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2011 Great Lakes Invitational Promotions

Dec 26

Posted by Matt in News | No Comments

If any of you happen to be in the Detroit area this week, you might want to stop by the Joe Louis Arena to catch some great college hockey action. The 2011 Great Lakes Invitational will begin on December 29th, and will feature Boston College, Michigan State, Michigan and host school Michigan Tech. In addition to the hockey, there will be several great promotions and contests going on to give fans a chance to win some great prizes. Check out the full press release below for more information.

Detroit, MI… The 47th Annual Great Lakes Invitational is fast approaching, with four high-profile NCAA squads set to descend upon Joe Louis Arena on December 29 and 30 for a single-elimination-style tournament that has become a holiday tradition for sports fans in southeastern Michigan. In addition to four action-packed college hockey games, attendees of this year’s GLI are also in store for a wide variety of unique contests and promotions as Olympia Entertainment’s 2011-12 “College Hockey in the D” schedule kicks off with a bang.

“We’re very excited about the new elements we’ve added to the 2011 edition of the GLI,” says Olympia Entertainment Director of Strategic Hockey Alliances Mike Bayoff. “This tournament has traditionally been a fun-filled, family-friendly event and we feel that the dynamic mix of promotions we’re rolling out this year will enhance those traits and further add to the festive collegiate atmosphere at The Joe.”

Host school Michigan Tech University will be setting up an interactive exhibition entitled “The Science of Hockey” on the main concourse at JLA for fans to visit throughout the duration of the 2011 GLI. This innovative educational exhibition is designed to be enjoyed by hockey enthusiasts of all ages and features a variety of exhibits which incorporate scientific lessons with hockey-related paraphernalia and equipment.

Presented by MTU’s Mind Trekkers Student Outreach Program, “The Science of Hockey” will open at 2:00 p.m. on both December 29 and 30 and will remain open until the end of the first period of both of the tournament’s afternoon (4:00 p.m.) games. Admission to “The Science of Hockey” is free with the purchase of any GLI ticket.

Special GLI VIP Ticket Packages are also available for purchase this year, affording fans the opportunity to enjoy a one-of-a-kind college hockey experience. In addition to receiving a “College Hockey in the D” t-shirt and a premium front row/glass seat, VIP ticket holders will also be invited to participate in a meet-and-greet with former Detroit Red Wings and NCAA players Chris Chelios and Doug Brown as well as a post-game on-ice experience. Priced at $65 apiece, more information on GLI VIP Ticket Packages can be obtained by calling (313) 396-7575.

An autographed college & pro jersey combo from NCAA alumni who have gone on to skate in the NHL will also be given away to four lucky fans at this year’s GLI. Jerseys signed by Justin Abdelkader (Spartans/Red Wings), Doug Brown (Eagles/Red Wings), Chris Conner (Huskies/Griffins) and Jack Johnson (Wolverines/Kings) will all be given away during this year’s GLI. In order to qualify to win one of these unique prizes, fans must fill out a ballot on the JLA concourse. One jersey package will be given away at each of the four matches scheduled to be played during the tournament.

The 2011 Great Lakes Invitational will begin with a match between Michigan State and Michigan Tech at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 29 followed by a battle between Boston College and Michigan later that evening (puck drop @ 7:30 p.m.). The two winning teams will then compete for the GLI championship at 7:30 p.m. the following night, with the consolation final set to be staged immediately beforehand (puck drop @ 4:00 p.m.). Tickets to this event are now available for purchase at the JLA Box Office (313-396-7575), all Ticketmaster (800-745-3000) outlets, and online at OlympiaEntertainment.com

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Michigan, Michigan State, and Olympia Entertainment Extend Deal

Nov 18

Posted by Eddie in News | No Comments

Earlier this week, the University of Michigan and Michigan Sgtate University extended a deal to continue playing games against each other at Joe Louis Arena for three more seasons. The pact ensures the rivalry game at the home of the Detroit Red Wings will continue until the 2013-2014 season.

The Michigan State-Michigan hockey rivalry is just as intense as the football rivalry between the two largest schools in the state of Michigan.

The Wolverines and Spartans have met in Detroit at least once per season since 1990. During the series at The Joe, Michigan has held a slight series edge with 10 wins compared to Michigan State’s nine. Four games have ended in a tie. University of Michigan AD David Brandon can add this to the list of deals he has struck in his short time in Ann Arbor. ““I’m excited that we have extended our relationship with Olympia Entertainment, ensuring our fans that Michigan vs. Michigan State hockey games will be played at Joe Louis Arena for many years to come,” he said.

Despite a sub-par season in 2010-11 by the Spartans under former coach Rick Comley, they posted a 2-1 victory in front of over 18,000 fans January 29, 2011. The two teams will meet this season Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.

In addition to this single game, the College Hockey in the D series at Joe Louis Arena this season consist of staple events like the Great Lakes Invitational and the CCHA Championship. The 2011 edition of the Great Lakes Invitational, set to be staged at Joe Louis Arena on December 29 and 30 of this year. Boston College and Michigan Tech will join Michigan State and Michigan for the right to hoist the MacInnes Trophy later this year.

The Mason Cup will be awarded to the CCHA tournament champion. And the champion will be awarded Saturday, March 12, 2012 after the semifinals the day before. This season, the Wolverines carry a 7-3-2 overall and 3-3-2-1 CCHA records heading into this weekends home series with Ohio State. The Spartans are only three points behind in conference with a 3-3-0-0 record. Their overall record is 6-4 as they travel to Marquette, Mich. to take on Northern Michigan.

““Our rivalry with Michigan is the greatest rivalry in our state, and as the most-played rivalry in all of college hockey, it allows us to add a chapter each year in one of the most exciting buildings in the National Hockey League. This partnership also allows us to showcase our programs, and engage our fans in the Detroit area.””- Michigan State Athletic Director Mark Hollis

” “It allows us to showcase one of the most exciting rivalries in college hockey in one of the grandest hockey venues in the state of Michigan, and also provides terrific exposure for both of these storied hockey programs.””- University of Michigan Athletic Director Dave Brandon

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My Day With 113,410 of my Closest Friends

Dec 14

Posted by Eddie in Soap Box | No Comments

Saturday afternoon was unlike any other in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sure they are used to having over 100,000 fans jammed into popular tailgating spots such as Pioneer High School, U of M Golf Course, and parking lots in the athletic complex. This was unlike any other because instead of seeing football jerseys and footballs being thrown around, you saw makeshift hockey games with garbage cans as goals. You also saw hockey jerseys and other cold weather apparel being worn. At The Big Chill hockey game at Michigan Stadium, it was truly a once in a lifetime event.

View from my seat as the third period began at The Big Chill

When I attended college at Ferris State University, I attended sporting events in a media capacity during my four years. I never had the opportunity like my friends who went to schools such as Michigan, Michigan State, and others and enjoy the complete tailgate experience. This was my first time arriving at the venue several hours prior to kickoff or the puck dropping to hang out, chat, and enjoy a beverage of choice. When I attended games, I would usually show up 30 minutes prior to the game starting, head straight to the press box and kept my nose in front of media guides, a laptop computer, or various pregame statistical information before the game starting. It was something that I really enjoyed doing, I hope to do the tailgate thing before a Michigan State football game next fall.

I tailgated at Pioneer High School, across the street from Michigan Stadium. There was an interactive Fan Fest for the fans as well. They had several activities for both children and adults. They had activities such as a shooting net, concerts, contests, and mini hockey games going on. The presenting sponsor of the game, Arby’s, was also giving out free roast beef sandwiches to fans.

Inside the stadium, there was a B-2 Stealth flyover after the national anthem. I had never seen one in person, and they are truly amazing to see. You won’t know it flew over you unless you looked up and seen it. They were that quiet. One of the first things that I noticed about the ice was that it looked bigger than what I seen in Madison, Wisconsin for the Camp Randall Classic. At most other non-traditional hockey games, they used the regular NHL sized rink. But for The Big Chill, they used the wider Olympic sized rink to make the size of the rink look larger on the football field. Good decision by the planners because it didn’t seem as small and allowed the fans to feel a few feet closer to the action. Another positive for the game was putting fireworks around the perimeter of the rink that was set to go off before the game, after Michigan goals and during the post-game fireworks display.

Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of post-game fireworks. It’s similar to things like a parade, the Detroit Auto Show, and Dick Clark’s New Years Eve: Once you’ve seen it once or twice, you’ve seen enough of it. But never before at Michigan Stadium had there been fireworks placed and set off atop of the east and west sides of the stadium where the press box and club seating is located. I loved the use of various colors, patterns and how it was set to accompanying music.

I don’t know if I will attend another outdoor hockey game of this magnitude again. But I do know, organizers of future games will have a difficult time matching the experience I enjoyed Saturday at Michigan Stadium.

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Outdoor Hockey Mania On Horizon

Dec 10

Posted by Eddie in News | No Comments

Today in Detroit, we received the first significant amount of snowfall this fall/winter. This is usually the first sign that warm weather has taken a back seat until spring. This is also the beginning of what appears to be an excellent winter of outdoor hockey games being played across the United States and Canada.

Today is also the first day that tickets went on sale for the 2011 Tim Horton’s NHL Heritage Classic, a game that will take place February 20, 2011 at McMahon Stadium in Calgary, Alberta between Montreal and Calgary. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster annd range between $111.95 and $269.45 Canadian.

Wednesday night at 10:00 p.m. Eastern on HBO will be the primere of 24/7: Penguins/Capitals. If you have never seen or heard of 24/7, it is a documentary-style series that will take viewers inside and outside everything going on in Pittsburgh and Washington leading up to the Bridgestone Winter Classic on January 1. 24/7 has done previous series on athletes such as Jimmy Johnson, Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Pacquiao. The four-part series has even affected Penguins coach Dan Bylsma, as leading up to the 24/7 series he’s had to put money into a jar every time he swore in team meetings to help curb his use of foul language on television. He mentioned in an article he didn’t want to have his family see the foul language on television that New York Jets coach Rex Ryan used during the summer on the HBO series Hard Knocks.

However, the biggest (both figuratively and literally) game of the weekend will occur Saturday afternoon in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Arby’s Big Chill at The Big House is a college hockey game that will be contested between Michigan State and the University of Michigan at Michigan Stadium. Over 110,000 tickets have been sold for the event, which will easily break the attendance record for a hockey game. The two teams originally set the attendance record in 2001 with the Cold War game that took place at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Mich. That game ended in a 3-3 tie. Tomorrow’s game is guaranteed to have a winner as the CCHA uses the shootout to award an extra point in conference games. The success of that game is what led to subsequent events such as the Winter Classic, Frozen Fenway, Frozen Tundra Classic, and the Camp Randall Classic.

Nearly 78,000 fans showed up to watch Germany upset the Americans 2-1 at the 2010 World Championship.

The record from the Cold War was broken earlier in 2010 with the opening game of the 2010 IIHF World Championship between Germany and the United States. It was played at a soccer stadium in Gelsenkirchen, where Germany upset the United States 2-1 in front of 77,803 fans.

Check back Sunday for photos and a recap of the festivities from Ann Arbor. Both Matt and myself will be attending the game. Keep an eye on our Twitter account for live tweeting during the game, and other action leading up to The Big Chill. Below is a list of the 12 most attended hockey games in history leading up to tomorrow’s The Big Chill at the Big House. The list includes projected attendance for The Big Chill, 2011 Winter Classic, and 2011 Heritage Classic in BOLD.

Attendance Name Date Location Main Event Game
110,000 The Big Chill 12/11/2010 Ann Arbor Michigan vs. Michigan St.
77,803 2010 World Championship 5/7/2010 Germany Germany vs. USA
74,554 Cold War 10/6/2001 E. Lansing Michigan vs. Michigan St.
71,217 2008 Winter Classic 1/1/2008 Buffalo Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo
65,000 2011 Winter Classic 1/1/2011 Pittsburgh Pittsburgh vs. Washington
57,167 Heritage Classic 11/22/2003 Edmonton Edmonton vs. Montreal
55,031 Camp Randall Classic 2/6/2010 Madison Michigan vs. Wisconsin
55,000 1957 World Championship 3/5/1957 Russia Soviet Union vs. Sweden
46,000 2011 Heritage Classic 2/20/2011 Calgary Calgary vs. Montreal
40,890 Frozen Tundra Classic 2/13/2006 Green Bay Wisconsin vs. Ohio State
40,818 2009 Winter Classic 1/1/2009 Chicago Chicago vs. Detroit
38,472 Frozen Fenway 1/8/2010 Boston Boston College vs.
Boston University
38,112 2010 Winter Classic 1/1/2010 Boston Boston vs. Philadelphia
37,592 2010 Frozen Four Final 4/10/2010 Detroit Boston College vs. Wisconsin
34,954 2010 Frozen Four Semis 4/8/2010 Detroit Boston College vs.  Miami
Wisconsin vs. RIT

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It’s outta here!

Dec 31

Posted by EB in News | 4 Comments

Fenway Park will play host to the 3rd annual Winter Classic at 1 p.m. on New Year’s Day. The 37-foot-high Green Monster will look down upon the clashing of two gritty teams: The Boston Bruins and the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.

Bridgestone's Winter Classic Green Monster scoreboard.

Bridgestone's Winter Classic Green Monster scoreboard.

The spectacle’s NHL roots started in 2003 with the Heritage classic, where the Edmonton Oilers hosted the Montreal Canadiens. In 2008, the Winter Classic as we know it was born with the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Buffalo Sabers in an outdoor game in Buffalo. Ratings soared and the following year the Detroit Red Wings faced off against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wrigley Field. What was once a day of rest and relaxation, or more so torture with the absence of hockey, has turned into the thing to watch.

Although I was unable to watch my home team in person last year, in 2001 I was fortunate enough to be in attendance for the Cold War between college hockey teams Michigan Wolverines vs. Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing. I sat nearly in the highest row of Spartan Football Stadium, bundled up, huddled up against the stranger next to me and sitting on my hands for warmth, and loved every minute of it. The numbness of my body, the loud roars and the sport I love – hockey. The teams ended in a 3-3 tie. I could only imagine the excitement of the shootout at such an event. The memory will never be forgotten.

Snow flurries and an expected temperature in the mid-30s will surely make this an excellent game to watch. The Philadelphia Flyers have gone up and down this season resulting in the firing and hiring of a new head coach. Despite all of this, they are currently in 8th place within the Eastern Conference and are coming off of 4-game winning streak, the most recent win a 6 – 0 romp over the New York Rangers. Let’s hope they have not used up all their scoring. The home team, the Boston Bruins, are currently sitting 5th within the Eastern Conference and are playing consistent hockey. With the Green Monster looking down upon the team, the Bruins are hoping this is more of a home game than a road one, seeing their home record is considerably better at 12-6-3. Goalie Tim Thomas will be the key for the Bruins in this conference rivalry.

An outdoor game should be on the bucket list for any hockey fan. I look forward to this year’s excitement surrounding the event; the preparation, pre-game buildup, the special jerseys, and the game day itself. Both teams are not to fond of each other, and both teams need these points for a playoff chance. The only thing left to decide on is where to order the pizza from on gameday.

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