The Kansas City Sports Commission, in collaboration with College Hockey, Inc., announced today that Kansas City will host the 2012 Ice Breaker College Hockey Tournament at Sprint Center.
A press conference regarding the Ice Breaker Tournament, which traditionally marks the start of the college hockey season, was held at Sprint Center (Barnes Plaza location) 4 p.m., Tuesday, September 27.
The press conference included appearances from Executive Director of College Hockey, Inc. Paul Kelly, Head Coach of Nebraska-Omaha Dean Blais and former NCAA collegiate hockey players from the Los Angeles Kings and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Taking place October 12-13, 2012, the 16th Annual Ice Breaker Tournament will host: Army, Notre Dame, University of Maine and University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO). All four teams have made previous appearances in the Ice Breaker Tournament with the 2012 event marking Maine and Notre Dame’s third appearance each and UNO and Army’s second appearance each.
Three of the four teams were ranked in the U.S. College Hockey Online Top 20 poll at the end of the 2010-11 season. Last season a total of 19 alumni from the four schools played in the NHL. Notable forces in college hockey, Notre Dame finished the 2010-11 season 25-14-5 and reached the semifinals in the NCAA Frozen Four. UNO ended its season 21-16-2 and made a NCAA tournament appearance.
College Hockey Inc. Executive Director Paul Kelly states, “Kansas City will be an excellent site for the Ice Breaker Tournament to start the 2012-13 college hockey season. We have been very impressed with the first-class facility at the Sprint Center, the beautiful city and the commitment of the community to make this event a success. It will be a memorable experience for both the student-athletes and the fans.”
Cindy Smith, Interim President of the Kansas City Sports Commission added that, “We are honored to host this prestigious college ice hockey tournament in Kansas City. Our city has a great opportunity to show its support for college hockey and ultimately host the NCAA Frozen Four.”
Tournament tickets are available at sprintcenter.com, Sprint Center Box Office, Ticketmaster locations and charge by phone at 800-745-3000. Group discount tickets will be available for charge by phone at 816-949-7177 or by email: grouptickets@sprintcenter.com
About the Kansas City Sports Commission
The Kansas City Sports Commission & Foundation benefits the Kansas City region through sports by creating, attracting and managing major sporting events for Kansas City. And, promote the lifetime benefits of sports for youth through educational initiatives, tournaments and clinics.
About College Hockey, Inc.
College Hockey, Inc. was formed in 2009 as the marketing and informational resource for Division I men’s college hockey. The entity, which is based in Newton, Mass., is operated under the auspices of the Hockey Commissioners Association which has sponsored the Ice Breaker Tournament since its inception in 1997.
Additional Quotes
Dean Blais, Head Coach of University of Nebraska-Omaha
“The competition for next year’s Ice Breaker Tournament will be top notch. We’re hoping that, because Kansas City is so close to Omaha, many of our fans will make the trip to see a great weekend of college hockey in an NHL caliber arena.”
Tim Whitehead, Head Coach of Maine
"The Maine Black Bears are thrilled to play in the 2012 Ice Breaker at Kansas City's Sprint Center. This will be our third appearance in the Ice Breaker, and we are certainly looking forward to the games and the tournament experience in Kansas City."
Brian Riley, Head Coach of Army
“We are honored to be playing in the Ice Breaker again. This is such a great event to start the college season and playing in an NHL-caliber rink will be great for our players. The Kansas City Sports Commission has done an excellent job in putting together this event and we are excited to be a part of it. This is also an opportunity for us to travel to the Midwest and hopefully play in front of a large military contingent in the area.”
Jeff Jackson, Head Coach of Notre Dame
“We are extremely excited to be invited to college hockey’s premier showcase, the Ice Breaker Tournament. We look forward to opening the 2012-13 season in a great hockey city and in an NHL-caliber building like Sprint Center. Hockey fans in Kansas City will definitely be entertained with some great college hockey from four great programs.”