Thanks for starting this, Nathan. How about some more reflections,  
for those of us unable to attend.

On Apr 12, 2009, at 6:59 PM, Hampton, Nathan E. wrote:

> I know people probably wanted personal/event accounts AS they were  
> happening, so I thought I would just throw the first stone out  
> there and see what kind of ripples it makes.
> (1) The City: Loved it -- right up there with Anaheim and Boston as  
> towns with so much to do, you cannot do it all in the few days you  
> visit. Eric and Paula made the right move and got there early and  
> are leaving late. DC is so good it made me sore -- physically  
> aching legs from walking around so much. The monuments, the museums  
> ("1934 A New Deal for Artists" at the National Portrait Gallery was  
> my favorite), the cherry blossoms (particularly around the Tidal  
> Basin where the FDR and Jefferson monuments are), and the weather  
> we all so good that you have to go back for more.
> (2) The Venue: The Verizon Center is fine (no arena is great,  
> except a few). Right on the metro stop, 2 blocks from the hotel,  
> and right next door to the Hockey-L dinner.
> (3) The Dinner: great fun. Plenty of room for even the kids to run  
> around, and the willing adults to table-hop (it was Easter  
> afterall). The food kept coming, and  I really liked it. Two  
> problems (differences) - first of all we are becoming a very small  
> group, and the networking skills and abilities that Hockey-L  
> presents are best when the group is big. We really need to work on  
> that. We should have a person-occupied table with flyers (much like  
> USCHO did a few years back in Boston) to let the thousands of  
> college hockey fans that we exist and how to join. Secondly, The  
> structure of the event did not allow for what is my most fun thing  
> about the Hockey-L dinner (and one tradition we have not kept up),  
> which is the standing up and introducing yourself and your group  
> and where you are from. However, John and Mary Beth were  
> tremendously gracious hosts and kudos to their choice.
> (4) The Games: better than expected, advertised, and some other  
> frozen fours. I told my wife (who hates OT) when Miami got up 3-1  
> that "the way all the regional have gone this year, the game will  
> get tied up in the last minute and we will go to overtime." The  
> final was the FINAL, a great game of a great season. Bemidji State  
> fans stayed and cheered, the Vermont-BU game was incredibly good  
> fire-wagon hockey throughout the third period (and I am not a BU  
> fan), and the locals who attended saw a tremendous display of what  
> college hockey has to offer.
> (5) The Hotel: very nice and convenient. You are two to four blocks  
> from hotel front door to Verizon front door. Plus they had a bar  
> where the Vermont faithful gathered before the semifinal game. And  
> it was right on the edge of Chinatown, with some incredible  
> restaurants (a great restaurant is a hole in the wall, and these  
> were). Plus less than two blocks from the Metro stop, which when  
> arriving at 11PM at night, really helps.
>
> Nathan
>