Rand Pecknold wants the Frozen Four to be played in Tampa more often. That’s not just because his Bobcats’ last two Frozen Four appearances, and lone championship, took place at Amalie Arena. However, as someone with more than three decades in college hockey, including serving as the ECAC’s representative on the NCAA Division-I men’s ice hockey committee, he knows which cities are best. for the sport and its main events.
“I think it’s one of the best sites,” said Pecknold, whose Bobcats lost the championship game in Tampa to North Dakota in 2016 and beat Minnesota this year. He was on the committee in 2012, the first year the city sponsored the event. “I would put it in the top three, probably, we are there for the Frozen Four. We have to try to get it (to Tampa) in a four-year rotation. I would love to see the committee do that.”
So was Rob Higgins, beaming with pride as the dust settled on last week’s Frozen Four. For nearly 20 years Higgins served as executive director of the Tampa Sports Commission, a non-profit that is the leading organization in the Tampa Bay region when it comes to bidding for and hosting professional, college and amateur sports activities. Not surprisingly, the visibility of the commission grew with the region, which more and more became a top-shelf destination for sporting events such as the Frozen Four.
As successful as the Frozen Four was in 2012 and 2016, college hockey fans who returned this year saw a different Tampa, especially the growth of the city’s downtown. The change is most evident in a lively two- or three-block stretch around Amalie Arena with hotels, businesses, restaurants and high-rises replacing a cluster of parking lots and no yet to be developed spaces.
“If you haven’t seen our community in the last two years, you wouldn’t recognize it, let alone seven years ago or 11 years ago or however long it’s been since some of the fans have been here,” said Higgins. “I think that’s what’s unique about our community, that it’s really changed. The opportunity to showcase the progress of our community (at this year’s Frozen Four) is invaluable.
So is hockey. Pecknold ended his 29th season behind the Quinnipiac bench by hoisting the NCAA championship trophy. The Bobcats overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat Minnesota, 3-2, with the game-winning goal scored 10 seconds into overtime by sophomore Jacob Quillan, and off a nice backhand feed from freshman Sam Lipkin. It’s a highlight that will forever have a chance in NCAA championship lore.
The championship matchup’s announced attendance of 19,444 was the second largest in an arena setting in the history of the Frozen Four, which began in 1948. The 2017 game between Denver and Minnesota-Duluth at Chicago’s United Center drew 19,783. Detroit’s Ford Field drew 37,592 for Boston College and Wisconsin in 2010.
“It’s a special place,” Higgins said of Amalie Arena, which often has one of the best, if not the best, game presentations in the NHL, something seen during the Frozen Four, which employed much of the same staff. “It starts with the leadership of (Tampa Bay Lightning owner) Jeff Vinik and (CEO of Vinik Sports Group) Steve Griggs. Their entire staff does an amazing job of hosting these events and as welcoming as possible. Obviously, when it comes to an important event you have to make sure that every detail is in place and that we are as prepared as possible from every angle.”
Adding to the allure is sunshine and highs ranging from the high-70s to the low-80s, as has been the case this year. The weather combined with many downtown attractions, including a finished river walk a short walk from the arena and several hotels filled with fans, made for an ideal setting. That’s why Higgins and his TSC team have high hopes that the Frozen Four will become a staple within the Tampa Bay sporting landscape.
With St. Paul, St. Louis and Las Vegas, respectively, are locked in as the next three hosts of the Frozen Four, the next bid cycle for the 2027-31 events. It will know in 2024 which cities will be tabbed as hosts for a five-year period.
“Our focus is certainly to bring this event back as soon and as often as we can,” Higgins said. “It’s a really special event for us and something we want to host again and again. This is a community that knows and loves hockey and I think that was perfectly reflected in the championship weekend .
With a long list of successful hosting events that includes five Super Bowls, four NCAA women’s basketball Final Fours and men’s hoops early round NCAA games, there’s no reason to think the Frozen Four won’t go. in Tampa on a regular basis. Before you know it, Higgins and his staff have a lot on their plate for the rest of 2023, including a two-game visit from the Savannah Bananas (April 28-29) and the NCAA volleyball Final Four in December. .
“We are very fortunate that everyone in our community leadership, our franchisees and community ambassadors are pulling in the right direction and understand the value of hosting these events,” Higgins said. “For many cities, an event like the Frozen Four is a once-in-a-lifetime venture. The fact that our community has just had it for the third time is an honor we do not take lightly, so we want to make sure we do everything we can to get it done as quickly as possible.”
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