April 25, 2013
Boston, Mass. – The City of Boston, Hockey East Association and Fenway Sports Management (FSM), today announced “Frozen Fenway 2014,” a two-week series of hockey and ice-skating events, including two Division I men’s college hockey doubleheaders and two free public skating days for City of Boston residents.
“Last year, more than 90,000 people came to Fenway Park to watch college and high school hockey or to enjoy free public skating,” said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
“This generated tens of millions of dollars for local business. I’m confident that top-notch outdoor college hockey at Fenway Park will make for another unforgettable experience, drawing fans from across the region and serving as a major platform to showcase the people, culture, and local businesses that make our city special.”
“After the success of the Winter Classic in 2010 and the Frozen Fenway college games in 2012, hockey and skating are fast becoming winter traditions at Fenway Park,” said FSM President and Red Sox EVP/COO Sam Kennedy.
“We welcome back Hockey East and, along with the Mayor, look forward to once again having our beloved ballpark be host to college games, high school games, and to welcome various communities throughout New England to Fenway Park this winter.”
Hockey East Matchups
On Saturday, January 4, 2014, the Hockey East league games will feature Merrimack College against Providence College, followed by Notre Dame against Boston College. The Eagles are the only Hockey East team to play in all three Frozen Fenway events since they began in 2010.
The Irish will be playing their first season in Hockey East after 22 seasons as members of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association. Notre Dame and Boston College have met 32 times in that series history dating back to 1969. The Eagles own a 17-13-2 all-time record against the Irish, but Notre Dame leads the series, 4-3, since Jeff Jackson took over behind the bench in 2005-06.
Boston College won last year’s non-conference meeting between the two schools, 3-1, at Kelley Rink in Chestnut Hill, Mass. This will be Notre Dame and BC’s first meeting as Hockey East conference rivals. The Irish participated in the first outdoor game in the program’s Division I history during the 2012-13 season when they defeated Miami (OH), 2-1, at Chicago’s Soldier Field on Feb. 17 as part of the Hockey City Classic.
The Friars and Warriors have met 117 times with Providence leading the all-time series with a 78-30-9 record.
The following Saturday, January 11, UMass-Lowell will face Northeastern University. The second game of the doubleheader will feature the University of Maine against Boston University. This year, the River Hawks earned their first Hockey East regular-season and tournament championship in school history and made their first appearance in the Frozen Four under Division I National Coach of the Year Norm Bazin. UMass-Lowell leads the all-time series against Northeastern, 57-40-8, and is unbeaten in five straight meetings against the Huskies (4-0-1).
The Black Bears and Terriers have played 119 times, with Boston University holding a 58-48-13 advantage in the all-time series. BU owns a 18-6-5 mark in the 29 meetings since the beginning of the 2005-06 season vs. the Black Bears.
“We are excited about the return of hockey to Fenway Park,” said Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna.
“We are particularly pleased that with these two doubleheaders, all of our men’s programs will have had the opportunity to experience Frozen Fenway, including the University of Notre Dame, our newest member.”
Game times and ticket information for the two doubleheaders will be announced in the coming months.
Mayor’s Community Skates
As the ice returns to Fenway Park, so does Mayor Menino’s Community Skates, making the ice at Fenway Park available to residents of the City of Boston for two free days of skating. Boston residents will have an opportunity to skate on Sunday, December 29, and again on New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1.
Information about how to obtain tickets for the Mayor’s Community Skates will be announced in the coming months.
The Mayor’s Community Skates and the Hockey East games are just the first in a series of events and experiences that will take place as part of the 17-day Frozen Fenway 2014 program. In 2012, over 90,000 hockey and skating fans came through the ballpark to enjoy a game or skate during the free skating days.