August 29, 2008
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Tampa Tournament Moved
CHN Staff Report
Despite Tampa hosting the 2012 Frozen Four, the new Tampa Bay Lightning ownership group has decided to dissolve the Lightning College Classic, forcing the four teams involved to scramble for a new location for the Christmas-time tournament.
Notre Dame — the organizer of the tournament — along with Minnesota-Duluth, Massachusetts-Lowell and Union, will instead play the tournament at the Sears Centre in suburban Chicago (Hoffman Estates, Ill.) on Jan. 2-3. It will be called the Shillelagh College Hockey Tournament.
The Lightning College Classic was originally arranged by Notre Dame coach Jeff Jackson, through his contacts with the Tampa Bay Lightning ownership. In addition to being a fun place to have a tournament, the Lightning were excited because it was a long lead-in to their hosting of the 2012 Frozen Four.
Jackson said he started getting concerned when he couldn't get a firm commitment from the marketing contacts in Tampa. Ultimately, final word came from Tampa just last week, sending everyone scrambling.
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"I was concerned because there's three other teams involved," Jackson said. "People have been calling me about travel arrangements."
Jackson said that no official reason was articulated clearly to everyone, but assumes "it was a matter of finances. That's all I can think of."
The tournament had not drawn well, though last year was a little bit than the initial year.
The Sears Centre is an 11,000-seat arena that is home to an arena football team, and indoor soccer and indoor lacrosse teams.
"It will be a nice tournament," Jackson said. "We have alumni involved with the building there who stepped up."
Nonetheless, eyebrows were raised because of the involvement of Tampa with the Frozen Four. Is pulling the plug on the Christmas tournament some indication that the new ownership will be un-friendly to college hockey?
"I don't think so. Brian Lawton is involved there, and he's always been a friend of ours," said Jackson. "Barry Melrose is the coach there.
