USHL Arena Review: Viaero Event Center - Kearney, NE

About the Viaero Event Center

Located just off the highway on the south side of Kearney, NE, the Viaero Event Center is home to the USHL's Tri City Storm and has been since it opened in November of 2000.  It seats just over 4,000 people and is used for much of the same events as a typical Civic Auditorium would be utilized for (craft fairs, concerts, basketball, etc.).

The Facility

Overall, this seemed to me to be a rather small facility with much of the basic amenities shoehorned in.  For example, the Will Call Booth is simply a counter placed in the entrance foyer of the arena.  Since there is no space in the foyer for anything resembling a line, this meant that the lines for tickets went out the door quite a ways.  Since it gets as cold as a typical North Dakota winter in central Nebraska, this makes for a rather poor start to an experience.

The seats, flooring, and facilities in general though are pretty good.  The building itself resembles Cedar Rapids' arena in many ways (similar roofing and ceiling infrastructure and similar seating for example).  The bathrooms were clean (which is no small feat considering what you usually find in sports arenas).

There are luxury boxes in this arena, which is the first I noticed since Ralston.  There's not much in the way of amenities in these boxes, just movie theater style chairs and servers.  This isn't bad, if the price matches what you get.  Ralston's suites are rather pricey for what you get.

Grade:  B-

Ice

Well, for every good thing, there's bad.  Viaero Event Center has possibly the WORST ice in the USHL.  The only reason why there's doubt is because I haven't been to every arena yet.  Forget the puck jumping all over the place... that happens.  But when players and refs can't skate half the time and are sliding into boards and falling down just trying to turn (and even sometimes when they're not)...  the ice was just dreadful.  I have no idea why there is such incredible problems with their ice, but upon talking to several Kearney residents and Tri City season ticket holders, they all agreed that the ice is a huge problem.  I'm just not sure why this arena, which cost approximately $10.5 million in 1999 and was built for hockey and ice skating, would have such horrible problems.  Des Moines' arena, for example, may be long past its useful life, but the ice was fine.  They may want to start a capitol campaign to fix this.

Grade:  F

Food

I failed in this regard as we did not partake in any food, but I did notice that they served typical arena fare... and they DID serve Coke products!!!  They're one of only three arenas (Des Moines and Sioux City being the other two) to serve Coke.  However, because I did not partake, there is no grade for this facility at this time.

Entertainment

I went on what could only be called "Kids Night" at the arena... It was "Frozen" Night at Viaero and the first X amount of kids dressed up as Elsa from the movie get a tiara and a wand.  They also had photo ops with much of the cast of Frozen and, for some strange reason, Cinderella.

In between the first and second periods, they had a relay race to build a snowman (complete with the Frozen song).  In between the second and third periods, they had a chuck a puck promotion.

Most notable in their entertainment:  No gimmicks, gags, or over the top nonsense.  The entertainment was straightforward and not too "cutesy."

They also gave away some pretty decent prizes like DQ Ice Cream cakes, a month's supply of free car washes, and a free night's stay at a local resort hotel.

Grade:  A

The Visitor Experience

As outlandish, over the top Lancer fans, my friends and I went expecting to be razzed a bit because we are loud and proud.  What we got instead was friendly tolerance and even some turnabout on the part of some of the fans who sat near us (for example, they'd do our cheer to mock the goaltender back at our goaltender when it was appropriate to do so).  The worst jibe we heard was "Go back to Omaha!"   This is NOT a hostile crowd if you are a visiting fan... unless you decide to be abusive to them.

Since we happened to go to Kearney in the midst of a potential winter storm, no less than 3 separate fans came up to us with road condition reports and many more wished us safe drives back to Omaha after the game.

These were genuine and kind folks in Kearney.  Those fans we did get to speak to were kind, passionate about their team, and great hosts.

In the end, I would NOT hesitate to return to Viaero in the future.  However, I'd rather NOT visit in the same weather.

Grade:  A+

Overall

The fans were great, the seats were good, the facility (except for the ice and the entrance area) was great.  It's unfortunate that the ice quality prevents the Viaero from being one of the better visiting arenas in the USHL.  Nevertheless, it is better than Des Moines as a fan to watch the game.

Grade:  B

UND vs. USNDT U-18

Team USA line chart: pic.twitter.com/PkzCkDPtat
— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDmhockey) January 3, 2015

North Dakota line chart: pic.twitter.com/jW7pMuer6o
— North Dakota MHockey (@UNDmhockey) January 3, 2015

UND vs. USNDT U-18 Preview - http://t.co/lrQqEE1ShQ #hockey #THW pic.twitter.com/izLVwNFb4k
— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) December 30, 2014

UND Hockey: Max Gerlach Committs to UND

Another day, and another highly-sought recruit commits to UND. This time, UND picks up Max Gerlach who has committed to UND for the 2016-17 season. According to his Elite Prospects Page, Gerlach is from Texas and plays for the Colorado Thunderbirds. He's also a Fargo Force draftee.

 According to Brad E. Schlossman, Gerlach, 16, is a draft pick of the Fargo Force in the USHL. He was actually born in Minnesota, but moved to Texas when he was four months old.

New #UND recruit 98 F Max Gerlach is torching the @T1EHL U16 loop with 21 goals in 19 games, plus 17 assists. Big week for North Dakota.
— Over The Boards (@OTBPuckWatch) January 3, 2015

98 F Max Gerlach (CO Thunderbirds U16) commits to North Dakota. Our #31-ranked uncommitted. Smaller skater with great quickness and skill.
— Over The Boards (@OTBPuckWatch) January 3, 2015

Very honored and excited to announce my commitment to the University of North Dakota. Thanks to everyone who has helped get here. #GoSioux
— Max (@Gerlach91) January 2, 2015

Related articles

• UND vs. USNDT U-18 Preview(thehockeywriters.com)

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(Video) Mike Santorelli no goal, Kyle Brodziak goal

First, at the 12:15 mark of the second period, Maple Leafs forward Mike Santorelli has a goal waved off for goalie interference.

Then two minutes later Minnesota Wild forward Kyle Brodziak scores the go-ahead goal to make the score 1-0. What a series of events. I believe the refs made the right call on Santorelli's no goal.

UND Hockey: The Second Half Is upon Us

View image | gettyimages.com

The second half is upon us. This weekend, UND takes to the ice against the to rid themselves of some cobwebs. Next weekend, UND officially starts the second half of the season with an important two-game conference series against the UMD Bulldogs. UND Starts the second half off with a 13-4-2 record.
Year Before Xmas After Xmas
2004-05 13-7-2 (.636) 12-8-3 (.587)
2005-06 12-7-1 (.625) 17-9-0 (.654)
2006-07 7-10-1 (.417) 17-4-4 (.760)
2007-08 8-6-1 (.567) 20-5-3 (.768)
2008-09 9-8-1 (.528) 15-7-3 (.660)
2009-10 9-6-3 (.583) 16-7-2 (.680)
2010-11 13-5-2 (.700) 19-4-1 (.813)
2011-12 9-8-1 (.528) 17-5-2 (.750)
2012-13 10-5-3 (.639) 12-7-4 (.609)
2013-14 9-7-2 (.555) 16-7-1 (.688)
2014-15 13-4-2 (.737) ---"?"
Totals 113-73-19 (.598) 160-63-23 (.697)

UND Adds a Goalie Recruit Matej Tomek

Well, it's been a busy day. Add Topeka RoadRunners goalie Matej Tomek to the list of incoming recruits.

Brad Schlossman had said that UND would probably add a goalie commitment very soon. Potentially, UND could have a log jam at the goalie position if Zane McIyntre doesn't turn pro after his junior season. Here's the link to Tomek's Elite Prospects page.

Official Release -- The Topeka RoadRunners, a member of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are pleased to announce goaltender Matej Tomek has committed to play his Division I college hockey at the University of North Dakota beginning in the fall of 2015.

Tomek is from Bratislava, Slovakia and is listed on NHL Central Scouting's B list (meaning he's a projected early round draft pick) and he has been scouted and recruited heavily throughout the season. Having several options on the table made for a challenging decision, but North Dakota seemed like the right fit for the 17-year old netminder.

"It was a very tough decision for me, but I chose UND because I feel they will best help me grow both as a player and as a person." His major is undecided at this time, but he certainly has plenty of time for that.

Related articles

• College Hockey's Influence on Team USA(thehockeywriters.com)

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• UND Grinds out Win against LSSU(insidehockey.com)

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UPDATED: UND Hockey: Add One, Subtract Another, Rowe Decommits & Adds Gabe Bast

Apparently, UND has some breaking news on the recruiting front. Subtract recruit Jack Rowe and add defenseman Gabe Bast.

If you look at Bast's Elite Prospects page, you will see that he's from the Penticton Vees. That's the same junior team that UND defenseman Troy Stecher played for.

Excited to announce my commitment to @UNDmhockey thanks to everyone who helped me get here. #sioux
— Gabe Bast (@CallMeGabey) January 2, 2015

North Dakota loses a recruit (Jack Rowe, Muskegon/USHL), but picks up a new commit the next day in Gabe Bast (Penticton/BCHL). Hmmmm.
— Andy Johnson (@AndyJohnsonB5Q) January 2, 2015

UPDATE: According to Chris Dilks SB College Hockey, Rowe decommitted from UND because he felt that he would receive limited playing time.

To clarify, Rowe decommitted from North Dakota because he was very unlikely to ever see significant playing time.
— Chris Dilks (@ChrisDilks) January 2, 2015

North Dakota decommit Jack Rowe has committed to Arizona State.
— Chris Dilks (@ChrisDilks) January 2, 2015

Brandon Prust vs Brad Malone

If you're a fan of the hockey fight, this good fight. Montreal Candiens forward Brandon Prust drops the mitts and squares off with former Fighting Sioux forward Brad Malone. I can't say that Malone learned to do that at UND.

Thomas Thomas Vanek Head Butts Puck Out OF Zone (gif)

Check out this move by Wild Forward Thomas Vanek.

Saturday Night at the Fights: Milan Lucic works Dalton Prout

This was the much anticipated fight between Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dalton Prout. I am going with the advantage to Lucic.

GREAT FIGHT between Lucic and Prout! Lucic takes him down at the end and cuts him open! #Bruins pic.twitter.com/2N18GU7HkM
— ⒹⓊⒼⒶⓈ (@Dugas978) December 28, 2014

New AHL OT Rule Generating Buzz

View image | gettyimages.com

I like the new overtime rule that the American Hockey League is using. Apparently, the fans seem to like it and the new rule is generating a lot of attention. It will be interesting to see if the NHL adopts this rule.

PAT GRAHAM, AP Sports Writer -- Currently, the NHL uses a 4-on-4 OT model for five minutes. If no one scores, then it goes to a shootout.

But here's how the extra period works on the AHL level: It's seven minutes long - or until someone scores, of course - with the opening three minutes 4-on-4. Then, after the next whistle, it switches to 3-on-3 for the last four, leading to lots of room for creativity and scoring chances. If that doesn't decide things, it goes to a shootout, a concept that drives many a coach bonkers since it's almost like a skills competition.

That's the thing, though. This new overtime system has cut down significantly on shootouts.

Last year, the AHL had 65 percent of its OT games decided in a shootout, Andrews said. This season, it's shrunk to 25 percent.

Even more, of the 99 overtime games so far, 35 of them have been decided in 3-on-3 action.

New York Islanders Transition from Long Island to Barclays

For the last several seasons, the New York Islanders have been somewhat forgotten by casual hockey fans. Of course the fans of the franchise are going to live and die by the team, but everyone else has viewed them as a squad looking for some type of identity. All of a sudden, they now look like one of the hottest franchises in the NHL with a move to Brooklyn on the horizon and a young and talented team. It certainly will be an exciting time after years of mediocrity.

Most teams who have change on the horizon seem to focus on making the roster as good as possible when that change happens. A lot of new excitement is going to be surrounding Brooklyn when the Islanders (or maybe another name) start playing there. However, it is nice to see that those loyal fans out on Long Island are getting an opportunity to see a legitimate Stanley Cup contender fight every single night before they are gone.

This team really looks like they are something special, as people in fantasy hockey like the way standouts such as John Tavares, Jaro Halak and Travis Hamonic are playing. It seems like an entire team effort, and in a pretty mediocre Eastern conference, anything can happen as long as they get into the playoffs while things are going well.

Eventually, the Islanders are going to move to a fancy, state of the art arena, and new fans are going to adopt them as their NHL team. However, there is something to be said for this final run with a pretty talented core group of players. They might not be as talented as that dynasty three decades ago that really helped to build this franchise, but a memorable playoff run could make the move a little bit more tolerable.

NHL Network-US 2015 WJC live broadcast schedule

Once again, the World Junior Championship will be carried by the NHL Network. Programming note: All time are eastern time.

Merry Christmas from Goon's World

Here's hoping your day is Merry and Bright.

Merry Christmas.... I dont remember the 12 Days of Christmas including Labs. pic.twitter.com/t1WUIEL3Pr
— Eric J. Burton THW (@goon48) December 17, 2014

John Scott Has a Hearing Today

It will be interesting to see how many games will San Jose Sharks pugilist John Scott gets for his latest transgression. There's no defending this type of thuggery.

What's your prediction? Also, I have read where some fans think that Tim Jackman was embellishing. According to all of the posts and articles that I read, Jackman was actually knocked out.

San Jose's John Scott will have a phone hearing tomorrow afternoon for punching an unsuspecting opponent, Anaheim's Tim Jackman.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) December 24, 2014

#sjsharks Are the Days of the Enforcer Numbered in the NHL? - After watching San Jose Sharks forward John Scott pe... http://t.co/pbPzWkS1MZ
— THW_Sharks (@THW_Sharks) December 24, 2014

Related articles

• Sharks' John Scott knocks out Tim Jackman(cbc.ca)

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John Scott Buttends Tim Jackman, Should Be Suspended

This act of stupidity that should land John Scott a nice long suspension. Keep in mind that Scott is a repeat offender. Seriously, I don't how he's not suspended after this. There's no place in hockey for this kind of crap. There's no way to defend this kind of thuggery. The San Jose Mercury News refers to John Scott as an enforcer. He's an untalented hack that can barely skate and is taking up a roster spot. What's even more shocking is that Mr. Anger Management wasn't even penalized on the play. This played was a blatant attempt by Scott to injure Jackman.

I want to be clear, I am all for playing tough and sticking up for your teammates, I also like fights in hockey. This is just plain ridiculous. I don’t think players like Scott should be taking up a roster spot in the NHL anymore. Feel free to defend this play if you would like.

(Video) Sean Bergenheim Lights up Bobby Farnham

Florida Panthers forward Sean Bergenheim lights up Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bobby Farnham with a stiff, hard, legal hit. This is a text book body check.

Bruins Bartkowski will not face hearing

Bartkowski/Gionta is an example of incidental head contact on an otherwise full body check. pic.twitter.com/iCAyDjRwsN
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) December 22, 2014

I told a friend of mine that if Brian Gionta was taller, he wouldn't have been injuried. This doesn't make Buffalo Sabres fans any happier. Obviously, some fans are unhappy with the move.

Related articles

• Matt Bartkowski hit on Brian Gionta (video)(ndgoon.blogspot.com)

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Matt Bartkowski hit on Brian Gionta (video)

Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Bartkowski was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for this hit on Buffalo Sabres forward Brian Gionta. It will be interesting to see if Bartkowski has a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player safety.

The Box Score will read:

14:08 BOS Matt Bartkowski served by Matt Fraser Fighting (maj) - 5 min against Brian Gionta
14:08 BOS Matt Bartkowski served by Matt Fraser Interference (maj) - 5 min against Marcus Foligno
14:08 BOS Matt Bartkowski Game misconduct - 10 min
14:08 BUF Marcus Foligno served by Mikhail Grigorenko Instigator - 2 min against Matt Bartkowski
14:08 BUF Marcus Foligno Fighting (maj) - 5 min against Matt Bartkowski
14:08 BUF Marcus Foligno Misconduct (10 min) - 10 min against Matt Bartkowski

Boston Bruins: Riley Smith Disallowed Goal (Video)

Doesn't take many views of this video to conclude that this was a blown call. There's no reason that Boston Bruins forward Riley Smith's goal shouldn't have counted. There was no interference with the Buffalo Sabres goalie.