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Outstanding venue...Price can't be beat for this kind of entertainment.

Best student section: Burnsville...Wasn't even close.

Edina pep band didn't show until the 2nd period...Why not just hire a band for the big show and not be bothered?

BSM...Nice pair of togas!

Edina and Burnsville looked a little lost on the bigger ice for the first period, while BSM and Wayzata appeared good to go from the outset.

There is not a bad seat in Mariuccui.

Anyone else?

I wish the state tourney was on that sheet but with larger seating.

The second game, Wayzata/BSM seemed like a real jump in speed from the first, Edina/Burnsville.

I think Edina will have trouble at State. There seemed to be a lack of desire and their play was sloppy.

Wayzata won the battles, played smart and played great team hockey. BSM was all offense, no D.

Crowd has dwindled over the past 5 years. It used to be so packed you didn't want to leave your seat for fear you'd lose it. Tonight it was maybe two-thirds full.

Is online streaming to blame, or is it something else?

MNHockeyFan wrote:Crowd has dwindled over the past 5 years. It used to be so packed you didn't want to leave your seat for fear you'd lose it. Tonight it was maybe two-thirds full.

Is online streaming to blame, or is it something else?

I believe it's nothing more complicated than demographics.

Couples aren't having five and six kids anymore.

Great venue! Walked right up to ticket window at 5:55 no problem but remember, in a good way, how packed those games used to be. BSM looked less hungry than last year and their 2nd line played with much more intensity than the 1st. Besse has checked out and played only one direction. Wayzata wanted it more. They are heating up at the right time to put up big margins of victory vs Tonka AND BSM is impressive to say the least. Would not want to see them in the first round.

Thought the bigger ice sheet would have benefitted Burnsville's speed more. Had it not been for Edina's goalie making several big saves in the first 5 minutes it could've swung the other way. Impressed with the way Edina back-checked.

I too was very shocked at the poor attendance tonight, I remember in 2008 how great the atmosphere was with the place packed for BSM/Tonka and then Edina/Burnsville

The51 wrote:I too was very shocked at the poor attendance tonight, I remember in 2008 how great the atmosphere was with the place packed for BSM/Tonka and then Edina/Burnsville

OTOH, we could also chalk it up to our "roaring" economy.

But that's a whole other subject for numerous other message forums.

Ogie wrote:

MNHockeyFan wrote:Crowd has dwindled over the past 5 years. It used to be so packed you didn't want to leave your seat for fear you'd lose it. Tonight it was maybe two-thirds full.

Is online streaming to blame, or is it something else?

I believe it's nothing more complicated than demographics.

Couples aren't having five and six kids anymore.

From a selfish point of view, having the empty seats and ability to move around and grab a seat of your choice was great. But couples not having as many kids as they used to doesn't explain the decline in attendance in just the last 5 years! Something else is at work, and I think it has to do with being able to watch the games online, for free.

MNHockeyFan wrote:

Ogie wrote:

MNHockeyFan wrote:Crowd has dwindled over the past 5 years. It used to be so packed you didn't want to leave your seat for fear you'd lose it. Tonight it was maybe two-thirds full.

Is online streaming to blame, or is it something else?

I believe it's nothing more complicated than demographics.

Couples aren't having five and six kids anymore.

From a selfish point of view, having the empty seats and ability to move around and grab a seat of your choice was great. But couples not having as many kids as they used to doesn't explain the decline in attendance in just the last 5 years! Something else is at work, and I think it has to do with being able to watch the games online, for free.

Strange...I'm not making the connection between being able to move around to find a favorable seat and family sizes becoming smaller.

But the economy sucking on toast over the last five years likely adds to the demographic shift.

So I'll stand corrected that demographics are not the lone reason.

Crowds have been shrinking for years. When I ask my son why, he says kids don't want to pay the $$ to see hockey games. They can go to all the other sports for free with their activity pass. Hockey is the only sport that doesn't accept it.

I also think cell phones, twitter, facebook, and internet also play a roll. Back in the day, you use to go to events to see all your friends. Now you can talk to them every minute of the day though these media outlets.

My thoughts:

---Disappointed in attendance. I was waiting for it to be full. Got tickets early at one of the HS, no need I guess!

--I like both coaches, but kind of I felt a little bit of panic by Pauly with the timeout at 8:45 of the third and down 4-2, calling the TO. Also, was curious why B'ville didn't yank the goalie in last minute of play, while on PP and control of the puck in O Zone. Just curious what everyone else thought.

Shrinking attendance has to do with $$$.family of 6 to go with gas and parking 70 bucks;(. Watch it online for free looks much more attractive.
Edina will struggle at State. Pulling for Trojans to go all the way. BSM defense super sloppy... Guys standing all day alone in front of the net. Sprang didn't know what hit him. Goalie makes 3 saves they can't clear. Great game by #11.. That line worked hard has speed. Trojans D was too much.
Burnsville shoulda won that game...

snowpuck wrote: Burnsville shoulda won that game...

How so?

BodyShots wrote:Crowds have been shrinking for years. When I ask my son why, he says kids don't want to pay the $$ to see hockey games. They can go to all the other sports for free with their activity pass. Hockey is the only sport that doesn't accept it.

I also think cell phones, twitter, facebook, and internet also play a roll. Back in the day, you use to go to events to see all your friends. Now you can talk to them every minute of the day though these media outlets.

I'm not aware of any school activity pass that would get you into a MSHSL event for free. Once the league season is over, it's all about the money.

The place was fairly packed at the end of the Edina-Blaze game.

Solid atomosphere for most of the night.

Did Benilde tell all of their students to look at stupid as possible, and come to the game?

Would moving it to Tuesday or Thursday do anything, since it's Lent & some may be at Church on Wednesday night? I guess that was the case a few years ago as well.

Just throwing it out there....I don't know if the economy is really a factor. The price is pretty reasonable. I'd agree that it did seem to have a lot more buzz in the arena in the past.

mnpuckster, I was kind of wondering the same thing. I sat with my daughter by the aisle where kids from the student section kept walking by. I don't get the togas. Seems that would be more appropriate for the Trojans. I guess as long as they're having fun and not doing the "harlem shake", it's all good.

WHAT were those jerseys B'ville were wearing during practice. It was like the '80s minus the neon.

Hockey Fever wrote:mnpuckster, I was kind of wondering the same thing. I sat with my daughter by the aisle where kids from the student section kept walking by. I don't get the togas. Seems that would be more appropriate for the Trojans. I guess as long as they're having fun and not doing the "harlem shake", it's all good.

The leaders of Eagan's student section were also dressed in togas on Saturday night, but that was an obvious nod to the fact that the game was being played in the Coliseum.

Also explains why they offered "thumbs down" judgements after certain calls.

Nostalgic Nerd wrote:WHAT were those jerseys B'ville were wearing during practice. It was like the '80s minus the neon.

They've been wearing those this-space-for-rent jerseys during warmups all season.

Methinks it's to raise money for the program.

Ogie wrote:

Nostalgic Nerd wrote:WHAT were those jerseys B'ville were wearing during practice. It was like the '80s minus the neon.

They've been wearing those this-space-for-rent jerseys during warmups all season.

Methinks it's to raise money for the program.

Those are the jerseys the Eurpean teams wear, so I am thinking Jahnne was able to get a set that resembled the Blaze colors and got them.

The reason attendance has been going down for decades is two-fold. The increase of options for today's high school kids...face it, 20-30 years ago, there just wasn't much to do compared to today's culture. Second, high school hockey in MN is not as big of a deal as many of you think it is. It's just another thing kids do...not the end all, be all. I think the MN Wild campaign to become "the state of hockey" when they came back in 2000 has brainwashed the MN hockey cognescenti that the whole high school hockey "experience' is a lot more special and important than it really is.

I would say it is still "special" just not on the same level it was 20 or 30 years ago in the single class system.

I also think the top end kids leaving early really hurts the overall product.

Sometimes I wonder why some of you folks aren't on the WHL forum.

Aldo Raine wrote:The reason attendance has been going down for decades is two-fold. The increase of options for today's high school kids...face it, 20-30 years ago, there just wasn't much to do compared to today's culture. Second, high school hockey in MN is not as big of a deal as many of you think it is. It's just another thing kids do...not the end all, be all. I think the MN Wild campaign to become "the state of hockey" when they came back in 2000 has brainwashed the MN hockey cognescenti that the whole high school hockey "experience' is a lot more special and important than it really is.

Is there THAT much more to do than 4 years ago? It was only that far back when the place was packed for Edina/Jefferson/Eden Prairie/Minnetonka.