Ridder good enough for NCAA but not MSHSL
The news released Thursday (Feb. 26) about the NCAA deciding to bring the NCAA women’s hockey Frozen Four to Ridder Arena next winter raises an interesting question for the MSHSL.
Knowing that a group of girls hockey parents used a lawsuit to bring the girls state hockey tournament to Xcel Energy Center, I admit their hands were/are tied in the situation, but now that we’ve seen a lot of empty seats all tournament long, isn’t it time to return to the only exclusively women’s hockey facility.
The next MSHSL board meeting should raise the point that the move will not only create a more intimate atmosphere were 2,000 screaming fans will get the place hopping instead of a cavernous 19,000-seat NHL building.
The move would save the league dollars and might even play a small role in recruiting efforts for the U of M. But this program doesn’t have a problem with drawing top talent either.
My vote is for a state tournament at Ridder, not the X.
Jason Olson is at jason.olson@ecm-inc.com
