College Hockey:
Inaugural Pittsburgh Invitational slated for CONSOL Energy Center

USCHO Staff Report • May 16, 2012

Robert Morris will host the inaugural Pittsburgh College Hockey Invitational on Dec. 28-29 at the CONSOL Energy Center, also the site of the 2013 Frozen Four.

Joining the Colonials in the event will be Penn State, Ohio State and Miami.

“We are very excited about this new tournament and the opportunity to host it at CONSOL Energy Center,” Robert Morris coach Derek Schooley said in a news release. “The Pittsburgh College Hockey Invitational will be a great showcase for our sport, as well as a tremendous warm-up for the Frozen Four in April. We are grateful to both the Pittsburgh Penguins and CONSOL Energy Center and we look forward to a successful partnership.”

Robert Morris has hosted the RMU Hockey Showcase at the CONSOL Energy Center for the last two years as well as playing in the facility as part of the Winter Classic Week festivities in 2010.

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Spanky
Nothing like hosting an event for 1000 fans in a 18,000 seat arena. I never understood the reasoning behind these events. These holiday tournaments are a waste of time and money. The only cities that can pull off this kind of event off are either Boston or the Twin Cities. Anywhere else is just a bunch of emply seats….horrid atmosphere for the players.
- wmu2012
  Depends on who is playing. Robert Morris maybe the furthest school from the arena. If too far it will be hard to build excitement. Nothing will compare to this years GLI at Comerica Park. All Michigan teams with 3 of 4 having fans that travel. Dealing with the Walmart Spartans and Wolverines that come to see an outdoor hockey game will be hard to deal with thinking they are the only Michigan teams forgetting Michigan Tech and my Broncos are also from Michigan and Kalamazoo being as far from Detroit as Lansing.
  - Lakes18
    The only reason this will draw fans is because of the gimmic of it being an outdoor setting.
    The CCHA Tournament in Detroit can only fill maybe half the building with usually 3 out 4 Michigan teams.
    - bronxbomberz41
      Perhaps Penn State and Ohio State will be a draw. Big 10 peeps will come out i am sure.
http://profile.yahoo.com/WLK4EWQ3ER2TZCN5LA4NGQBNNU Phil
Do you people even read these articles before commenting? @Lakes18 – Consol Energy Center – home of the Pens, not an outdoor arena. Look it up. @WMU2012 – Robert Morris is in Pittsburgh, note that this tournament used to be called the RMU Hockey Showcase. They’re not the furthest away. @cfdb05ce2f8eddb8bb4931aa0b5ae204:disqus - Why is this a bad idea to at least try it out? I know, you’re from one of those hockey hotbeds who believes the rest of us should feel honored that you allow us to even watch on TV.
So let’s think about what this tournament does have going for it. Miami is the farthest school away, and only a 4.5 hour drive. What you have in Pittsburgh are a lot of students and alumni of all four schools, myself included. Scheduling it over the Christmas holiday means that all those current students are home in Pittsburgh. Alumni can probably also get away from work to go. Will it sell out? No, I really doubt it. Could they draw 10,000-15,000 fans? If they market this thing well, absolutely. I, for one, will be in attendance.
- Dondavis1447
  Phil, I think Lakes was referring to The GLI being a gimmicky outdoor setting not whats happening in Pittsburgh….
CDRAL
The now defunct Boston Arena Christmas Tournament was the only tourney of that type in Boston that “made it” on a consistent basis but it too ultimately faded out. 4 teams, 3 nights of double headers
. Far superior to the attempts by the Boston Garden to have Christmas Tourneys
Yooperhockey
Dont invite a NCHC team if it isn’t about money they don’t come also their must be a tv camera in the house.
You know the N$H$ league.
The NCHC teams expanded the WCHA to twelve teams then they decided they were to good to lplay against the teams they invited. What a crapshoot.
Come play in my league and then we will leave you an form our own league.
Sixty one years of tradition thrown out the window for what the NCHC.
Just remember the WCHA will always be the number one league it doesn’t matter who is playing in it.

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