2023/24 OUA Thread

[RED ARMY EAST]

Watched most of Queen’s vs Carleton tonight. The Gaels have won eight straight including the pre-season. They might be contenders to win the OUA East this season. Along with Concordia.

Couple of exhibition games for OUA teams in the NCAA.

Princeton 4 UofT 2
Cornell 6 TMU 1

TMU is getting around, with a trip to Fredericton and a date with Cornell.

 

[Rob]

9 straight. Glad you tuned in. I was the fill in PBP guy tonight and was having MAJOR technical difficulties with my computer doing the video coaching.

With four OUA teams (including TMU) going to the Nationals this year they have a pretty good chance of making it back.

 

[dm8895]

Has the quality of the Lakehead broadcasts improved ? Last year it looked like it was being recorded with an early 2000’s webcam. Wouldn’t mind watching Blackwell a bit , I saw a ton of him during the pandemic when the Red Wings only played the other New Brunswick teams. Guy was so fun to watch

 

[Rob]

Has the quality of the Lakehead broadcasts improved ? Last year it looked like it was being recorded with an early 2000’s webcam. Wouldn’t mind watching Blackwell a bit , I saw a ton of him during the pandemic when the Red Wings only played the other New Brunswick teams. Guy was so fun to watch

Tried watching a Lakehead game Saturday night. It has not changed. Which is unfortunate because they have one of the best fan supported team in U Sports.

 

[dm8895]

Tried watching a Lakehead game Saturday night. It has not changed. Which is unfortunate because they have one of the best fan supported team in U Sports.

That sucks, they are the only team who seems to have an unwatchable webcast

 

[Lakeheadfan95]

Weren't missing much Saturday lol

 

[thook]

Tried watching a Lakehead game Saturday night. It has not changed. Which is unfortunate because they have one of the best fan supported team in U Sports.

Unfortunately Lakehead does a lot wrong. If you goto a game its an aging audience. They do an awful job attracting young families and growing support for the future. My 13 year old cost me $11 to get in. Kids should be free. They will spend money on food and merchandise and they will be grooming future fans. More adults with Thier kids will come and pay full price. They also do a terrible job of attracting students. Years ago they had student sections that brought energy to the game. The atmosphere is stale. They have less games than in the past too. Used to get two weekends prior to the season and a 4 team tournament over Christmas. They took their support for granted. They let recruiting laps, the team struggled for years. The team has potential now but still lacks high end talent. Even the local media has downgraded the coverage of the team. The effort that goes into covering games, recruiting and general team news is generic. I enjoy the games but they make it difficult to bring the family so we often stay away and choose somethig else to do.

 

[AUS Fan]

Unfortunately Lakehead does a lot wrong. If you goto a game its an aging audience. They do an awful job attracting young families and growing support for the future. My 13 year old cost me $11 to get in. Kids should be free. They will spend money on food and merchandise and they will be grooming future fans. More adults with Thier kids will come and pay full price. They also do a terrible job of attracting students. Years ago they had student sections that brought energy to the game. The atmosphere is stale. They have less games than in the past too. Used to get two weekends prior to the season and a 4 team tournament over Christmas. They took their support for granted. They let recruiting laps, the team struggled for years. The team has potential now but still lacks high end talent. Even the local media has downgraded the coverage of the team. The effort that goes into covering games, recruiting and general team news is generic. I enjoy the games but they make it difficult to bring the family so we often stay away and choose somethig else to do.

The age of the fans is a common problem in CIS hockey. Students will go to a football game, but not a hockey game. The support is mainly from the community, which tends to be older people.
Younger people want the entertainment that they get at a Junior game, with mascots, t-shirt cannon. jumbotron and fights.
University sports are not designed to be for profit. A school will have a hockey team for 2000 fans or 20.
Marketing is a huge problem for CIS schools. I talk the NCAA at times, but they do a good job with student sections, alumni and overall marketing. Some of the UNB folks who've been to Alfond can attest to this.

They can do that because they have money, which CIS schools don't have.

Having said all this, LAK has one of the largest fan bases in the CIS, averaging 2200. UNB is similar at 2300. Several schoold don't even show attendance in the stats.

 

[FreddyFoyle]

Also for students, expensive beer or no alcoholic drinks at a rink can be an issue. Lot easier to smuggle booze to an outdoor event like football.

 

[MiamiHockeyII]

Unfortunately Lakehead does a lot wrong. If you goto a game its an aging audience. They do an awful job attracting young families and growing support for the future. My 13 year old cost me $11 to get in. Kids should be free. They will spend money on food and merchandise and they will be grooming future fans. More adults with Thier kids will come and pay full price. They also do a terrible job of attracting students. Years ago they had student sections that brought energy to the game. The atmosphere is stale. They have less games than in the past too. Used to get two weekends prior to the season and a 4 team tournament over Christmas. They took their support for granted. They let recruiting laps, the team struggled for years. The team has potential now but still lacks high end talent. Even the local media has downgraded the coverage of the team. The effort that goes into covering games, recruiting and general team news is generic. I enjoy the games but they make it difficult to bring the family so we often stay away and choose somethig else to do.

1) Lakehead hockey is unique: it was founded as an independent non-profit corporation, They followed the (wildly successful) model of Laval football, a model more recently used to reinstate Carleton football:

Carleton football follows Laval's model for funding - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

If it failed once before, how do we know it won’t fail again? That’s a question Carleton Ravens football head coach Steve Sumarah was asked more than once by prospective players and their parents over the last several months. Can you blame them? University administration canned the football...

charlatan.ca

2) Sorry, but kids should not get in free. (I have three children). $11 is a STEAL for that calibre of hockey, and a kid would have to spend $100 on food for Lakehead to profit $11.

3) Most university sports lost fan momentum during COVID because students got used to not attending in-person. Students will return.

4) The irony of your post is that you simultaneously want the games to be (1) more energetic (costs the program $$), (2) a party atmosphere with a lively student section, so it needs to be at night, and (3) free for kids, who are unlikely to attend games at 7:00 PM Friday and Saturday.

I do agree that the Christmas tournament was perfect. I am not sure why they have not brought that back. Seems like a cash cow to me.

 

[AUS Fan]

1) Lakehead hockey is unique: it was founded as an independent non-profit corporation, They followed the (wildly successful) model of Laval football, a model more recently used to reinstate Carleton football:

Carleton football follows Laval's model for funding - The Charlatan, Carleton's independent newspaper

If it failed once before, how do we know it won’t fail again? That’s a question Carleton Ravens football head coach Steve Sumarah was asked more than once by prospective players and their parents over the last several months. Can you blame them? University administration canned the football...

charlatan.ca

2) Sorry, but kids should not get in free. (I have three children). $11 is a STEAL for that calibre of hockey, and a kid would have to spend $100 on food for Lakehead to profit $11.

3) Most university sports lost fan momentum during COVID because students got used to not attending in-person. Students will return.

4) The irony of your post is that you simultaneously want the games to be (1) more energetic (costs the program $$), (2) a party atmosphere with a lively student section, so it needs to be at night, and (3) free for kids, who are unlikely to attend games at 7:00 PM Friday and Saturday.

I do agree that the Christmas tournament was perfect. I am not sure why they have not brought that back. Seems like a cash cow to me.

The Lavel "model" has worked very well for LAK.

I've been to the Gardens 3 times and the crowds were good. If they can manage to expand their student base and inject a bit of oomph into the rink, the place would rock.

The other tenant, Thunder Bay North Stars, don't draw very well.

I agree with you on no free kids, money is tight right now.

There are many schools in the CIS who would love to have the problem of an "aging" audience rather than empty seats at home games.

 

[dm8895]

The Lavel "model" has worked very well for LAK.

I've been to the Gardens 3 times and the crowds were good. If they can manage to expand their student base and inject a bit of oomph into the rink, the place would rock.

The other tenant, Thunder Bay North Stars, don't draw very well.

I agree with you on no free kids, money is tight right now.

There are many schools in the CIS who would love to have the problem of an "aging" audience rather than empty seats at home games.

Besides the nationals what the f would bring a person to Thunder Bay ? Lol

 

[MiamiHockeyII]

Besides the nationals what the f would bring a person to Thunder Bay ? Lol

$$$$$
Lakehead has some appeal with the good crowds, but their only chance at being truly competitive is if/when they can build around a couple of top local players, like when they had Jeff Richards and Joel Scherban. It's just too difficult to attract top players from outside the area given their remoteness and inaccessibility.
If Lakehead University was smart, they would create unique business programs based around their access to mining and forestry businesses, which are shockingly lucrative. They could then actually attract students from elsewhere with interest in those areas. Instead, they offer generic BComm and MBA programs.

 

[AUS Fan]

Besides the nationals what the f would bring a person to Thunder Bay ? Lol

Hey.....

We played 2 games against them one Christmas break and yes, I was there for both nationals.

There's not a lot to do in town.

 

[AUS Fan]

$$$$$
Lakehead has some appeal with the good crowds, but their only chance at being truly competitive is if/when they can build around a couple of top local players, like when they had Jeff Richards and Joel Scherban. It's just too difficult to attract top players from outside the area given their remoteness and inaccessibility.
If Lakehead University was smart, they would create unique business programs based around their access to mining and forestry businesses, which are shockingly lucrative. They could then actually attract students from elsewhere with interest in those areas. Instead, they offer generic BComm and MBA programs.

Good idea.

Ya hate to say a place is "bad", but TB fits the bill.

 

[Lakeheadfan95]

The Lavel "model" has worked very well for LAK.

I've been to the Gardens 3 times and the crowds were good. If they can manage to expand their student base and inject a bit of oomph into the rink, the place would rock.

The other tenant, Thunder Bay North Stars, don't draw very well.

I agree with you on no free kids, money is tight right now.

There are many schools in the CIS who would love to have the problem of an "aging" audience rather than empty seats at home games.

The north stars have grown the fan base quite a bit they know their big drawing games are against Kam River (Thunder Bay) as for lakehead the fans will show up 2nd half if they're good like last year Thunder Bay won't support losing teams the flyers had the same issue once they started losing the fans stopped coming

 

[Lakeheadfan95]

3300+ for lakehead tonight the building was so loud it was vibrating

 

[thook]

3300+ for lakehead tonight the building was so loud it was vibrating

Because they offered 17 free tickets to minor hockey teams and filled the place with kids!! Great marketing and hopefully they do it more! With most of those kids come parents who paid to get in, bought food and $8 beers.

 

[Rob]

Checking out some of the games on OUA TV tonight. Ottawa with 7-1 drubbing of crosstown rival Carleton. Watched the third period of Toronto over Waterloo 5-4. Is the Columbia IceField the smallest rink in U Sports? Looks like it from the video. Couldn't find capacity listed for it.

If anyone is interested UQTR is at Concordia tomorrow afternoon 3pm EDT

 

[Campy]

Checking out some of the games on OUA TV tonight. Ottawa with 7-1 drubbing of crosstown rival Carleton. Watched the third period of Toronto over Waterloo 5-4. Is the Columbia IceField the smallest rink in U Sports? Looks like it from the video. Couldn't find capacity listed for it.

If anyone is interested UQTR is at Concordia tomorrow afternoon 3pm EDT

680

CIF Arena

CIF Arena

athletics.uwaterloo.ca

 

[dm8895]

680

CIF Arena

CIF Arena

athletics.uwaterloo.ca

Man that place has a cool roof .

 

[AUS Fan]

Man that place has a cool roof .

I always like the old DAL rink, modeled after Alfond Arena.

 

[Rob]

UQTR defeats Concordia 5-2 to take over top spot in the OUA East. While the Patriotes have a lot of freshmen players they still have some core veterans. Simone Lafrance scored a hat trick today while Alexis Gravel stopped 42 of 44 shots. Wouldn't be surprised to see them back at the Nationals.

Man that place has a cool roof .

Surprised that it seats that many. All the benches must be on the same side as the camera.

Note - I did a quick search and the Windsor Lancers rink is actually smaller with 500.

 

[dm8895]

UQTR defeats Concordia 5-2 to take over top spot in the OUA East. While the Patriotes have a lot of freshmen players they still have some core veterans. Simone Lafrance scored a hat trick today while Alexis Gravel stopped 42 of 44 shots. Wouldn't be surprised to see them back at the Nationals.



Surprised that it seats that many. All the benches must be on the same side as the camera.

Note - I did a quick search and the Windsor Lancers rink is actually smaller with 500.

The rink in Windsor is pretty mediocre , looks like the rinks I play at in Burtts Corner , Minto etc … quite the range of rinks in the OUA , I personally love McConell Arena, went to see a game when I was down to see the Habs and Rocket which made for a helluva fun week of hockey.

 

[MiamiHockeyII]

I always like the old DAL rink, modeled after Alfond Arena.

It's a crime that a beautiful barn like that was razed.

To me, one of the few things that USports hockey can do to attract players and crowds is to have a good barn. These men are playing for the love of the game ... give them somewhere cool to play.

I have not yet been to EVERY USports arena, but it's not a stretch to say that the arena plays a role in recruiting. Every consistently top team has a unique facility to play in, and it's not a stretch to say that playing at the Mattamy Centre is the main reason that TMU is not back at the bottom of the OUA, where it resided prior to that facility opening up.