On Tue, 12 Dec 1995, Bud McCarty wrote:
 
> As far as losing a sense of hockey history,  moving out of Walker Arena
> had to be devastating.  The noise that could be generated in there
> was deafening.
 
The last year Clarkson played a Walker Arena (1990-1991) was inspired
season.  The history that building held for Clarkson, carried that team
the entire season (18-0-1 at home 29-9-2 overall).  Clarkson won it's
first ECAC championship in 25 years.  The last game, an NC$$ playoff game
against Wisconsin (the defending National Champions '90), was packed to
the rafters (literally).  When the game ended, the fans cheered, and THE
BELL tolled as the team raised their sticks to the crowd (a tradition
they have continued), and the five seniors skated a last lap around the
rink.  When the captain, Dave Tretowicz, stepped off the ice and waved to
the crowd, the cheers got even louder and lasted for at least 10 minutes.
 
> I hope the bell is still a part of the game.
> It used to be directly behind the opposing goalie during the first
> and third period.  Ken Dryden once said that the worst thing about
> hockey was that damn bell at Clarkson.
 
"The bell" was moved to Cheel, but due to the seating layout, it is further
from the ice and lower behind the glass, making it harder to hear i the
entire arena.  The whistle Sara Fagan talked about, is an authentic train
whistle.  It was installed late last year, and the team proceeded to
lose three home (league) games in a row (something that created a bit of
discussion here).  Personally, I HATE IT!!!  "The bell" is/was unique.  It
rang as Clarkson pressure the opposing goal, it rang when the Clarkson
goalie made a great save or player made a bone crushing check, it rang to
inspire the crowd to rally behind the team, and it rang in celebration of
a goal or a win.  I sorry to say IMHO that the bell is not a significant
part of Clarkson home games as it was in Walker Arena.
 
> If there is anyone out there who has been to games in both Walker and
> Cheel let me know how the "new" building feels.
 
As a hockey facility, Cheel Arena is top notch.  The ice surface is
"regulation" 200' x 80' (Walker's ice was 12' short and 8' norrow).  The
visiting team gets a locker room now, they don't have to dress in the
hallway with the Zamboni.  The press box has ample space and
refreshments.  And, every ticket holder has an individual seat.
 
However, the atmosphere during the game does become "dead" at times.  I
know current Clarkson students will not agree, but Walker Arena was
always hopping.  There are times now during the game that you can here the
players talking to each other on the ice (and I'm standing 12 rows back).
 
Their are a few theories that I have heard for this lack of crowd noise:
 
1.  The roof.  The roof is Walker was low and sloping, not allowing the
noise to escape the ice surface, where as the roof at Cheel is 2+ stories
high and flat.  A lot of sound goes up and gets lost up there.
 
2.  Slope of the seats.  The seats at Cheel are not on top of the ice, so
the fans are probably not "into" the game the way they were at Walker.
 
3.  Season Tickets.  With the increased seating capacity 3000 seat +
standing room. (1800 in Walker included SRO), more season tickets have
been sold, (not to students, who still get in FREE) so there are a lot
more people, but not more noise.
 
> For me it will always be "LET'S GO TECH!!!".
 
I agree, LET'S GO TECH!!!
 
 
Kevin Powers '88 '90 '92 '9?
 
HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey;  send information to
[log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.