The Blues’ yearslong effort to brand St. Louis as the “heartland of hockey” will reach a major milestone this week as Enterprise Center hosts the NCAA’s Frozen Four men’s hockey championships for the first time since 2007. Tonight’s semifinals feature Denver against Western Michigan and Boston Univ. against Penn State, with the winners set to meet in the championship on Saturday.
Blues President Chris Zimmerman is hopeful a successful event will serve as a foundation for the city to become a regular host of the college hockey championships, as well as to potentially attract a future edition of the IIHF World Junior Championship.
“Our goal is to make St. Louis one of the great hockey cities in the world,” Zimmerman said. “Our ability to host events, and particularly championship events, and bring energy to the game is a big part of our strategy.”
Ensuring the city continues to attract major non-NHL hockey, however, will also involve lobbying the Missouri State Legislature. The state’s Amateur Sporting Contribution Tax Credit Program, which was enacted in 2013, is slated to sunset on Aug. 28. In an effort to stimulate economic activity associated with big amateur sporting events, the program provides up to $10M a year in tax credits to individuals who donate to certified sponsors and local organizing committees. Following the conclusion of the Frozen Four, Zimmerman and the St. Louis Sports Commission will shift focus to the program’s renewal before the end of the legislative session next month.
In addition to the Frozen Four, the Blues have already hosted a full slate of non-NHL athletic competitions this year at Enterprise Center and its practice facility, the Centene Community Ice Center. The list includes hockey events like the Blue Note Cup youth hockey tournament featuring 244 teams from multiple states, the ACHA National Championships of club hockey and a PWHL Takeover Tour game between the Ottawa Charge and Boston Fleet, as well as the Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball tournament (for the 31st consecutive year).
