The Syracuse Crunch are looking to make history in more ways than one next week. They will be meeting the Utica Comets on November 22nd in the Frozen Dome Classic. This will be the first-ever professional hockey game held in Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome. The venue traditionally hosts a number of the school’s athletic events, mostly football and basketball. The rink is currently under construction with the game a little over a week away. It’s shaping up to be a landmark event for the Lightning’s AHL affiliate.
Syracuse made history four years ago by staging the first outdoor game in AHL history. That game set attendance records and they’re looking to break another record next Saturday. Vance Lederman, senior VP of business operations for the Crunch, has said they are looking to break the NHL’s attendance record for an indoor game. The current record of 28,183 was set on April 23, 1996 when the Tampa Bay Lightning hosted the Philadelphia Flyers for a playoff game at the Thunderdome. According to Syracuse.com, about 24,500 tickets had been sold as of Monday morning so they may very well surpass that record.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0118Y7ize8]The Classic will be an all-day affair featuring an NCAA Division III game between the Utica College Pinoeers and Oswego State Lakers. A law enforcement charity game between the two cities will take place prior to the main even to ramp up the Syracuse/Utica rivalry even more.
A few notable guests will be in attendance for the event as well. Former Syracuse University basketball standout Derrick Coleman and former Syracuse Crunch captain Zenon Konopka will both be there.
Jim Sarosy, COO of the Crunch, has been sharing a lot of photos of the transformation process at the Carrier Dome:
Day two of load in has begun with the dasher system arriving. @TheFrozenDomepic.twitter.com/2DY85IVSfz
— Jim Sarosy (@JimSarosy) November 13, 2014
UPDATE: The Crunch will set the U.S. record for attendance at an indoor pro hockey game tomorrow at the Carrier Dome. There have been 29,000 tickets sold so far.
The No. 75 Devon Still Cincinnati Bengals jerseys will be worn by the Crunch during warmups as a tribute for Devon’s daughter Leah who is suffering from Neuroblastoma, a Stage 4 pediatric cancer. The jerseys worn by the Crunch will be raffled off to benefit the Ronald McDonald House in Syracuse. The raffles will be held at upcoming Crunch games at the War Memorial Arena.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IsLDp-u73k]Follow me on Twitter @alexis_b82 and please “like” LightningShout on Facebook. You can email us at [email protected].
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