Showing posts with label Hockey City Classic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hockey City Classic. Show all posts

Monday, February 18, 2013

My Impressions of the Hockey City Classic


Sunday, I was able to take in both games of the Hockey City Classic that was played at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois from my living room.

I have to say that I was highly impressed and entertained by the event and thoroughly enjoyed both games. So, I am going to give the Hockey City Classic props.

In my opinion, the Hockey City Classic appears to have gone off without a hitch.

Obviously, I didn’t have any dog in the fight, as my favorite team was on a bye week, but it was a good way to pass the time.  I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon, watching college hockey from the comfort of my living room with my DVR Recorder at the ready.

Did I mention, the best way to watch an outdoor hockey game, is from the comfort of your living-room. There are no poor sight lines and you’re never very far from the action. You also have the benefit of a replay and you can re-watch whatever you want to watch.

Normally, I am not a big fan of the outdoor games, and I think that we have been over saturated with them the last four or five years. I also think that they’re a bit of a gimmick, but if both teams agree to them, I am all for it. Even if it's for league points during a championship run.

I think that maybe the outdoor games need to be played during the month of December and January and not during the month of February.

Outdoor games can also be very unpredictable, because we can’t control the weather, mother nature has us at her mercy. But like any good traffic accident or train wreck, we all have to take a look, even though we shouldn't.

I have seen where some have said, that they thought the ice was worse in Chicago, than it was in Omaha. I don’t think that is a very accurate statement, seriously, it was 28 degrees in Chicago and a balmy 40-plus all day long in Omaha. I don’t know if the temperature got below 40 degrees during the course of the game.

Let’s not forget that the start to the UND versus Nebraska-Omaha game had to be delayed for two-plus hours, so the ice could freeze back up and be hard enough to play on, after the sun had melted it, making the ice unacceptable to play hockey on.

Historically, I think that the Frozen Fenway games have been the best college hockey outdoor games, but I am partial to the city of Boston and Fenway Park is a historical gem.

That being said, I was genuinely impressed with what I saw yesterday.

While I have seen a lot of grumbling from Minnesota Golden Gopher hockey fans on Twitter and on the fan message boards, I think we can call the event a huge success as 52,051 people showed up to watch the two game event and many more probably watched it at home on their televisions as well. I am sure if the Minnesota Gophers had won their game, their fans would've had a different view of the Hockey City Classic.

Obviously, Soldier Field is much better for a football game but I think yesterday’s event turned into a pretty good made for TV event.

If I had one complaint, it would be the team’s uniforms; I was not a fan of any of them.

Let's give credit where credit is due

There are a couple of things that I have seen that I find troublesome. First off, Gopher fans should give the Wisconsin Badgers a little credit; I see their fans blaming the ice surface for the reason their team lost the game yesterday.

The reason, the Minnesota Gophers lost the hockey game was that the Wisconsin Badgers scored one more goal than the Gophers. Both teams played on the same ice surface. I have seen moronic comments along the lines on how if the Gophers had played in the Kohl Center they would have been guaranteed a victory. We don't know that.

I mean seriously, you have to give credit where credit is due, the Badgers are well coached hockey team and Mike Eaves is a very good hockey coach and his teams always play a solid team defensive scheme and yesterday they cashed in on the Gophers mistakes. That’s hockey, and the best team doesn’t always win. Just ask Brendan Morrison. You need to give your opponent some respect.

I also think that the Golden Gophers beat writer Roman Augustoviz said it best.
Those knuckleheads ripping Don Lucia for agreeing to play outdoors have their head buried in the sand. It was not the Gophers giving up a home game, it was Wisconsin.
So the Gophers lost. What do you expect? They have swept ONE series in the WCHA all season. And that was against last-place Alaska-Anchorage. As Lucia said recently, it is amazing his team is in the conference race at all.
Cross Posted at the Hockey Writers Combine 
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Sunday, February 17, 2013

John Ramage on Seth Ambroz



Good clean hard check by the Wisconsin Badgers defenseman John Ramage on Minnesota Golden Gophers forward Seth Ambroz. Ambroz appeared to be a bit shook up from the Ramage hit, but was able to make it back to the game.

Badger goal by that was waved off



It looks like the on ice Officials made the right call on the play, we have to give them credit when they make the right call on the ice. I do find it funny and puzzling, that Brad Shepherd is reffing such a high profile game for the WCHA. From looking at the video, it's pretty obvious that the stick of Badger forward Joseph LaBate is above the cross bar when he touches the puck.



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ND and Miami Scrum at the end of the game



Here was the end of the first game of the Hockey City Classic. I watched this scrum numerous times on my television, and it looks like, Notre Dame forward Jeff Costello spears some random Miami RedHawk at the end of the game. There were no penalties called on the play. It will be interesting to see if the CCHA officials review the video from the end of the game, to see if there is anything else that warrants additional supplemental discipline.
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Mike Voran hit from behind on Taylor Richart



Watch this hit by Notre Dame forward Mike Voran as he hits Miami defensman Taylor Richart from behind.  This hit is unacceptable and you have to applaud the on ice official for giving Voran a five minute major and a game disqualification.

It would also be disappointing, to be thrown out of such an awesome, high profile event such as the Hockey City Classic for a needless, unnecessary and illegal hit from behind.

There is no way that you can defend this hit. If you watch the video you will see that Richart hit Voran earlier in the shift, but still, there is no reason for Voran to hit Richart while his back is turned to the play.

These are these are the types of hits that the powers that be are trying to eliminate from college hockey. I would be happy if we eliminated them from all levels of hockey.
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