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
>
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