As for the rumor regarding a possible relocation of the ECAC to Albany, it is certainly closer to the geographical center of the ECAC than is Boston. But I don't think the move would be under consideration if it were not also at the current "power center" of the conference. While St. Lawrence, Clarkson, Cornell, and RPI return year after year to the Championship Tournament, attendance for the ECAC games goes through the floor because the "local team" factor is lost. (And locality is vital to Boston interest - to paraphrase the SNL Scottish Skit: "If it's not from New England, it's Crap!") The power center can and will move, of course - just this year, a Harvard, Yale, Brown, x ECAC Final Four (sue me) was quite imaginable. So I would like to see the ECAC Championship rotate between a New York and a New England site. After a few years we'd find out if there was a big difference in attendence. We'd also find out whether any NY fans gave their team a decisive home ice advantage, something which, for whatever reason, hasn't happened for Harvard in the last few years at the Garden. As for "tradition," sure, I treasure my memories of Grenier's goal in overtime in the '86 final (JOY!), and Boston Garden plays a part in that. But (attention: hockey-l politically incorrect statement about to be made), college sports are first and foremost for THE STUDENTS. We old fogies are like Bush administration claims of doing right by the commonwealth: decorative and amusing, but ultimately irrelevant. For the students: 1. Cutting down travel time and cost is very important. 2. There is little "tradition" when one has a 4 year time horizon. I oppose the NCAA Regionals for the same reason (and yes, I went to Providence this year and enjoyed it very much.) The primary purpose, both of HockeyFest and the Regionals, is to increase the profile of the sport. But when I watch what the High Profile college "sports" have become, I am thankful for hockey's obscurity! Besides large endorsement contracts for coaches and wholesale academic and recruiting scandals, what exactly would be gained by making college hockey a "major" sport? Greg Beacon Hill, Boston (100 yards from Boston Garden) Let's Go Red! Congratulations Parris Duffus! Just another Cornell All-American goalie... and one who actually IS American!