The NCAA men's ice hockey championship tonight returns to Boston, "without question the mecca" of college hockey, for the first time since '04, according to John Connolly of the BOSTON HERALD. It is the "eighth time the Frozen Four has been held in greater Boston," and the tournament’s return to the city "has been received with open arms among all segments of the hockey community -- most of whom will tell you that’s it’s long overdue." There are 23 schools "within 50 miles of Boston" that play D-I, D-II or D-III hockey. The Hockey East conference and TD Garden VP/Events Steve Nazro "spearheaded the bid to bring the Frozen Four back" to the area. The event in recent years "has been held in locales such as Washington and Tampa," but there has "been growing scuttlebutt among the college hockey cognoscenti to incorporate Boston, the twin cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul and a third venue into a three-way rotation as Frozen Four hosts." That issue is "expected to be among the hot topics at this year’s annual American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) convention, which will be held this month." Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna "feels bringing the Frozen Four back to Boston is a no-brainer." He said, "They (Boston and Minneapolis) are the two places where you can make the case that so many hockey fans get in cars to go to the game without having to get a hotel (room), or fly, get an airplane ticket. I think New England is even more of a concentration, not just Boston but New England." Nazro: "We had bid for several of the Frozen Fours that we didn’t get. So, our new boss, (Garden president) Amy Latimer, made it a priority to improve the bids." (BOSTON HERALD, 4/9). In Omaha, Steve Beideck reported fewer than 20 fans "took advantage of attending each of the four free practice sessions" yesterday at TD Garden, but sparse crowds "won't be an issue" today. Providence College coach Nate Leaman said that the expected turnout "will be good for the sport, particularly with two teams hailing from nearby" (OMAHA.com, 4/8).
JUST KEEP TRUCKIN': In N.Y., Gary Santaniello notes men's hockey has the "longest continuous season in college athletics." By "moving its final weekend beyond basketball’s, hockey separated itself from the other championships, although the games periodically coincide with the end of the NHL regular season, as they do this year." ESPN as a result "expanded the coverage of the tournament, and it has carried every game in the event for the past 10 years on its family of networks or on its streaming service." Hockey having its own weekend "has also created greater opportunities for promotion, as well as an exclusive window for the NCAA’s corporate sponsors." The NCAA since '12 "has held a festival during the Frozen Four." Boston Univ. coach David Quinn yesterday said, "I don’t think college hockey has ever been more visible than it is today. You can find a college hockey game from October to April on TV every weekend." Santaniello notes, still, the coaches and the D-I men's ice hockey committee every year "discuss changing the tournament, including its schedule." But Denver Univ. coach George Gwozdecky said, "On the sports calendar that time of year, there’s no great weekend to move it to" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/9).
