John's point is well taken.  But I can think of two reasons why
college hockey has not developed in the New York City metro area:
 
1) SMALL SCHOOLS.  Most of the major colleges in the NYC area are
small (<10,000 undergrads) colleges.  Off the top of my head:
St. John's, Columbia, NYU, Hofstra etc..  They don't have big
athletic budgets (exception to St. Johns) and probably won't be
starting a college hockey program anytime soon because.....
 
2) ICE TIME.  ....they would have to build/completely renovate an
ice rink for themselves.  Roller hockey and street hockey are
huge in NYC because most people can't afford the $$ for the ice time.
Therefore a college team would either have to buy some serious ice
time at an existing rink or build one themselves.  Think about it, how
many colleges have built new ice rinks on or near campus recently that
didn't already have a hockey team.  Most of the colleges that have
hockey programs do so because they already have a rink.  The only
exception I could possibly think of would be Alabama-Huntsville, but
I really haven't the foggiest how/when that team was established.
No rink, no hockey.
 
Eric Hoffman
Cornell '88
SUNY-Albany '95 and ??
e-mail: [log in to unmask]
 
Let's Go RED!!!!  McCutcheon must go.