By Dan McLoone, Columnist
It wouldn’t be the Beanpot if it weren’t in Boston.
With college hockey right around the corner, Boston hockey fans got a scare when initial reports claimed that Boston mayor Marty Walsh had thrown his support behind a group in Belfast, Ireland, that aimed to bring the Beanpot overseas in 2016. The public outcry at the idea of losing the classic tournament that has epitomized Boston hockey since 1952, however, soon prompted clarification from the Walsh administration. It turns out that Mayor Walsh, a Boston College graduate himself, was not advocating to relocate the tournament, but rather to add a new four to six team tournament between Boston hockey teams to the schedule in the future.
With the clarification, Boston hockey fans, can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Boston’s beloved tournament isn’t going anywhere. The Beanpot pits Boston College, Boston University, Harvard University and Northeastern University against each other in a two-weekend hockey tournament for Boston’s bragging rights. Now in its 63rd season, it is one of the biggest events that each school has to look forward to during the year.
While Ireland would indeed be an interesting place to host a tournament, especially given the large Irish population in Boston, the Beanpot is meant to stay in this city. It has a rich tradition of pride that only the crazy atmosphere of the TD Garden packed with college students and fans can replicate. Moving the Beanpot out of Boston would take away that atmosphere. While I’m not saying that Ireland doesn’t have its share of hockey fans, the interest level in four college hockey teams from Boston would be far less widespread in Belfast than it is in the city in which the players go to school. And while some people may travel overseas to see such an important tournament, it is doubtful that there would be anywhere near the support the Beanpot currently gets.
The biggest challenge to any potential change would most likely be the athletic directors. In today’s college athletic departments, one of the biggest priorities is profit. While moving the Beanpot may increase exposure, it would likely come down to how much money the new tournament makes. The four schools currently pocket a nice amount of cash from the current system at the TD Garden between ticket sales, concessions and merchandise. If it was likely that the schools would not make as much money in Belfast, it doesn’t seem as though any of the four athletic directors would give the green light to such a move.
At the same time, Walsh’s newer statement of a tournament in Ireland between Boston teams is not a bad idea. Belfast was recently declared a Sister City to Boston, only helping to increase the longstanding hockey connection that the cities have had. Adding a new tournament would be a great move for exposure. Just as the National Football League plays games in London and Major League Baseball plays games in Japan, a move overseas could potentially open up the college hockey scene to an entirely new market. While there are no guarantees that it would be both a commercial and financial success, an added tournament in a different country could also help with team bonding and serve as some sort of a preseason tune-up.
The benefits of games in Ireland are numerous, but no one wants to see them added at the expense of the Beanpot. This tournament means too much to both the players and the fans, with coaches often using it as a way to help recruit players as well. So go ahead, Mayor Walsh. Bring on some more college hockey. We’re all ready for it. Just leave the Beanpot alone, because the Beanpot belongs in Boston.
2014 Beanpot Results- Boston College (1), Northeastern (2), Harvard (3), Boston University (4)
