Junior Hockey

movedaway · Post by **movedaway** » Fri Dec 24, 2004 2:07 pm

From a Star Tribune article in Minneapolis on the process of picking a site for the World Junior Hockey Championship. The tourney will be played in Grand Forks, N.D., and Thief River Falls, Minn. If Omaha thinks the work is done after building the Qwest Center, then they got another thing coming:

Grand Forks had eyed the World Juniors ever since the 2001 opening of "The Ralph," the most celebrated piece of real estate in the hockey universe. USA Hockey officials knew all about its granite floors, leather and cherrywood seats, 14 locker rooms and two ice sheets.

When the International Ice Hockey Federation named USA Hockey as the 2005 host, (USA Hockey Senior Director Art) Berglund and his colleagues visited three potential sites: Grand Forks, Omaha and Columbus, Ohio.

Berglund said USA Hockey wanted a host city with a grass-roots hockey tradition, preferably in an area that would treat it as the biggest show in town. Grand Forks had two more enticements: It is 80 miles from Canada, where the event is hugely popular, and 43 miles from a superb secondary rink in Thief River Falls. That city's Ralph Engelstad Arena -- the $13 million "little Ralph" -- opened in 2003.

North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven and U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad showed up for USA Hockey's site visit to help sell the town. Did it have enough hotel rooms? (Yes, 1,700 in 24 inns.) Restaurants? (Plenty, and many are staying open extra hours.) Snowplows? (No problem; both cities have pledged to put a plow in front of every team bus if the weather requires it.)

Once the towns assured Berglund that they could keep those undies, towels and uniforms freshly laundered, USA Hockey was sold.

OmahaDevelopmentMan · Post by **OmahaDevelopmentMan** » Fri Dec 24, 2004 2:11 pm

I don't know what you're saying. If Omaha was trying to get the tourney thats news to me. But a freaking arena with LEATHER SEATS and GRANITE FLOORS!!!! Who foot the bill for that place. Their wallets go DEEP.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Sat Dec 25, 2004 2:45 am

movedaway wrote:
Berglund said USA Hockey wanted a host city with a grass-roots hockey tradition, preferably in an area that would treat it as the biggest show in town.

Well of course its going to be the biggest event when North Dakota only has over 600,000 people. I didn't know Omaha was in the running for this either but at least we were considered.

movedaway · Post by **movedaway** » Sat Dec 25, 2004 7:02 pm

OmahaDevelopmentMan wrote:I don't know what you're saying. If Omaha was trying to get the tourney thats news to me. But a freaking arena with LEATHER SEATS and GRANITE FLOORS!!!! Who foot the bill for that place. Their wallets go DEEP.

I was saying more that the senator and governor got involved in the selection process and that they assured that every question and concern that USA Hockey had was answered.

As for the arena, it was funded by Ralph Engelstad, a big University of North Dakota hockey donor. Sports Illustrated had a big article a few years ago when UND was considering dropping its Fighting Sioux mascot. Engelstad paid for the arena but made it a condition that the school keep its nickname.

But that's something else all together.

However, on a national or global basis, I don't think many people will draw a big distinction between North Dakota and Nebraska. If you're selling yourself to that crowd, you should be ready to address that.

movedaway · Post by **movedaway** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 2:21 am

Again, the point is not the building or the seating. It's the selling!

projectman · Post by **projectman** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 4:58 pm

Well the governor was probably there because this is the biggest announcement in North Dakota since indoor bathrooms.

DMRyan · Post by **DMRyan** » Mon Dec 27, 2004 5:35 pm

LOL. Indoor plumbing in North Dakota? Since when?

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