>>      Actually,  for the ECAC preliminary round of ten teams,  I still
really
>>like Richard's idea of two games,  total goals.
 
If we want to give the advantage to the top seeded team, there are
plenty of better ways to do it rather than having them play a team
that is tired from playing the night before.
The best way to do it is to stetch the semi-finals (and the finals,
too) to a best two of three series and abandon the single game elimination
format.
Of course this won't happen since a 3 game series on the home ice
of the higher seed may cost the league dollars since they'd have to
share the money with the host school. Moving a three game series to
neutral ice would probably hurt attendance, especially if the participants
have long distances to travel (This idea of travelling long distances in the
ECAC must be a laugher to those in the WCHA).
Also, stretching the playoffs to 3 weekends would mean that the regular season
would have to be shortened by a week or the NCAA's would have to moved
back a week.
Of course, maybe the NCAA's should also move toward 3 game series.
Next thing you know, the NCAA finals would be competing with the
Stanley Cup finals and no-one would care because we'd all be out
at 4th of July picnics that weekend.
 
BTW, I also am opposed to total goal series for reasons that have been stated
before. Two game total goals is just one 120 minute game. It just has
the potential of making the second game meaningless. The old method
of 2 games followed by a 10 minute mini-game never had much appeal either.
I think the current format, 3 games, first to 3 points is probably the
best approach.
 
>>        Also,  FWIW,  I personally don't think the ECAC will do well in
the NC$$'s
>>until they get off that big ice in Placid.   While everyone who goes to LP
>>rave's about the ambiance,  the perfect size of the building,  and all the
>>other Olympic village type of warm and fuzzies,  I think it instills some
>>habits in the style of play that are not good when playing on NHL sized ice
>>a week later.   That extra 7.5 feet of ice on each side of the rink really
>>changes the game.   I would much prefer Albany for the ECAC finals if it
>>really wants to do well in the NC$$'s.
>
>        Or maybe Lake Placid should put in a regionals bid.
>
>
 
I also think The Knick in Albany would be an ideal location for the
ECAC's. I seldom make plans to go to Placid since the only good
way to get there is to drive and the weather up there in March is always
iffy. The Knick is centrally located in the ECAC. It takes about 3 to
3 1/2 hours to drive from Potsdam, Burlington, Cambridge and Princeton
(maybe a little longer from Providence), and has the added convenience
of a commercial sized airport.
 
While I agree that the ECAC's probably have an ambiance in Placid that
they wouldn't have in Albany, the Knick has a hockey base that would
help fill the arena to its 14,000 seat capacity. The local area supports
both RPI and Union from the ECAC as well as the Albany River Rats
and Adirondack Red Wings in the AHL. Also, Williams College and
North Adams State from Division 3 are only 25 miles away. I think
the the Knick would be a better choice attendance-wise.
Also, since Albany is hardly a tourist destination
(like Boston or Lake Placid), food and hotel accomodations are a
bit more reasonable here.
 
 
On the down-side, holding the ECAC's in Albany on a regular basis
would probably decrease the chances of landing the NCAA East Regionals
in Albany. We've had the finals here (1992) and have been alternating
the Eastern regions with the Centrum in Worcester ever since. The finals
are due back here in a few years.
Of course, the fact that I live 20 minutes away from the Knick
has nothing to do with my always unbiased opinion ;-).
 
It never made any sense to me that the ECAC's passed over Albany
to hold the tournament in Placid. Of course, at the time, Ned Harkness
was the head honcho up in Placid so I guess I shouldn't be surprised
that politics played a big part in it.
Mark Lewin
RPI - class of '69
 
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