RedHot Hockey Game Highlights: Boston University vs. Cornell @ Madison Square Garden (11/26/11)

This past weekend was the third time that the Terriers and the Big Red clashed at Madison Square Garden for the Red Hot Hockey game. This was the best games I have seen all season. Both teams were playing at top notch levels. Big hits and quality back-and-forth scoring chances filled the Garden with constant "ooohhhs" and "aaahhs." The Terriers came out on top in the end with a beautiful through-the-legs tip in by Ross Gaudet, but the game could easily have ended in the Big Red's favor. I'll let the video speak for itself:

Video thanks to MSG broadcast channel.

A RedHot Thanksgiving at Madison Square Garden

First, I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was filled with family, laugher and, of course, pounds upon pounds of traditional Thanksgiving grub. It's one of the best holidays in my eyes, mainly because of my obsession with egg nog. This year was a special because I got to spend the final days of my vacation in New York City. The morning after waking up from a food induced coma, I found myself with my knees to my chest on a Peter Pan bus. We were heading to the Big Apple to play against Cornell University in the RedHot Hockey game. Every other year for the past six years, BU and Cornell battle it out at Madison Square Garden infront of a sold out crowed. My freshmen year was my first time going and it was an absolute blast, which made the fact that I had enough leg room for an ant not so bad.

This weekend, I lived a five-star lifestyle.

We first arrived at our hotel around 6:00pm after dropping our equipment off at Madison Square Garden. We stayed at the Affinia Manhattan Hotel on Seventh Ave. Last time I was here, I had a huge room looking right out over Madison Square Garden. This year I got stuck in a renovated janitors closet looking right at one of the nicest brick walls in NYC.

An hour after settling in, we walked a few blocks to Keens Steakhouse. When I tell you I have been looking forward to eating here for two years, I have been looking forward to eating here for two years. Going out to team dinner is always a great time, but Keens is the best. Mouth watering steak, mashed potatoes, fresh green beans, and the best New York style cheesecake around, you can't beat it. 

After dinner we had some time to walk around and take in some sights. We walked from the restaurant down Seventh Ave to Times Square. I hadn't been there in two years and I had forgotten how amazing it is. On our way back, an old man dressed in some funky gear was giving out dance lessons for a dollar. Well, little did he know Sean Escobedo was in town. Long story short, a small crowed gathered to watch an old man and a crazy kid with a full grown mustache dance battling on the sidewalk. Classic Esco. 

After a great night sleep at the hotel and a long day of wading through the sea of people in Times Square, we were ready to play some hockey. A few of the managers and I headed over to MSG after pre-game meal at 4:00pm to set up. There was a lot of chaos because the Rangers played at 2:00pm against the Flyers and we were supposed to be moving into their locker rooms. With some teamwork and patience, we were able to get everything set up by the time the team arrived. 

I was pretty fired up because I found this huge flat screen HD television in the dressing room. Last time I was here they tried to stick me in the chokey (Matilda) using the jumbotron feed. Luckily I was able to hook everything up to get an HD feed from the tv. 

Finally, it was time for RedHot Hockey. As fans began piling in, the funky turquoise and purple color'd seats at the MSG turned to shades of red and white. The closer it got to game time, the harder it got differentiating between Cornell fans and BU fans. The place was going wild. 

The game was one of the best college hockey games I have watched in a while. It was back and forth action the entire time. Both teams were playing fast and physical with great scoring opportunities. (Above) Adam Clendening receiving six stitches in his chin during the second intermission after a big collision. After a Cornell goal got called back late in the third period, the game was sent into overtime. Red shirt junior Ross Gaudet tipped in the game winner from a shot from the point. BU WINS!! 

I got pretty caught up in the celebrations to take any pictures, but I'm sure you can imagine how much fun we had in the City That Never Sleeps. Dean Elmore, the Dean of Students at Boston University hosted an after party at an irish bar Feile. Family, friends, and fans all came together to celebrate the victory and to the entire organization. 

The following morning, we found ourselves packed into the bus like a sardine can once again. Overall, the weekend was better than anyone could have expected. We continued our undefeated status in the RedHot Hockey tradition, experienced New York City, shared laughs with close friends, and created new memories. 

If you have any questions about the day to day, behind the scenes activities that go on during a road trip like this, or anything else you would like to say, just leave a comment below.

Also, game highlights will be posted tomorrow. 

Game Highlights: 3 Game win streak!

This week's Game Highlights are from the past two games: vs. Vermont and vs. UNH. I held off in posting each game individually because I was confident after the win against Boston College that we would go on the first win streak of the year... we did. Three game win streak for the boys! Was this a big risk to take? Of course, but with big risk comes big reward. Am I using some serious rhetoric to hide the fact that I let procrastination get the best of me? Well, you'll never know! But without further adue, I present to you the game highlights.

My original plan was to post the past three games starting with BC, but blogger is refusing to let me upload the BC highlights. I think it has something to do with violating the terms and conditions since it is a CBS Sports video feed. I'm going to look into it and try and get it posted sometime this week. But in the meantime, enjoy this past weekend's games.

GO TERRIERS!

Friday, November 18, 2011 Boston University vs. University of Vermont




Saturday, November 19, 2011 Boston University vs. University of New Hampshire

The Top 3 Best/Craziest Hockey East Arenas

Lately, there has been a lot of buzz around the hockey community about the best and worst rinks around the league. No. 4 Notre Dame opened the doors to their new facility last night for the first time, hosting No. 3 Boston College Eagles. Anyone who watched the game on TV was shown just how spectacular the Compton Family Ice Arena really is. Costing the school about $50 million, this arena is the best of the best. The external structure actually resembles that of an ancient cathedral with a modern adaption, which is carried throughout the inside of the building as well. But is it a good rink to play in? Will chants from the student section be sent thundering throughout the building so loud that the opposing team can not hear themselves think?

I listened in on a few conversations between players and coaches to find out what were the essentials to a great hockey rink. I came to realize that the best rinks are not the fanciest or the newest. In fact, the trend seemed to be the older, the better. Schools that undergo a facilities change are typically trying to cater to the rising amount of fans. A bigger rink means more tickets to sell, which means more revenue for the school. The problem with this is that these new rinks are so big that they lose the intensity that comes with smaller buildings.

For example, anyone that grew up watching Boston University games at the Walter Brown Arena will tell you that it got so loud in there at times that you couldn't hear what the person next to you was saying. The student section filled half the seats in the whole rink. Players used to say that it felt as if the fans were literally on top of them. Their chants erupted with such power that opponents were intimidated. It was pure mayhem. The low, tin roof and angle of the stadium seating were the main reasons for this. When the team moved to the Jack Parker Rink in the newly constructed Agganis Arena, Jack Parker knew they were going to lose this advantage. He specifically designed the stadium seating to be as steep as possible in order to mimmic the Walter Brown Arena. Still, it would never be the same.

So what Hockey East rinks today still maintain the Walter Brown effect? I have ranked the top 5, from my experience, best/craziest rinks in the Hockey East.

1. Alfond Arena- University of Maine, Orono. 

The Alfond Arena is the modern day Walter Brown. It is an old building with low ceilings and a seating plan that has parts of the rink literally hanging over the ice. And you better believe the student section takes full advantage of that. The thing that makes Alfond Arena so loud and hostile is because the fans are crazy. Unlike many rinks, the student section isn't the only one cheering. Every single Maine Blackbear fan is screaming at the top of their lungs. Their fans are unlike any other fans in the Hockey East. They live, breath, and eat Maine hockey. These fans combined with the architectural design of the Alfond Arena is a deadly combination, earning it the number one spot as the best/craziest/loudest rinks in the Hockey East.

2. Matthews Arena- Northeastern University

The Matthews Arena is a legend as far as hockey rinks go. It is the oldest indoor ice hockey arena still being used for hockey and is the oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, in the world. Its oval shape is almost entire made of concrete. When the Dog House gets going, the noise level is out of control. Every time Northeastern scores a goal, the crowed gets so loud that I lose my video feed until they quiet back down. Although Matthews Arena has been renovated several times, it still maintains great acoustics and its old-time feel, earning it the number two spot.

3. The Thom Lawler Arena- Merrimack College

This rink has always had the potential to be the loudest, craziest rink in Hockey East, but it never had a true fan base to complete the equation. I mentioned earlier that the Alfond Arena was the modern day Walter Brown because the overall experience matches that of Walter Brown Arena in its hay day. However, the Thom Lawler Arena, structurally, is Walter Brown Arena. It has the same low, metal ceilings and steep seating arrangement. As the Warriors began to establish themselves as a Hockey East powerhouse over the past few years, the Thom Lawler Arena has been slowly reacting its potential. An increasing fan base packs it in, lining the glass all the way around the rink, and the student section can get the place going really loud. I was able to see the potential first hand when I went to watch the Malden Catholic vs St. John's Prep Super 8 high school hockey game last year. The place was packed to the point where they had to turn people away at the door. Student sections from both schools nearly shook the house down. It is this potential that earns The Thom Lawler Arena the number three spot.

Honorable mentions include the University of Vermont's Gutterson Fieldhouse, which is one of my personal favorites, and the University of New Hampshire's Whittemore Center.

Any other great rinks out there? Leave a comment and tell me your favorite college hockey arena.

Follow up: The Final Verdict

This past weekend I posted The Great Debate to share the conflicting arguments regarding whether or not pump up videos should be shown to players before a big game. Specifically, I was referring to a situation between the coaching staff of the Boston University Terriers and the players on the men's ice hockey team. Coaches were concerned that the video may have a negative effect on the mental mindset of players heading into such a crucial game. On the other side of the fence was the players, who insisted that a pump up video is exactly what the team needs to gain a mental edge on their arch-rivals, the BC Eagles.

The Final Verdict: THE PLAYERS WIN!

The Associate Head Coach, Mike Bavis, called me around 12:30 and told me to set the movie up in the theater for a 1:50 showing. The bus was leaving at 2:00 sharp which meant the boys would be all sorts of fired up on the bus ride into battle.

I was as excited to hear this news as the team was when I told them. However, I had more on the line. What if all of the coaches' assumptions came true and BC wiped the floor with us in the opening minutes of the period? While I was a little concerned, I was very optimistic about the outcome of showing the video.

Turned out, I was right and the game proved it. BU came out flying like bats out of hell. Anytime a BC player touched the puck, he was hit. Each and every player brought a level of intensity that BC was unable to compete with. When the final buzzer sounded, the score read BU 5 BC 0. Sweet, sweet victory!

I was proud of the team and they were proud of me. Although none of the coaches directly mentioned the video's positive affects on the game, certain comments regarding the way the team performed during the opening minutes and how that influenced the victory was all the recognition I needed.

So for anyone out there who is considering showing a pump up tape to their team, my advice is to go for it. A little extra boost to get the blood flowing before a game is a good thing. To ensure that there is no negative side effects from it, do as Jack Parker did and simply re-enforce the game plan before showing the video.

I hope you all enjoy it.

Watch it here... Boston University Hockey Pump-Up video

Game Highlights: Boston University vs. Merrimack College (11/11/11)

Friday night's matchup between Boston University and the only undefeated team in college hockey right now, the Merrimack Warriors, was an absolute grind. Both teams came out flying, which was a drastic change of pace for the Terriers after last weekend's poor showing against Lowell. The number one star of the game in my eyes was the Merrimack goalie, Joe Cannata. He made one tremendous save after the other to keep the Warriors in the game. After a questionable penalty call against Charlie Coyle in the final few minutes of regulation, Merrimack scored on the power play, sending the game into overtime where they would then score again to win the game.

Here are the game highlights. 

The Great Debate: Are PumpUp tapes a good idea before a big game?

This week one of the players approached me asking if I would make a pump-up tape in light of Sunday's game against our arch-rival Boston College. Naturally I agreed and went straight to work. I threw together a video that has all the main ingredients for an effective pump-up video: big hits, fancy goals, spectacular saves, inspirational movie speeches, some blood, high intensity music, and of course, a few dead eagle heads for good taste.

I showed my creation to the captain and he loved it. "I got chills watching that, man", he said. Mission accomplished...or so I thought.

The plan was to show the video before getting on the most intense 10 minute bus ride up Commonwealth Ave. that I've ever been apart of. The logic was that the boys would be fired-up getting onto the bus, which would set the stage for the afternoon action. However, when presenting this idea to the coaches, who were unaware of this entire scheme, we discovered they were not too keen on the idea. As I am writing this, the issue is still being discussed. The Great Debate.

The Coaches' Argument:




What's wrong with a couple career ending hits and a few bloody eagle heads? Well, what the coaches are arguing is that while watching a video like this one will absolutely get the team fired up, it may have negative effects on their performance. Say what? The coaches believe, to some extent, that watching this video will make all the players think they have to go out on the ice and take someones head off. A lot of strategy is implemented during the week to prepare for Boston College and the coaches don't want these tactics to be pushed aside.

There is also the concern of getting overly excited about the game. You know when people say "they got the jitters out" after playing poorly for the first few minutes of a game. Players get so nervous or anxious about a game that their performance is affected. A video like this may result in unnecessary "first period jitters." With a team as strong and talented as Boston College is, we cannot afford to fall behind early in the game because the team was too anxious or because their hunger for a big hit caused them to loose sight of their game plan.

Needless to say, these are valid arguments to make if you are a coach trying to get your team ready for the biggest game of the year. However, the coaches also respect the players pro-video arguments as well.

The Players Argument: 


What, coach? Are you crazy?! The players argument basically says that this is our rival, our arch-enemies and this is the biggest game of the year! A win tomorrow can turn the entire season around, and that is exactly what we need. Clearly, the BU players have had a difficult time this season with brining consistent energy to the ice. A pump-up video is exactly what they need before the game to get the blood flowing and hearts racing. In response to the coaches argument of losing sight of the game plan, the players rebuttal that a four minute video is not going to make them forget a week's worth of strategy. If a guy goes out there the first shift of the game and delivers a bone crushing hit to one of the BC players, that sets the tone for the night. It will not only establish a feeling of dominance early on, but it will take BC of their own game plan.

Both sides of the argument are extremely valid points and both sides recognize and respect the other.

What do you think? Should players be shown a pump-up video right before game time? Leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions.

(I will post the video once it is finalized whether it gets shown or not.)

Game Highlights: Boston University vs. UMass-Lowell (11/5/11)

What started out as a promising night drastically took a turn for the worse. I hate to say it, but after the first goal was scored within 10 seconds of the first period, UMass-Lowell dominated BU in every facit of the game. It was painful to watch. Anyway, here are some of the game highlights as promised. Enjoy.

Boston University vs. UMass-Lowell (7 - 1) 11/5/11

Sunday Scoreboard

Friday, November 4, 2011


Maine 1 @ Boston College 5 BOX

Northeastern 1 @ Merrimack 1 OT BOX

UMass-Amherst 3 @ UNH 7 BOX

Vermont 2 @ Providence 5 BOX


Saturday, November 5, 2011


Boston University 1 @ UMass-Lowell 7 BOX

Boston College 2 @ UMass-Amherst 4 BOX

Merrimack 2 @ Northeastern 2 OT BOX

Maine 2 @ UNH 3 BOX

Vermont 1 @ Providence 5 BOX 

Box Scores courtesy of USCHO.com 

Birthday Etiquette

I just want to go ahead and tell everyone that it is, in-fact, my day of birth. With that being said, I am absolutely expecting my name to be flashed on the jumbotron and UMass-Lowell tonight. If they don't, well, thats bad communication and sportsmanship. Right?

Now Introducing...Game Highlights

I have decided to add an additional weekly feature to Beyond the Game. After assessing this blog thus far, I realized that my viewers probably have absolutely no idea what I am talking about, unless you are a fellow video coordinator. Instead of talking about what I do, I am going to take advantage of my position by providing video game highlights from each Boston University game for the rest of the season.  This will include all goals, some hits, and any highlight-worthy play.

I want to inform you that I have no control over video quality so I apologize in advance for that. Also, some of the videos won't have sound. Again, nothing I can do about it, but I apologize for that as well. 

Here are game highlights from Friday, October 28, 2011 vs University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Here are game highlights from Saturday, October 29, 2011 vs. University of Massachusetts at Amherst

New XOs Digital program is a godsend

Every time I complain at work about nothing works and technology sucks, I'm met with a chorus of replies from the staff telling me how lucky I am compared to previous video coordinators used to have to carry these massive heavy chests up flights of stairs for every game. I shrug these comments off, not because I don't feel for my ancestors, but because I cannot even fathom doing my job using older technologies like VHS. With how fast technology is evolving, I am absolutely positive my successor will feel the same way. I will justify this bold positivity on the fact that I have seen the future! Or at least, a glimpse.

"XOs Digital is the leading provider of digital asset management solutions, facility design and integration services and digital coaching technologies for collegiate and professional sports organizations."It has recently extended their newest platform into the hockey world. It is called Thunder Hockey and it is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I had the privilege to get a sneak peak into Thunder this summer when I attended a week long information and training seminar hosted by XOs Digital. In fact, the Hockey Product Specialist for XOs Digital and leader of the seminar, Brant Bergland, is the predecessor I'm always being reminded of. He is a great guy with an unmatchable passion for the game. It is this passion that caused him to develop Thunder.

What is Thunder?


Thunder is a program that uses a SQL database system to store clips that are logged by a video coach during a game. These clips are assigned to video files, which enables coaches to quickly access specific portions of games. Stored data is also used to develop coaching strategy and player statistics. This is an extremely simplified description, mainly because there are so many aspects to this program that is it hard to describe in proper detail.

Why is Thunder so revolutionary?


A Boston.com article helps describe the foundation behind Thunder and the role video plays in hockey, but I want to give some concrete examples of why this program is a video coordinators best friend.

1. Thunder uses a server approach, which means no longer having to waste countless hours transferring and re-transferring video files and clips between computers.

2. Thunder allows for multipul users to clip during games at the same time using a remote logger, which instantly syncs clips into master computer and then into the server. This feature is huge because it allows for the stats person to log individual player time-on-ice, while the video coordinator simultaneously logs the usual clips, and any other person, whether it be a coach or staff member, logs special instance clips.

3. Players on the ice while a clip is logged are autormatically assigned to that clip, which is used to generate player profiles. What that means is that a coach can identify basically anything they want about a players performance based on the stats provided by Thunder. For example, a coach can see how successful their second line center is on face-offs in the offensive zone against left handed players. Video coordinators no longer need to stay hours after the game creating excel spreadsheets for this information. It is automatically done for them.

4. Finally, the overall design is much more flexible and efficient. The new folder structure makes navigation easier and video file grouping much easier to organize.

5. One of the main selling points of this program is that it is HD compatible. For me as a college video coordinator, this is pure gold. I no longer have to risk ruining my eyesight trying to watch games filmed by fifteen year old video cameras. Sweet.


Thunder is a revolutionary program that makes life easier on the entire organization through its time saving and job-combining features. Professional organizations can also use this for scouting purposes as well. As technology continues to evolve and other companies begin to develop similar programs, new features will result, which will be even more revolutionary than this one. The next BU video coordinator will be getting lectures on how I had to carry four laptops up all these stairs when he complains about glitches in the software on his iPad. Oh, technology... how hate to love you.

Sunday...I mean Tuesday Scoreboard

I hope moving Sunday Scoreboard to Tuesday isn't going to ruin anyones day. (Is anyone even out there?!) I took an extended vacation from the blogosphere in light of Halloween weekend falling on the ever-so-rare days off of work. So, without further adieu...









Photo Credit: bruins.nhl.com 


Friday, October 28, 2011


Boston University 2 @ UMass-Amherst 2 OT BOX

Boston College 4 @ UMass-Lowell 2 BOX

Merrimack 4 @ Vermont 1 BOX

Providence 4 @ Maine 5 OT BOX

Union 1 @ UNH 2 OT BOX


Saturday, October 29, 2011


UMass-Amherst 4 @ Boston University 5 OT BOX

Merrimack 4 @ Vermont 2 BOX

Northeastern 2 @ UNH 5 BOX

Providence 1 @ Maine 3 BOX

UMass-Lowell 3 @ Boston College 6 BOX 

Box scores courtesy of USCHO.com