Toscano Family Ice Forum Impressions | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Toscano Family Ice Forum Impressions

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The student deck needs to be redone, absolute waste of space. Not all students can stand up there and see the game. They also don't get into the game as much if they're standing up there like they do at XL or Gampel when they have seats. Conceptionally it made sense because they wanted the band right next to the ice but in reality have the band sit in the corner. Take out the deck add seats and pack the students in there.
Or maybe put the band on risers up there and have the students down low where they be pains in the butt and can bang on the glass and display some questionable yet funny posters. The band sounded fine but would be even better higher up.
 
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100% agree. Did the designers of this barn ever attend a college hockey game?
 
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Sacred heart opened their barn too. Based on what I could tell theirs is a better size and use of space.
 

CL82

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Sacred heart opened their barn too. Based on what I could tell theirs is a better size and use of space.
Does it matter?
 
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The assessment is very kind to the facility but is inaccurate. The XL center with 4-5k fans is MUCH louder than Tuscano was on opening night. Other than the boos at the end of the NU game, the morgue atmosphere was on campus, not in Hartford. It's great to have a nice home venue but there needs to be some significant adjustments to charge up the fan experience.

The real asset are the amenities for the student athletes, not the fans so much.

obstructed view.png
 
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The assessment is very kind to the facility but is inaccurate. The XL center with 4-5k fans is MUCH louder than Tuscano was on opening night. Other than the boos at the end of the NU game, the morgue atmosphere was on campus, not in Hartford. It's great to have a nice home venue but there needs to be some significant adjustments to charge up the fan experience.

The real asset are the amenities for the student athletes, not the fans so much.

View attachment 83141
Well… why don’t you take the time to let the writer know his opinions/first impressions are wrong.
 
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It's probably affects small number of seats, but when tools exist to computer model the view from every seat, there's no excuse for having obstructed views. This reminds me of the debacle when the newest Yankee Stadium opened and the black bar facility in center field blocked views of the outfield from the sections on either side of it. They actually had to sell those seats for $5 and place flat screen TVs on the outside walls of the bar so fans could see action in the blocked areas. Ultimately those seats were removed in favor of expanded "social areas", but I was baffled how they let it happen in the first place.
 

CL82

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1674132872763.png

Wow. How does an architect let that happen? It definitely looks as if it was a change from the original design, perhaps as a cost savings move, but have some personal pride. If you just eliminate the 90° angles at the end of the box and go with 45° (like the top half of a pentagon) you eliminate the sight line issue. I will be surprised if that’s there more than a few years.
 
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So official attendance at SHU’s Martire Family Arena last night was about 4300. Somehow they were able to squeeze in 700 more fans than advertised.

Also true is the novelty effect, but the arena will help them with recruiting too and who knows, may eventually be the reason for a possible punch of their ticket as the 12th HE team.
 
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Also noted that the Wolfpack have been bragging about attendance as of late - after UConn played it’s last game at XL. Coincidence or a fans that are not able to go to Toscano now getting their fix with the WP, which has very good hockey sure but their game experience is different and much more child oriented. I prefer the IceBus many times over.
 
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Nice job by Sacred Heart opening Martire to high schools, should help their in-state recruiting.

Notre Dame-West Haven playing heavy out-of-state schedule, hoping to be sharp for CIAC playoffs

I know HS hockey in NE CT is not at the level of the SW and central parts of the state, but there's some serious talent at the prep schools, UConn would be smart to follow this lead.

EO Smith plays home games at Freitas and HS playoff games were held there as recently as last year. Hope they will continue that with Toscano…
 
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I quickly went through Hockey East, Quinnipiac, and Sacred Heart rosters.

Not including UConn, there are 10 from CT.

UConn has 5 kids from Connecticut.

UMass: Scott Morrow (played prep in Minnesota)

Northeastern: Alex Mella (played prep in Minnesota, has played sparingly in 4 years)

Boston College: Charlie Leddy (1 year at Avon then the USNTDP), Paul Davey (1 year at Avon then the USHL)

Providence: Garrett Sundquist (South Kent, has only played in 2 games this season)

New Hampshire: Ryan Black (played 4 years at D3 Babson)

Vermont: Jacques Bouquot (Salisbury for 3 years, 1 year in BCHL)

Quinnipiac: Tim Heinke (played at Avon, has played sparingly this season), Victor Czerneckianair (1 year prep in Rhode Island)

Sacred Heart: Cody Hobar (played at Loomis Chaffee, has played sparingly in 3 years)


Boston University, Merrimack, Lowell, Maine, Harvard have zero players from CT.
 
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Nice job by Sacred Heart opening Martire to high schools, should help their in-state recruiting.

Notre Dame-West Haven playing heavy out-of-state schedule, hoping to be sharp for CIAC playoffs

I know HS hockey in NE CT is not at the level of the SW and central parts of the state, but there's some serious talent at the prep schools, UConn would be smart to follow this lead.
There's really no reason a relevant prep school in CT would have to play in Storrs when their own rinks are very good. NDWH will likely not be providing much for SHU recruiting, other than some players that'll spend their freshman year at NDWH and head to prep school.
 
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Agreed. HS hockey in CT cannot compare to metro Boston and metro Minneapolis/St. Paul. In both regions HS hockey is king. In CT, HS basketball rules. Our best public HS hockey players will always be recruited by CT/Mass prep schools after a sterling freshman/sophomore year.

I can't blame them. If my son or daughter had an opportunity for a scholarship to Choate, Hotchkiss, Deerfield, et al, I'd say................................enjoy the ride.
 
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Must exit right out of Lot I East. No direct access to Separatist Rd.
So that as I was walking to our car, but cop disappeared and left turns were allowed after he left.
That made for an easy get away.
 
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Official attendance: 2691 . Some may have viewed elsewhere in the space, standing or lounges, but yeah, many sold out events have pockets of seats unoccupied.
Sure - and some chronic absentees were trying to sell tix on Vivid etc. for $90+ a pop. I saw the same thing we saw at XL - a lot of fully paid for but unused seats. UConn should keep track of that and figure out how to get the seats used or re-allocated. You know the almighty buck reigns supreme, but I saw a lot of primo seats unused and it's wrong and looked weird. I thought such a phenomenon would be somewhat limited at a campus facility, but there were a lot of vacancies, especially for a HE game against a natural rival.

As far as the deck is concerned, there are two problems. First, when I walked the concourse during the game, I noticed sight line problems on the edges, very limited SRO visibility and a patent discrimination against short people who don't make it to the rail. So much so, it brought to mind Randy Newman's opus:

Well, I don't want no short people
Don't want no short people
Don't want no short people

'Round here


Also, the tall table lounge adjacent the entrance creates a lot of wasted space. How does that even work for hockey? Perhaps, you could meet your accountant there and do your taxes. In addition, you give up the north/south viewing of a game for many more people. A lot of hockey purists love an elevated, behind the goal perspective for viewing.

In sum, I think the design evidences that some people who don't really follow or know hockey had a hand in the design. I think the facility tries to be too many things to too many people. For comparison, look at simplicity and efficiency of Quinnipiac, Gutterson (UVM), Whittemore (UNH), Bright (Harvard), Lynah (Cornell) and even the new SHU arena for examples of arenas where hockey comes first...

Finally, I miss Tiesto's "The Business" (or if it was played, it was unrecognizable to me). Maybe it could not pass the "appropriateness" test. Still it was a great song when UConn entered the XL Center.

On the bright side, I think most every thing I mention can be remedied w/o a lot of aggravation or reconstruction.
The bones of the building appear to be solid and any current deficiencies can be addressed.
 
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One more thing...

My ears are still ringing from the PA announcer's PP and goal calls at the new arena.
I am sure he is a great guy and a great announcer in the right venue, but he sounds like he's reprising his role as Foghorn Leghorn...

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