re: LSU warms to idea of SEC ice hockey

Hi Kevin...nice to meet you.

As a happy transplant from Colorado to Louisiana (30yrs) I grew up with great hockey at Denver University (perennial NCAA championship contenders) and the Avalanche of the NHL. I did support the Kingfish in their brief stay. Hockey in the SEC will never draw crowds even like baseball or track but judging from the attendance at the Kingfish games it certainly is possible to draw 1000 to 1500 for a game. Let the kids play and let's support them if it is their passion.

Well, it looks like you and I traded places. I moved from Baton Rouge to Denver 22 years ago. I grew to love hockey here with both DU and the Avalanche. Patrick Roy and Peter Mannino have been 2 of the best goalies I've ever seen in a game in person.

I'd love to buy an LSU Hockey jersey to wear around Denver. Our LSU Alumni chapter here in town is very active and well known for our attachment to football. It would be nice to start the fever here for LSU Hockey!!

Where do we buy season tickets? Its only a matter of time until the athletic department slaps a "tradition fee" on these as well !!

I hate the Idea, we would be like Duke and NC, wasting good money on scholarships for a bunch of freakin' yankees.

They need more publicity for the team. I think its great myself. Some people arent hockey fans but its at least a sport I can go and pull for LSU without being bored. Id rather watch it than any womens sport for sure.

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I hate the Idea, we would be like Duke and NC, wasting good money on scholarships for a bunch of freakin' yankees.

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Gee Whizz Dude! Kids getting an education and new allegencies being created to LSU...not a bad thing. Go out and enjoy the games. Who cares where the athletes greww up.

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Good Lord, how could they possibly consider instituting hockey over soccer

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That's probably a good question. Soccer facilities already exist and most/all SEC schools...Soccer is played on the high school level in most/all SEC states...any number of other reasons why they should institute men's Soccer first...

Maybe the Hockey shippers are jsut working harder to get it done.

I'd LOVE for LSU to bring in hockey. I used to go to the IceGator games in Lafayette and the games were awesome. First few years, they were selling out and having in excess of 12,000 per game.

As far a southern team doing ok, all you have to do is look at Alabama-Huntsville. They are a D-1 school. I'm a committed Tiger fan and would watch it simply because it would be the Tigers.

While most of their roster is Canadian, there is a kid from Texas, another from PA, and one from Cali. UA-H Roster

As far as drawing fans, winning does that for any sport...once it is an established and accepted program, they would draw a good crowd. People simply love their Tigers, so there is no doubt in my mind they could build a good fan base in BR. Very few schools draw a massive amount of people. Notre Dame played in the national championship for hockey and their rink only holds 2667; you do have your exceptions such as Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Nebraska-Omaha, but MOST schools have rinks that hold less than 5,000 people.

Trust me, 5000 in a small arena is every bit as low and electric as Tiger Stadium can be. I KNOW, I've been to Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night (does anyone remember Auburn 1995??? great game! or Florida last year?) Well Mariucci Arena at Minnesota is on par.

I'm not bashing here, just trying to get people to understand that you can enjoy the game of hockey just as much as football. Unlike football, this is NON-STOP action, especially when rivals are playing and the players don't take a shift off because many of them are still proving themselves for the draft.

I do have an LSU "sweater." Block LSU (in purple outlined in gold) and script Tigers below it and has the name "Geauxlie" on the back!

In the late 70's LSU had the first Street Hocke tleague in the Deep South. We played in the old Filed House. Rough game and I had a great time even though I was 5 7 and 150 pounds