[PeterParker]

Since it has been hinted that a move to NCAA Hockey in the next 10-15 years is a possibility, what are the chances that, if a new basketball arena is actually built, the school would turn the Vines Center into the home ice arena venue for the team with the current facility used as practice/public skating and rentable rink?

[bigsmooth]

i dont think so, but who knows. it would take some work to make the vines a hockey rink. i love the cozy atmosphere at lahaye personally. it gives a real home ice advantage.

[SuperJon]

The players think LaHaye is horrible to play in. It's a great public rink, but not a great place to play.

[bigsmooth]

what makes them say that? is the ice bad?? that is what most hockey players complain about, and it would make sense. southern ice rinks have a hard time making good ice.

[SuperJon]

They just don't like it. I don't know the entire story, it came up at like 3 in the morning on a trip to Toronto.

[FlameDad]

The players think LaHaye is horrible to play in. It's a great public rink, but not a great place to play.

the sheet is decent to good - as good as most of their competition, better than most of the southern rinks

the atmosphere is great, terrific support from the students as you know

unfortunately it was not built in a way to maximize seating/viewing

[SuperJon]

I think that was their main complain. The seating is horrible. I went to a junior hockey game with Dalton in Canada and you could sit anywhere in the place and be right on the ice and have good site lines. At LaHaye, the only place that you can really see are the bleachers on the bottom level.

[FlameDad]

True
But don't let that stop you and the crew from packing out the joint and being LOUD
Few sports match the pure entertainment value of a hard-hitting hockey game - the smack is up-close, personal, & industrial-strength

[bigsmooth]

it's canada too! that is their sport. i wonder what the guys would want a full lahaye or playing at the roanoke civic center?? that really baffles me. i think our home-ice advantage is second to none.

[SuperJon]

Oh, they love having the students out there, don't get me wrong, but the design of LaHaye isn't good for watching games.

[thepostman]

If we do move to NCAA there is no way the Lahaye Ice Center will be enough...it is a rec rink first, and spectator rink a distant second...

I love when the place is packed...its does get loud and its a lot of fun...but I hate when I get there and can't get anywhere but upstairs...that means I will only see half the game....

the Lahaye Ice Center is nice...and I know the guys are happy to have it...but if we move up to NCAA level I think it is pretty much expected they would get a new place to play...

[Sly Fox]

I'm going to respectfully disagree with some of you in here. I think if you look around NCAA hockey you'll find that LaHaye is comparable to a lot of the home ices of schools we would be facing. Sure there are some of the really big schools like Michigan, Ohio State and the like that have giant facilities. But for th emost part most NCAA schools are smaller than LU and if they are attracting large crowds they rent a local arena for those games.

Frankly I wonder if we might be able to expand our current facility before I'd think of building a new rink. Its extremely expensive to maintain and operate multi-use facilities with an ice base covered a court or other flooring. While that would be the best situation it might not be practical for us anytime soon.

I think its easy for us to get caught up in the excitement of all of the growth on campus and forget that just a couple of years ago we had to drive to Roanoke to see any ice. We should be immensely grateful for what we have right now.

[bigsmooth]

someone enlighten me....if the rink is NCAA regulation which i think it is, then are their seating requirements to be D1?? someone please give me factual info instead of speculation. indeed some of the sightlines are not good, but some modifications could help.

[SuperJon]

Sly, no offense, but have you ever watched a game in LaHaye? Pictures are one thing, having beams and people block your view for half the game is another.

[Sly Fox]

Not yet. But that will change in a couple of weeks. But you'll notice I did suggest some modifications might be in order.

[SuperJon]

You can't see from the balcony. The only way to fix that is to raise the roof about ten feet.

[Sly Fox]

And that is generally how you would expect any major modifications to go ... up.

[bigsmooth]

Not yet. But that will change in a couple of weeks. But you'll notice I did suggest some modifications might be in order.

sly....what on earth are you talking about??

[thepostman]

UMaine has a fairly small arena for hockey and there isn't a bad seat in the house...UNH has an even smaller arena...again, not a bad seat in the house...

its a great rec rink, but if we ever are DI in the NCAA it would be an embarassment...yes, its fine size wise...but thats about it...

This is coming from someone who has been to 4 different NCAA D-I hockey rinks to see UMaine play....just so you know I am not talking out of my butt here

[Sly Fox]

The first part of my post was in reference to whether or not I had seen a game there. I indicated that I will in a couple of weeks at homecoming.

The second half was explaining that I had suggested modifications earlier in the thread.

[thepostman]

if they somehow raised that roof, then that would be a step in the right direction...but is that really possible????

[bigsmooth]

sure its possible it is a "butler" style building, but it would be very expensive.