By Jessi Pierce
Another college hockey season is closing in upon us with the
‘real’ March Madness on ice beginning in just a few short weeks. As attention
shifts to conference tournament play we of course have to bring the latest in
discussion of a Big Ten hockey tournament.
Previously announced as a tournament involving all six teams
to be played at the arena of the conference champion, Scott Chipman, the Big
Ten assistant commissioner for communications, told the Star Tribune’s Roman
Augustovitz earlier this month that those plans had been “scrapped” in favor of
a neutral site.
The clear favorite to host the first conference tournament
is the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul and sources have told media outlets that
the Big Ten is hoping to finalize a deal with the arena by the end of the
month. With nothing confirmed as of yet, odds still remain in favor of the Minnesota
Wild’s home rink but offers up discussion for other potential sites. So let’s
do what we do best and break it down:
Xcel Energy Center
St. Paul, Minn.
Capacity: 18, 064
Opening in 2000 after the return of professional hockey to
Minnesota, the X has been host to a slew of notable hockey events. Each March,
the coveted Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament resides there just
one week prior to the Red Baron WCHA Final Five, both which tend to be host to
at least one near (if not an actual) sell-out contest each year. The X also
displayed two NCAA Frozen Fours in 2002 and 2011 and boasts the largest crowd
to watch an indoor college hockey game with 19,463 witnessing
Blake Wheeler’s reach-out goal in overtime to push the Gophers past North Dakota for the 2007 WCHA Championship. There’s
no doubt that it’s an arena perfect for a conference tourney.
But according to Augustovitz, the “Big Ten Conference is
just one of three conferences looking at the Xcel as a possible site for its
postseason tournament.” As just mentioned, the WCHA is still looking to host
its conference tournament there, with Commissioner Bruce McLeod telling
Augustovitz, “It is still in play for what will be a newly configured WCHA in
2013-14. But we have a plan A and B. There are still some things going on that
will effect everybody.”
With Minnesota’s own University of Minnesota-Duluth and St.
Cloud State University along with former WCHA member’s Denver, Colorado College
and North Dakota used to playing postseason action at the Xcel, the NCHC is the
third team eyeing it for its tournament, too.
Despite the options for the rink in the State of Hockey, the
Big Ten is first in line for the spot, with McLeod stating, "The
way things are lining up, we [the WCHA] are not the first in line," McLeod
said, referring to holding a postseason tournament at the X. "Once the Big
Ten decides what they would like to do, it will have a domino effect. They
might decide to rotate their tournament and not have it exclusively at the
Xcel."
Joe Louis Arena
Detroit
Capacity: 20,066
Another great option with both Michigan and Michigan State
in its vicinity, the Joe, like the X, has seen its fair share of on-ice action
over the years. Home to some of hockey’s elite players with the likes of Gordie
Howe and the Detroit Red Wings, it also plays host to the annual Great Lakes
Invitational and CCHA tournament.
A bit older than the X, but also providing a wealth of rich
hockey tradition I could see the Joe hosting the Big Ten conference tournament
after the X if it is decided that a rotating location will work best. An edge
that the Joe holds over the X is location, seeing as more of a mid-way point
for most teams as opposed to the haul to Minnesota — the furthest west in
the conference.
Consol Energy Center
Pittsburgh
Capacity: 18,387
With newly incumbent Penn State, a location out east is
definitely an option to take in to consideration. The newest of the three
locations mentioned — with just one full season under its belt — and the latest
home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Consol Energy Center is no stranger to
large fan bases, named the best NHL arena for 2010-11.
The Consol Energy Center was also selected to host the 2013
NCAA Frozen Four which will be a great grade for the allure it can bring to a
Big Ten tournament down the road.
Other potential options: Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wells
Fargo Center in Philadelphia, The United Center in Chicago and Nationwide Arena
in Columbus.
While each venue brings its own character and reasons for
hosting, in my opinion, it would be in the best interest of the Big Ten to do a
rotating tournament. Why not use the allure of postseason games to draw more
fans out in places outside of Minnesota and Michigan. It’s been typical for
arenas to maintain location for conference tournaments (WCHA and the X, CCHA
and the Joe etc.) but that’s not always best. For example, the hiccup that the
Xcel Energy Center poses in being a permanent location is that Minnesota is the
westernmost Big Ten team, making travel difficult for plenty of Penn State and
even Ohio State fans.
