I'll toss in a few comments and reactions to what others have
posted regarding CCHA arenas:
 
YOST [Michigan - Ann Arbor MI]
  Matt Wickey complains that Yost is old, has poor sight lines,
bad seats for visiting fans and an unfriendly crowd.  Well, it
certainly is old...but I think that's part of the charm.  The current
management has taken several steps to keep the building
up to date without sacrificing that "old" feel.  I do agree that
it's difficult to see from some seats.  However, many of the poor
seats are no longer being sold...Yost's "capacity" has decreased
about 10% over the last 5-6 years.  As for giving the visitors the
worst seats, UM learned that from MSU. :-)  *Most* visitors sit
right behind the away bench near the center of the ice, but those
that don't usually do get tucked into the corner.  Finally...Yost is
an unfriendly place for visiting teams, but I don't know about
visiting fans.  The student section certainly lets all visitors know
that you're in their building.
  Oh, one more thing that I like about Yost is that it has a sports
shop inside the building [The M Den].  *Most* other CCHA rinks
sell souvenirs and such from tables set up in the concourse area,
but the M Den is set aside from the rink and you can get all kinds
of [overpriced] stuff there...not just hockey related.  This may only
be a bonus for home fans, but I'd visit this type of shop at every
other rink if they existed.
 
MUNN [Michigan State - East Lansing MI]
  Munn is a great facility.  I agree with Matt and Doug Bodmann...
if I were to build a facility designed for hockey it would look a lot
like Munn.  As for the games, it's a very hostile place for visiting
fans.  Munn is the most likely place to get physically abused if
you're a visiting fan. :-(  Even if your team isn't playing.  I was
wearing my UM jacket at a BGSU-MSU game earlier this season
and was approached by a couple of gents wanting to know what
the *bleep* I was doing in their building.  Nice attitude.  If you go
to Munn, and you're not a Spartan fan, say hello to Glen Keeney,
buy a raffle ticket from him then find a seat.  Don't make eye
contact with anyone under 25 years old, because they may just
haul off and hit you.
 
BGSU [Bowling Green - Bowling Green OH]
  I like BGSU.  It's easy to get to, and relatively easy to get out
of.  The seats are pretty decent and the crowd seems fun.  And,
I say KEEP the Scotty Hamilton banners...it's part of the history
of the building, which isn't just for hockey.  My two complaints
would be that the concessions are pretty minimal and it always
seems to be too warm during the game.
 
LAWSON [Western Michigan - Kalamazoo]
  Hmm.  I don't feel strongly either way about Lawson.  It's the
only arena that I never sit at [always stand], which sets it apart
from the rest.  Other than that, I don't really think about it...so I
guess it's OK.  But the parking and admission prices have to
come down! :-)
 
NORRIS [Lake Superior - Sault Ste Marie]
  I like the Norris Center...but I like LSSU.  The fog horn after a
Laker goal and the bell ringing after a Laker victory are cool.
You just don't want to experience either too much as a visiting
fan. :-)  The best thing about Laker games is that you know, win
or lose, you'll be having dinner and a beer at The Antlers shortly.
 
 
John Haeussler
Univ of Michigan
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