Friday, January 11, 2008

Outdoor Hockey

This was probably inevitable, considering every outdoor hockey game so far as been success, but it looks like there could be more outdoor hockey in the future.

Inside College Hockey's Jess Myers reported this week in his WCHA Preview that both Minnesota and Denver are looking into hosting outdoor hockey events.

Minnesota's game would take place at the new TCF Bank Stadium, currently being built across the street from Mariucci Arena on Minnesota's campus. Denver is also looking into hosting a game at INVESCO Field, along with the Colorado Avalanche, and possibly the US women's team. There are still some obstacles to overcome, but Denver did recently clear some room on their schedule in case the possibility does present itself.

Some may argue that we're reaching "outdoor hockey overkill," but I'm still in favor of the idea. It promotes college hockey, and the game of hockey in general, as an "event". I think that's a huge reason football has become so popular. People have the opportunity to tailgate, have a good time all day, and then go see a great sporting event. They would also draw a lot of fans that might not necessarily go to a hockey game, and could bring new fans into the fold.

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