why not send UMass to the Midwest region as the #4

Michigan State v. UMass in Missouri
Boston U v. Western Michigan in Mass
Denver v. RIT in South Dakota

Or just put Denver v. UMass in South Dakota and Boston U v RIT in Springfield

Seems like the prioritized getting UMass in Springfield

Yes. UMass is the host of the Springfield region and therefore would have been there regardless of seed.

Ah...well sounds like the rules as written really benefitted Hockey East this year.

Perhaps in the future don't guarantee any #4 seed placement prioritization, even if they are the host team.

It was a combo of that plus the top two overall seeds both being from Boston and in Hockey East.

Though I'm sure BU would have loved to be in Springfield instead.


But yeah, that's why the first comment in this thread was about changing the format so this wouldn't happen again.


(Edit: as to the "why is it this way now?" question - they want to guarantee selling as many tickets as possible so they try to guarantee local teams will be there)

And they have to make bank there because there aren't as many neutral site arenas willing to bid often in the Midwest and West anymore after they end up with the host team missing out and having 4 teams hundreds of miles from said arena and losing their shirt.

(03-29-2024 01:22 PM)bronconick Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 01:12 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 01:09 PM)solohawks Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 01:00 PM)e-parade Wrote:  

(03-29-2024 12:54 PM)solohawks Wrote:  That makes sense

But then why not send UMass to the Midwest region as the #4

Michigan State v. UMass in Missouri
Boston U v. Western Michigan in Mass
Denver v. RIT in South Dakota

Or just put Denver v. UMass in South Dakota and Boston U v RIT in Springfield

Seems like the prioritized getting UMass in Springfield

Yes. UMass is the host of the Springfield region and therefore would have been there regardless of seed.

Ah...well sounds like the rules as written really benefitted Hockey East this year.

Perhaps in the future don't guarantee any #4 seed placement prioritization, even if they are the host team.

It was a combo of that plus the top two overall seeds both being from Boston and in Hockey East.

Though I'm sure BU would have loved to be in Springfield instead.


But yeah, that's why the first comment in this thread was about changing the format so this wouldn't happen again.


(Edit: as to the "why is it this way now?" question - they want to guarantee selling as many tickets as possible so they try to guarantee local teams will be there)

And they have to make bank there because there aren't as many neutral site arenas willing to bid often in the Midwest and West anymore after they end up with the host team missing out and having 4 teams hundreds of miles from said arena and losing their shirt.

Yeah, and the fact that there are so many strong programs in the Northeast in such a concentrated area means that there's always going to be teams that are "local" that make it in. So areas like Springfield, Worcester, Boston, Providence, Manchester (NH), and Hartford are basically never nervous about bidding to host.

Well, BC certainly isn't messing around.

This would all be solved by just letting the top 4 seeds overall host.

It puts them (very) close to home

It guarantees good ticket sales

It rewards teams for being good by giving them a tangible perk