So now the college hockey world gets a taste of sharp elbow in the corner from a very powerful sports entity. The NHL did that to us in Hartford a couple of years ago. Join the club. Tastes great, huh? I hope the irony isn't lost on folks. Hartford is now smack dab in the middle of MAAC country now. I expect if MAAC hockey is marketed properly that Hartford would become the permanent home of its tournament, and the NC$$ east regionals to take on a three city rotation of Albany, Worcester and Hartford. But if this tournament draws more than 1500 people a game this year without UConn, HC, or QU in the mix, I would be extremely surprised. About 15 years ago, the Phoenix insurance company sponsored a holiday college hockey tournament which died a very quick death. For this tournament to succeed, the conferences are going to have to ante up some pretty major promotion bucks. If they DID do that, however, they would have a chance. I agree with Mr. Dubay, this place is actually a college hockey hotbed waiting to happen. The youth level is VERY robust. Life after the Whalers has proved to be just fine, thank you. The problem is that UConn may be reluctant to lead the way in promotion since they appear to want no competition for the roundball programs. I will be very interested to see if the local papers contain advertising for the UConn hockey opener of their new building at anywhere near the same level as the soccer (currently ranked number one in men's and four in women's in the nation) or football advertising that they do now. That will be the really telling clue to UConn's intentions, IMHO. -- Dick Tuthill HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.