Attendance?

[Get Some]

Anyone know the attendance figures for yesterdays morning and evening sessions?

[DHMN]

Anyone know the attendance figures for yesterdays morning and evening sessions?

According to the MSHSL.ORG box scores, the "A" early session attendance was 1828, and the evening session 1949.

AA attendance today (Thursday) 3396 for the early session and no numbers on the evening session box scores.

[joehockey]

Anyone know the attendance figures for yesterdays morning and evening sessions?

According to the MSHSL.ORG box scores, the "A" early session attendance was 1828, and the evening session 1949.

AA attendance today (Thursday) 3396 for the early session and no numbers on the evening session box scores.

This Tournament really should go back to Ridder. I see the College Championship the 2010 Frozen Four has been awarded to Ridder. Capacity is 3400 but man would that be electric atmosphere - not sure where you move consolations to? I think the only thing you lose is the big board with replay.

[goalzilla]

Agreed Ridder would be full and electric. Granted last night the weather played into the small crowd, regardless the excel is just to large of a venue.

[pondhockey]

Anyone know the attendance figures for yesterdays morning and evening sessions?

According to the MSHSL.ORG box scores, the "A" early session attendance was 1828, and the evening session 1949.

AA attendance today (Thursday) 3396 for the early session and no numbers on the evening session box scores.

This Tournament really should go back to Ridder. I see the College Championship the 2010 Frozen Four has been awarded to Ridder. Capacity is 3400 but man would that be electric atmosphere - not sure where you move consolations to? I think the only thing you lose is the big board with replay.

I disrespectfully disagree. Our team has played both venues and they are both quality facilities, but what you lose besides the cool, big board is the experience of playing in the Excel for the girls. Win or lose, the excitement of being in the Wild's locker room or skating on the same huge sheet of ice is an irreplaceable feeling for them. How wonderful is it for them to watch the pro's play and say "I played there!" Afterall, the experience is theirs, not ours. We just get to enjoy their ride. The hot mini-donuts are pretty good too.

[ozzie679]

Why do they play the girls tourney in such a large arena. I don't think it promotes the sport at all. I find it a little bit embarrassing. I wonder how much money they lose on this thing every year?

[goalzilla]

My daughter has played in both arenas, she'd rather play at Ridder. She said with so many empty seats it feels like an empty quiet warehouse. She said she'd rather have a crowded arena and excitement of a championship atmospere versus carpeted locker rooms and a big scoreboard.

[SportsMa]

Our daughters have played in both, too, and prefers the atmosphere at Ridder but it won't change to that venue any time soon. It is fun to see the new teams to the tournament this year having great fan support even with the crummy weather yesterday, too.

[Nostalgic Nerd]

According to the MSHSL.ORG box scores, the "A" early session attendance was 1828, and the evening session 1949.

AA attendance today (Thursday) 3396 for the early session and no numbers on the evening session box scores.

This Tournament really should go back to Ridder. I see the College Championship the 2010 Frozen Four has been awarded to Ridder. Capacity is 3400 but man would that be electric atmosphere - not sure where you move consolations to? I think the only thing you lose is the big board with replay.

I disrespectfully disagree. Our team has played both venues and they are both quality facilities, but what you lose besides the cool, big board is the experience of playing in the Excel for the girls. Win or lose, the excitement of being in the Wild's locker room or skating on the same huge sheet of ice is an irreplaceable feeling for them. How wonderful is it for them to watch the pro's play and say "I played there!" Afterall, the experience is theirs, not ours. We just get to enjoy their ride. The hot mini-donuts are pretty good too.

Saying you played where the Wild play does not reflect on the positive atmosphere of the girls tourney, to which there is hardly any in terms of empty seats. I guess the girls are stuck with this arena until an attractive alternative comes between the seating capacity of Ridder and the X.

[ozzie679]

Mariucci is half the size of the X. Maybe they could compromise and hold it there. Having this tourney in a empty arena hurts the sport.

[DHMN]

Instead of those arenas.. come up north and have it at the DECC Arena.. when the new arena opens they can have the Consolation bracket next door in the old DECC and allow people to go back and forth a heck of a lot easier than it is now.

[brookyone]

I'd rather not watch the girls state tournament played on an Olympic sheet such as Mariucci.

[DHMN]

I'd rather not watch the girls state tournament played on an Olympic sheet such as Mariucci.

That would be miserably slow to watch with all that extra ice.

[Tenoverpar]

I was watching the girls games last night and just was in awe at how pathetically empty the X was. This tournament has no business playing in basically an empty arena. Move it to Ridder and let some electricity into this thing.

[Get Some]

Ridder was the first hockey rink built strictly for a girls team. It is ridiculous that the cause of this was a few parents felt that there daughters were being robbed of an experience at the Xcel.

[joehockey]

Attendance on Friday for the two sessions were as follows - would have easily fit in Ridder:

A 1894 - 3 greater metro - Mahtomedi, Redwing, Blake - 1 very outstate Warroad
AA 2127 - 4 greater metro teams Edina, Hopkins, Stillwater, Elk River

[hockeya1a]

Attendance on Friday for the two sessions were as follows - would have easily fit in Ridder:

A 1894 - 3 greater metro - Mahtomedi, Redwing, Blake - 1 very outstate Warroad
AA 2127 - 4 greater metro teams Edina, Hopkins, Stillwater, Elk River

and you can say that a max at rink at any one time was probably about 1250

[Mr Hockey]

Ridder was built for womens hockey...Girls should play where teams at their genders highest level play and that is Ridder Arena. Girls in Minnesota should want to grow up and want to play their college hockey there. Worst case scenario they could play there as visitors.

The atmosphere was outstanding at Aldrich Arena and at Ridder before.
At the ex and at most girls games throughout the season no matter where you go there is no atmosphere. Another thing you may notice is that every time they show the crowd it seems like it is all high school boys coming to the games, not girls. During the regular season it was at least 80% moms and dads.

Those six moms in Cloquet ruined any chance of atmosphere for the girls. The best part is that they didn't even make the tournament the year that themoms went to court. HAHAHAHA. If Ridder Arena ever sells out and there is a need for a bigger venue then I have no problem with the tournament moving to the Excel Energy Center. The best arena for the tournament however would be Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls. That is basically just like the Excel Energy Center without the top bowl. It really is a palace. OUT!!!

[Stealth]

With the budget coming, primarily in cutting the season down to 22 games possible. If the State is paying to host this at the XCEL, they better be getting a great deal. TIME TO AX THE X

7 out of the 8 teams where metro teams and those are week numbers. Keep in mind those are inflated being the you get two game a session?
Ridder is the only Division 1 Girls Hockey arena or was. It is where these kids hope there next venue is whether home or visting.

The kids have to earn it just like the game itself. That will take time to build the atmosphere and attendance. You cannot just straight to the top and with no atmosphere you will now get the returning casual fan.
CLOQUET, hope your proud of your yourself. Time for these six to step up and say they screwed up.

[dochockey]

With the budget coming, primarily in cutting the season down to 22 games possible. If the State is paying to host this at the XCEL, they better be getting a great deal. TIME TO AX THE X

7 out of the 8 teams where metro teams and those are week numbers. Keep in mind those are inflated being the you get two game a session?
Ridder is the only Division 1 Girls Hockey arena or was. It is where these kids hope there next venue is whether home or visting.

The kids have to earn it just like the game itself. That will take time to build the atmosphere and attendance. You cannot just straight to the top and with no atmosphere you will now get the returning casual fan.
CLOQUET, hope your proud of your yourself. Time for these six to step up and say they screwed up.

So the girls didn't earn the chance to treated the same as the boys teams? how about all those years they wern't allowed to have teams? do those years go twords earning the right to play in the Ex? Don’t blame six parents in Cloquet for making the MSHSL follow the law. Title IX says that girls shall have the same as the boys as far as facilities. So that’s what the court upheld. If they move the girls to Ridder they would have to move the boys to a comparable facility and the boys tournament is such a cash cow they can’t afford to do that. So if you want it changed call your congressman and have them change title IX . Ax the Ex…are you prepared to do that for the boys also? Can the MSHSL afford to that?

[joehockey]

With the budget coming, primarily in cutting the season down to 22 games possible. If the State is paying to host this at the XCEL, they better be getting a great deal. TIME TO AX THE X

7 out of the 8 teams where metro teams and those are week numbers. Keep in mind those are inflated being the you get two game a session?
Ridder is the only Division 1 Girls Hockey arena or was. It is where these kids hope there next venue is whether home or visting.

The kids have to earn it just like the game itself. That will take time to build the atmosphere and attendance. You cannot just straight to the top and with no atmosphere you will now get the returning casual fan.
CLOQUET, hope your proud of your yourself. Time for these six to step up and say they screwed up.

So the girls didn't earn the chance to treated the same as the boys teams? how about all those years they wern't allowed to have teams? do those years go twords earning the right to play in the Ex? Don’t blame six parents in Cloquet for making the MSHSL follow the law. Title IX says that girls shall have the same as the boys as far as facilities. So that’s what the court upheld. If they move the girls to Ridder they would have to move the boys to a comparable facility and the boys tournament is such a cash cow they can’t afford to do that. So if you want it changed call your congressman and have them change title IX . Ax the Ex…are you prepared to do that for the boys also? Can the MSHSL afford to that?

Doc your logic would say Ridder should never have been built and Women Gophers should still be at Mariucci - I know you don't agreee with that? The UM consider Ridder the best Women's facility in Women's College Hockey - if these girls aspire to play at UM why would this not work? This year the tickets jumped to $15 and attendance dropped. The difference is the Boys sell out the X for big games and have significantly more in the X for all games. In this time of tight economics and the discussion on cutting games 5 games in the season lets look at smart ways to manage budgets and have a great experience. The X has been great but the trend is going backwards on attendance. Take it back to Ridder and lets make it a place fans want to go to.

[pondhockey]

Just throwing this out there for discussion - could the lower attendance be due to unequal teams playing each other? A lot of the scores this year didn't indicate exciting hockey.

Btw, last year when our team played at the Big Tourney we had 5 full fan buses organized by the parents.

[dochockey]

With the budget coming, primarily in cutting the season down to 22 games possible. If the State is paying to host this at the XCEL, they better be getting a great deal. TIME TO AX THE X

7 out of the 8 teams where metro teams and those are week numbers. Keep in mind those are inflated being the you get two game a session?
Ridder is the only Division 1 Girls Hockey arena or was. It is where these kids hope there next venue is whether home or visting.

The kids have to earn it just like the game itself. That will take time to build the atmosphere and attendance. You cannot just straight to the top and with no atmosphere you will now get the returning casual fan.
CLOQUET, hope your proud of your yourself. Time for these six to step up and say they screwed up.

So the girls didn't earn the chance to treated the same as the boys teams? how about all those years they wern't allowed to have teams? do those years go twords earning the right to play in the Ex? Don’t blame six parents in Cloquet for making the MSHSL follow the law. Title IX says that girls shall have the same as the boys as far as facilities. So that’s what the court upheld. If they move the girls to Ridder they would have to move the boys to a comparable facility and the boys tournament is such a cash cow they can’t afford to do that. So if you want it changed call your congressman and have them change title IX . Ax the Ex…are you prepared to do that for the boys also? Can the MSHSL afford to that?

Doc your logic would say Ridder should never have been built and Women Gophers should still be at Mariucci - I know you don't agreee with that? The UM consider Ridder the best Women's facility in Women's College Hockey - if these girls aspire to play at UM why would this not work? This year the tickets jumped to $15 and attendance dropped. The difference is the Boys sell out the X for big games and have significantly more in the X for all games. In this time of tight economics and the discussion on cutting games 5 games in the season lets look at smart ways to manage budgets and have a great experience. The X has been great but the trend is going backwards on attendance. Take it back to Ridder and lets make it a place fans want to go to.

Ridder is a comprable facility to Mariucci, when the U built it they had to jump through plenty of hoops to make certain that it had comprable meeting rooms, locker rooms and seating capacity withing a certain percentacge of Mariucci. For daughter, neice and myself we love Ridder and wouldn't mind at all playing in that facility but to say it's comprable to to what the boys are offered for their use is ridicualaus. The law of the land which has been reaffirmed by the supreme court, along with district courts throught the country has said girls have the same rights when it comes to facilities and training as the boys and to imply that the girls now have to EARN the chance to play in the same facility is a slap in the face to those women who fought to even have the chance to play high school and college sports.

[pondhockey]

Ridder was built for womens hockey...Girls should play where teams at their genders highest level play and that is Ridder Arena. Girls in Minnesota should want to grow up and want to play their college hockey there. Worst case scenario they could play there as visitors.

The atmosphere was outstanding at Aldrich Arena and at Ridder before.
At the ex and at most girls games throughout the season no matter where you go there is no atmosphere. Another thing you may notice is that every time they show the crowd it seems like it is all high school boys coming to the games, not girls. During the regular season it was at least 80% moms and dads.

Those six moms in Cloquet ruined any chance of atmosphere for the girls. The best part is that they didn't even make the tournament the year that themoms went to court. HAHAHAHA. If Ridder Arena ever sells out and there is a need for a bigger venue then I have no problem with the tournament moving to the Excel Energy Center. The best arena for the tournament however would be Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls. That is basically just like the Excel Energy Center without the top bowl. It really is a palace. OUT!!!

Mr. Hockey, one too many concussions? Your logic is absurd. "Playing where their genders highest level play.." They should be punished because society hasn't embraced women's hockey yet at the professional level? Your "Worst case scenario.." is completely insulting to all women who play hockey. How about if girls grow up to be women who play hockey at the college that best suits them for their future aspirations and not a college just because it is rated #1 or even a DI school.

Atmosphere at a sports event is your perception of what it is. I've had a lot of fun and atmosphere sitting with my friends, family & Super Fans who are excited about the game. If you need to have a full arena to have a good time, that's sad. If you think there is no "atmosphere" at a girls game because they aren't supported by the community - come to Alexandria.

[spin-o-rama]

doc,
you are twisting words. Title IX says that facilities have to be equitable, not identical. In fact, no 2 facilities will be entirely identical. There will be some tradeoffs both ways. A smaller arena is currently good for the girls game because it will provide a more dense packing of the fans and produce a more charged atmosphere. Shouldn't that be favored over size of arena? Or even video scoreboard? Afterall, aren't we there to watch the game, not a giant tv?

I think it would be an excellent goal to have the girls play at the X someday. But it needs to happen by outgrowing progressively larger arenas.

If the thrill of the state tourney is playing in a certain arena then rent some ice there and play your alumni game. You'll quickly realize that it's not the arena, it's the atmosphere.

My ideas to grow attendance. 1) make the tickets cheaper. $15 per session is too much. Gopher womens hockey prices range from free to $10. Mens are $35. 2) Make the ticket more desirable. Scarcity can be a drawing factor. Over supply (15,000 empty seats) does not breed demand. 3) Sue the Boys tourney season ticket holders for violating title IX by not buying and attending the girls tourney. Hurry before the Cloquet clique beat you to it.

BTW, many are calling for the X to be axed due to expense. The X was being provided rent free. Has that deal expired?