Home Ice?

[TheHockeyDJ]

8AA usually has the final in Thief River. The only time it has been in Bemidji was about five years ago when Moorhead met Brainerd. Could be a repeat this year.

Both awesome arenas! I went to the final in TRF 2 years ago for that OT win by Bemidji. Mini-Ralph is as good as it gets! Sanford Center should be great for Moorhead vs Brainerd. I have been there for Gophers/Beavers about 6 years ago. Both buildings they did everything right.

Section 8AA games are home (high seed) until the section final which is supposed to be neutral site either TRF (Olympic Ice) St Cloud State (Olympic Ice) or Bemidji depending on who makes the final. Now that Its Moorhead Vs. St. Michael-Albertville I wouldn't be surprised to see it at St. Cloud making Moorhead drive 150 miles to SMA going 38 miles. But hey they do the same thing for football playoffs so why show common sense now.....
But Section 8 is from Roseau to Moorhead to Rogers to Bemidji so we are used to traveling just to play each other.

Yeah I'm aware of how they do things in 8AA. It is different kind of section given how spread out all of the teams are. If I were a fan of an 8AA team, I would rather see the semi-finals also rotate at those 3 rinks in a doubleheader. Always better to watch 2 games instead of 1. I do like that they have their final on Wednesday night. Years I am back it works out nicely to see that game, then Amsoil Arena on Thursday night, Aldrich on Friday night. In 2016 that was 3 incredible games with the Bemidji OT winner, Rapids won with :06 left, and Stillwaters ESPN highlight goal in OT over HM.

[SEC Scotty]

It's too bad for some of the Twin Cities sections. They really lack that perfect section final venue. Mariucci is the only one with enough seating capacity but it isn't a great atmosphere with the olympic sheet. The ideal venue was on the State Fairgrounds at the Lee Warner Rose Colesium before they took the ice out. The 4 college teams outside of the cities have ideal venues for a section final.

With all due respect, for Section 5AA (anyway) Aldrich is perfect for the Section Final. Packed to the gills, Loud as hell, good ice sheet, good sight lines for spectators. My oldest son played in a Section Final at the Fairgrounds & one at the DECC, sight lines were terrible at the Fairgrounds, it was warm at ice level and the ice wasn’t very fast. My youngest son played in the Section Final at Aldrich in 2016 & it was electric. Now I agree HM playing the 4AA FINAL at Aldrich is not ideal, but neither is ER or Andover (or back in the day Anoka playing at the DECC) playing at Amsoil, which IS a home game for DE & DM and essentially is for Cloquet

Aldrich is good to go! No need for an upgrade to a tax burden for the fine folks from the East side. Christ DJ give it a rest FF sake!! Easy to spend Minnesota tax payer money from Alaska me boy!!

I agree Aldrich is a great arena for high school hockey. Awesome concessions, friendly staff, free parking, cleanest (including restrooms) and well maintained arena around. Get there early you'll be fine.

[wbmd]

With all due respect, for Section 5AA (anyway) Aldrich is perfect for the Section Final. Packed to the gills, Loud as hell, good ice sheet, good sight lines for spectators. My oldest son played in a Section Final at the Fairgrounds & one at the DECC, sight lines were terrible at the Fairgrounds, it was warm at ice level and the ice wasn’t very fast. My youngest son played in the Section Final at Aldrich in 2016 & it was electric. Now I agree HM playing the 4AA FINAL at Aldrich is not ideal, but neither is ER or Andover (or back in the day Anoka playing at the DECC) playing at Amsoil, which IS a home game for DE & DM and essentially is for Cloquet

Aldrich is good to go! No need for an upgrade to a tax burden for the fine folks from the East side. Christ DJ give it a rest FF sake!! Easy to spend Minnesota tax payer money from Alaska me boy!!

I agree Aldrich is a great arena for high school hockey. Awesome concessions, friendly staff, cleanest (including restrooms) and well maintained arena around.

But too much of an advantage for Hill-Murray.

[SEC Scotty]

Aldrich is good to go! No need for an upgrade to a tax burden for the fine folks from the East side. Christ DJ give it a rest FF sake!! Easy to spend Minnesota tax payer money from Alaska me boy!!

I agree Aldrich is a great arena for high school hockey. Awesome concessions, friendly staff, cleanest (including restrooms) and well maintained arena around.

But too much of an advantage for Hill-Murray.

I agree. Maybe they lock up their locker room for sections after the quarterfinals and have to use one on the east side of the arena like everyone else.

[TheHockeyDJ]

The main problem with Aldrich is how many people can’t attend that would like to? Over 1,000? Over 2,000? To me that really sucks when you have thousands being turned away that want to attend.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

The main problem with Aldrich is how many people can’t attend that would like to? Over 1,000? Over 2,000? To me that really sucks when you have thousands being turned away that want to attend.

That, and tickets go on sale in the middle of the morning the day before. Kinda hard on those of us working for The Man, especially if it's not anywhere near Maplewood.

[GoldenBear69]

8AA

MHD vs. STMA

700 PM
WED, FEB. 28

SANFORD CENTER (BEM)

[elliott70]

8AA

MHD vs. STMA

700 PM
WED, FEB. 28

SANFORD CENTER (BEM)

See you all there!

[wbmd]

I agree Aldrich is a great arena for high school hockey. Awesome concessions, friendly staff, cleanest (including restrooms) and well maintained arena around.

But too much of an advantage for Hill-Murray.

I agree. Maybe they lock up their locker room for sections after the quarterfinals and have to use one on the east side of the arena like everyone else.

It's more of an ice advantage for Hill than it is letting them remain in their own personal locker rooms.

[ZachHalverson]

I have no idea if this can work structurally and perhaps more importantly, who would pay for it, but I was thinking yesterday about how nice it would be if they could expand Aldrich on the east side of the arena to a horseshoe seating arrangement. You could expand the ticket lobby area, the locker rooms, add a meeting room area and more. Don't worry, there are a couple of crow's nests on the west side of the arena for the organ.

I'll say the same, tired, cliches about hosting the 4AA tournament in this building. Love the atmosphere, love the sight lines, and the concessions are OK (though $2 for a can of pop is a bit steep). However, there are perhaps thousands of people who would like to go to these games but can't because of limited capacity and they can't get there at noon. Adding seats would help and would perhaps see the return of double-headers for 4AA semifinals again. Still might be small for a 4AA/5AA final doubleheader though.

[hockey59]

I have no idea if this can work structurally and perhaps more importantly, who would pay for it, but I was thinking yesterday about how nice it would be if they could expand Aldrich on the east side of the arena to a horseshoe seating arrangement. You could expand the ticket lobby area, the locker rooms, add a meeting room area and more. Don't worry, there are a couple of crow's nests on the west side of the arena for the organ.

I'll say the same, tired, cliches about hosting the 4AA tournament in this building. Love the atmosphere, love the sight lines, and the concessions are OK (though $2 for a can of pop is a bit steep). However, there are perhaps thousands of people who would like to go to these games but can't because of limited capacity and they can't get there at noon. Adding seats would help and would perhaps see the return of double-headers for 4AA semifinals again. Still might be small for a 4AA/5AA final doubleheader though.

4AA FINAL should not be at Aldrich, play at Ridder or (if not enough seating) Mariucci. 5AA at Aldrich works just fine IMO.

[TheHockeyDJ]

I have no idea if this can work structurally and perhaps more importantly, who would pay for it, but I was thinking yesterday about how nice it would be if they could expand Aldrich on the east side of the arena to a horseshoe seating arrangement. You could expand the ticket lobby area, the locker rooms, add a meeting room area and more. Don't worry, there are a couple of crow's nests on the west side of the arena for the organ.

I'll say the same, tired, cliches about hosting the 4AA tournament in this building. Love the atmosphere, love the sight lines, and the concessions are OK (though $2 for a can of pop is a bit steep). However, there are perhaps thousands of people who would like to go to these games but can't because of limited capacity and they can't get there at noon. Adding seats would help and would perhaps see the return of double-headers for 4AA semifinals again. Still might be small for a 4AA/5AA final doubleheader though.

Zach, I thought the same thing exactly being there 2 years ago. Like you say it takes funds, but a new lobby is badly needed and I think the added seating on the end would be great. Make it steep too. I think a big open lobby with a tall ceiling would be awesome. I’ve been in log home and stone masonry construction for many years and I thought a log post and beam constructed lobby with stone accents would make that “hockey lodge” kinda feel. Then on the walkways at the top of the seating tie it to the lobby with half log posts and stone with some black and white historical photos of HS hockey games from the past. Just a thought.

[inthetwine]

But too much of an advantage for Hill-Murray.

I agree. Maybe they lock up their locker room for sections after the quarterfinals and have to use one on the east side of the arena like everyone else.

It's more of an ice advantage for Hill than it is letting them remain in their own personal locker rooms.

I disagree, letting them use their own locker room gives Hill an unfair advantage to things like extra gear, easier skate sharpening, video gear etc. For the playoffs, they should have to move to one of the other locker rooms.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Last night the ladies working the concession stand were wearing HM swag. Clearly that's worth at least a goal a game, maybe two.

[kpryan88]

Last night the ladies working the concession stand were wearing HM swag. Clearly that's worth at least a goal a game, maybe two.

Isn’t that what they always say? Games are won based on the swag the concession workers are wearing?