Minnesotans know those words all too well. Six years and 1100 miles separate the same excitement at Xcel Energy Center following what was considered a successful first edition of the North Star College Cup.
Of course, the North Star College Cup no longer exists. An event meant to showcase the bonds of Minnesota's college hockey programs instead showed the cracks in its relationships. After four iterations, the schools decided to go their separate ways.
The situation's origins repeat itself in Connecticut, where the four in-state schools came together for an in-season tournament. Year 2 is guaranteed but after that, no deals have currently been made.
In a different state, the names changed with both sharing similar situations are character archetypes.
There's the longtime blue blood in
Okay, that last comparison works only pre-Hastings, but you get the point.
As the only person who attended both tournaments, it's hard not to live in the similarities. There are some lessons Minnesotans can take from Connecticut's first in-state tournament and ones Connecticut can learn from the North Star College Cup's failures (RIP).
Here are three for each:
Lessons Minnesotans Can Learn From Connecticut Ice:
1. Tying it together with the rest of the "State of Hockey"
As much as I enjoyed the North Star College Cup - and I enjoyed it very much - one issue in hindsight that didn't help a new tournament was it being off on its own. A week earlier would always be Hockey Day Minnesota, a time when the state celebrated all levels of the game, including college. Then there would be a tournament that neither served as the second week of the event nor held any ties with previous levels. Everyone just took the history and pairings for granted that it would break through the casual fan interest.
Connecticut, on the other hand, tied its tournament to the rest of the state hockey culture. Partly out of necessity, it made sense to add a youth hockey tournament and USA Hockey clinics to the festivities. I saw more youth players around Bridgeport than any NSCC tournament. Given how often the Minnesota schools partner and bring in youth teams, it makes sense to find a better way to include college hockey with high school and NHL.
2. Having a central TV partner
A major reason Connecticut Ice festival got off the ground was due to SNY. The Mets regional sports network, which shows some Quinnipiac and Notre Dame games (with Sacred Heart making its own pitch to be NYC's college hockey team), undertook promotion and broadcast all four games. It gave the event added stakes and exposure, treating the four teams with respect and professionalism. The pre and postgame shows were fantastic. Short of not being available outside the SNY viewing area (a Connecticut issue not existing in Minnesota), it's hard to ask for more for college hockey in the Northeast.
In hindsight, the North Star College Cup could have used a central partner running the show. Disagreements and other financial issues saw the final two years only showing Minnesota's games, which didn't help other schools feeling like it was a Gopher tournament. For a new event to feel like a major deal, there needs to someone impartial to call the shots when five teams find themselves on five completely different pages.
As much as Minnesota hockey likes to put on a united front, we know that's not always the case.
3. Make it about more than the games
Not to take away from the games because a trophy and bragging rights last forever, but there needs to be a bigger reason to show up. Minnesota schools do a better job playing one another in non-conference play (and conference) than Connecticut. The games happen often enough where the novelty is not quite the same as in Connecticut.
Wander the concourse at Webster Bank Arena and there was a carnival atmosphere for fans and families. Tables were set up to sell merchandise - oddly enough, the Connecticut Ice hats reminded me of the Big Ten hockey hats at one of the neutral site conference tournaments. The whole thing felt like a giant production. I can't say the same for the NSCC. While it's difficult to match the Let's Play Hockey Expo that happens with the Boys HS Tournament, making it more of an event would do (or have done) wonders.
Lessons Connecticut Can Learn From Minnesota's Failures:
1. Keep the prices affordable
Making a premier event from scratch can be difficult. Minnesota surely knows that. For Connecticut, $45 tickets - more expensive than an AHL game in the same arena - priced out season ticket holders at Yale, Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, and Connecticut, leaving a half-empty 10,000 seat rink both days. Sacred Heart fans outnumbered the other three. Granted, Webster Bank Arena is the team's home rink, however, it's not like the other buildings are far. All teams except UConn returned to campus after Saturday's games. Even UConn, whose distance from Bridgeport is the same as Mankato or St. Cloud to St. Paul, previously played a home game in the building earlier in the week.
Year 1 was a good start, but making the games easier for all fans to afford and go goes a long way.
2. If Saturday-Sunday is the best option, play on a three-day weekend
It wasn't just fans. Saturday featured a media contingent on par with a Beanpot or NCAA Tournament, according to many. Sunday night saw a small group covering the championship.
Minnesota's event had to deal with scheduling around Hockey Day Minnesota and the Wild. While the Sound Tigers being on all-star break makes it easier to know the arena will be vacant, it's an easier sell in Connecticut and SNY. A week earlier and a three-day weekend would do wonders for both fans and media wanting to make the championship games without work or school (Sunday had lower attendance than Saturday).
3. Better integrate the rest of the festival with the collegiate games
There are issues that Connecticut can't learn from Minnesota, such as streaming throughout the state. Getting on NESN or an easier stream would do wonders although I'll acknowledge larger corporations and forces are in play.
While the youth festival was fantastic, more could be done to integrate it with the collegiate games. The championship teams got to go out on the ice to be recognized, which was nice. However, the rest of the intermission entertainment, which repeated each game, was more geared towards a minor league game.
My suggestion as a Minnesotan? Add Little Chippers. That's it. That's the suggestion.
Bonus Suggestion For Both:
Student Involvement:Both the North Star College Cup and Connecticut Ice felt like they were missing student involvement.
To be fair, I'm not sure whether that's a regular issue for CT schools. As a college tournament, being without students does not feel right. Only Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac brought bands (great during the championship). Only Quinnipiac had cheerleaders. No school had a large student section.
To make it more college-like, have an area for each student section. Bus them into Bridgeport. Add an affordable ticket deal. It's one thing I wanted to see more from in the NSCC (RIP) and one thing that would be great for Connecticut Ice to utilize in Year 2.
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