NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament Brings Excitement and Boost to Local Businesses in Springfield
The excitement of the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament was palpable on its first night in Springfield, as hockey fans from all over gathered to Downtown Springfield. The influx of visitors has been a welcome boost for local businesses, with bars, restaurants, and shops seeing an increase in customers as fans headed to the arena for the games.
Bars and restaurants in the area have been enjoying the business brought by the tournament. Signs in their windows have been inviting hockey fans in, with establishments like Theodore’s Blues, Booze, and Barbeque seeing fans from all four hockey programs dine in. Co-owner Keith Makarowski noted that tables were quickly filled after opening at 11 a.m., as fans got their pre-game meals.
Makarowski expressed excitement for the upcoming games and the support from fans of UMass and UMaine. He mentioned that the local businesses were thrilled to see the community come together for NCAA hockey and were looking forward to the continued influx of visitors. The success of the first night of the tournament has set the stage for an exciting finale on Saturday.
The opening games of the tournament saw UMass Minutemen face off against University of Denver Pioneers while Cornell Big Red took on University of Maine Black Bears at MassMutual Center. Fans were united in their need for food before hitting the ice, with UMass fan Michael Sacenti highlighting a meetup at MGM where supporters could come together to enjoy each other’s company.
Local businesses have been eager to make use of this opportunity to increase their customer base during these two nights of hockey action. Bars and restaurants are offering special deals and promotions to attract new customers and keep existing ones coming back.
As Makarowski put it, “It doesn’t matter what team you support; we just want everyone to feel welcome here.” With more games scheduled for Saturday night at MassMutual Center, it looks like this tournament is just getting started.
