RowdyFan42 Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_5818130 Meehan will release plan to save UMass Lowell hockey The Lowell Sun Article Last Updated: 05/04/2007 10:51:47 AM EDT LOWELL -- UMass Lowell Chancellor-select Marty Meehan is making a full-court press to save Division I hockey in Lowell with a plan the relies heavily on aggressively marketing the River Hawks and renegotiating the university's contract with the Tsongas Arena. The plan, however, is contingent on the Lowell Devils leaving the arena and Lowell when the team's lease expires at the end of the 2008 season, if not sooner. Meehan, who will make a formal presentation Monday to the UMass Board of Trustees hockey task force, said Friday he can save the program and keep UML hockey in the prestigious Hockey East league. "I'm going to make the argument to the Board of Trustees that the partnership created between the city and the university is very important to the vibrancy of the campus and also the future of Lowell," Meehan said. Without an American Hockey League franchise playing 41 home games at the arena each year, Meehan said the city and university could generate at least $800,000 in new revenue from advertising and 30 additional events at the Tsongas Arena. The new money would not only allow UMass Lowell to aggressively market the team to put more fans in the seats, but alleviate a $250,000 gap in funding between men's and women's sports at the university that has jeopardized Title IX compliance and concerned many of the trustees. The new revenue is conditional, however, on the university negotiating a new lease agreement with the arena similar to the one enjoyed now by the Devils. Under the current structure, UMass Lowell receives no revenue from advertising sold on the ice or around the Tsongas arena. It also takes in a minimal share of concession sales. That has to change, Meehan said. For more on this story, read tomorrow's Sun and visit www.lowellsun.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Meehan is currently the Congressman representing the Lowell area. He will be taking over as chancellor of UMass Lowell in July. Right now UML is fighting for its hockey life as the state is threatening to bump them out of Division I, and it appears that the folks at UML feel their best hope of survival lies with becoming the primary tenant at Tsongas Arena... which kinda leaves the Devils out in the cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njdevils2003champs Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Why does Lowell seem to hate the Devils so much? I never heard any trouble when the Lock Monsters were around? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxLancerHockeyxX Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 God what a$$holes. Fine I think Bpt should change to the Devils. But in all seriousness this is such crap. They need to stop bitching. The fans in Lowell are pretty amazing and they really get into the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njdevils2003champs Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I guess we can hope that the AHL Devils could play at CAA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
halfsharkalligatorhalfman Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 trenton here we come Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxLancerHockeyxX Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 ...Okay well if they move they better not move somewhere real far away...because if they do I'll have some choice words for the chancellor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mddevsfan Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 I like it. That gives the Devils one more good excuse to bail on Lowell and move the team to Trenton without being the bad guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SatansDevils Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 trenton here we come Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRASHER Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 ...Okay well if they move they better not move somewhere real far away...because if they do I'll have some choice words for the chancellor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxLancerHockeyxX Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 You don't even vote... and if you did you'd proabably write in some AHL for life scrub instead... he could care less about your vote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRASHER Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 Umm I didnt say I was voting... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titans04 Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 I don't think it's a coincidence that Trenton sth's haven't heard a single thing about next years renewals. The deposit has always been due in early Feb for the following season. The last email we got last week is "we hope to have the information available in a few more weeks". With Lou and the boys getting knocked out tonight I think the whole Lowell/Trenton situations will be resolved shortly now that he has the time to focus on it. Should be an interesting few weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cal914 Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 http://www.lowellsun.com/breakingnews/ci_5818130Meehan will release plan to save UMass Lowell hockey The Lowell Sun Article Last Updated: 05/04/2007 10:51:47 AM EDT LOWELL -- UMass Lowell Chancellor-select Marty Meehan is making a full-court press to save Division I hockey in Lowell with a plan the relies heavily on aggressively marketing the River Hawks and renegotiating the university's contract with the Tsongas Arena. The plan, however, is contingent on the Lowell Devils leaving the arena and Lowell when the team's lease expires at the end of the 2008 season, if not sooner. Meehan, who will make a formal presentation Monday to the UMass Board of Trustees hockey task force, said Friday he can save the program and keep UML hockey in the prestigious Hockey East league. "I'm going to make the argument to the Board of Trustees that the partnership created between the city and the university is very important to the vibrancy of the campus and also the future of Lowell," Meehan said. Without an American Hockey League franchise playing 41 home games at the arena each year, Meehan said the city and university could generate at least $800,000 in new revenue from advertising and 30 additional events at the Tsongas Arena. The new money would not only allow UMass Lowell to aggressively market the team to put more fans in the seats, but alleviate a $250,000 gap in funding between men's and women's sports at the university that has jeopardized Title IX compliance and concerned many of the trustees. The new revenue is conditional, however, on the university negotiating a new lease agreement with the arena similar to the one enjoyed now by the Devils. Under the current structure, UMass Lowell receives no revenue from advertising sold on the ice or around the Tsongas arena. It also takes in a minimal share of concession sales. That has to change, Meehan said. For more on this story, read tomorrow's Sun and visit www.lowellsun.com -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Meehan is currently the Congressman representing the Lowell area. He will be taking over as chancellor of UMass Lowell in July. Right now UML is fighting for its hockey life as the state is threatening to bump them out of Division I, and it appears that the folks at UML feel their best hope of survival lies with becoming the primary tenant at Tsongas Arena... which kinda leaves the Devils out in the cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDPucks Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 Honestly Lowell has become a hole in terms of hockey in the last 5 years. Tsongas Arena has become a complete white elephant and the saturation of minor league and college hockey in the area has dwindled the fanbase even further. UMass-Lowell should never have moved out of old Tully Fourm in Chelmsford as Tsongas is 3x's too big. They and Merrimack currently have the least positive upside in Hockey East right now with Vermont and UMass quickly becoming players among the tradition UNH-Maine-BC-BU contingent. The quicker the Devils can get out of Lowell and set up shop in Trenton the better IMHO. Hell, there's rumors that the Rangers are pulling out of Hartford since MSG Inc. was rejected to run the Civic Center. Perhaps the Devils can restore the Whale in an AHL form?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XxLancerHockeyxX Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 Rangers might be leaving Hartford? Oh hell yeah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.