Unfortunately I don’t get to road trip as often as I used to and am not updating this page, so the the information on this page may not be accurate.  Please check before making plans.

Rocks’ Roadtrippin’ Recommendations

Planning on watching your Minutemen on the road?  Here are my thoughts and suggestions on the best and worst of college hockey destinations around the country (well, for now just mostlly the Northeast).  I’m sharing my observation on arena, atmosphere, pregame possibilities, and friendliness of home crowds.  If readers would like chip in their experiences or feel I missed a good place to catch a beer before the game, please make sure to use the comment function on the page.

Hockey East

Boston College

Barn/Atmosphere:  Conte Forum isn’t much to write home about, pretty much just a standard multi-purpose arena, like the Mullins but older and with some bleachers.  Positives include ease of parking (though the wait to get out can be a little tough), availability of tickets, and an impressive trophy display on the east side of the concourse.  Just don’t ask about the football Doug Flutie threw against Miami in 1984. If you’re looking for a good college atmosphere, you won’t find it here.  Superfan apathy is legendary.

Pre-Gaming:  Unfortunately it’s a long walk to these places from the arena so prepare for that cold wind off the reservoir if you decide to travel that way.  Personally I love the food at Cityside and that’s where the UMass crowd tends to gather before games. Buff’s Pub in Newton by the Pike is worth a look as well.  This place is pretty small, so it’s tough to get a table.  But I was impressed by their wings, especially the spicy teriyaki, and was happy to find Berkshire Brewing on draft.  It’s not the Hangar, but it’s damn good.

Wear your triangle?  Yes.  You may hear a little from the yellow-clad faithful but luckily there’s usually only a handful of them.

Must see:  If you like Belgian style beer the Publick House located at Washington Square in Brookline is the place to be.  Only a 10 minute drive to the BC campus.

Boston University

Barn/Atmosphere:  While lacking some of the mystique of Walter Brown, Agganis Arena is a good example of how to build a great modern day hockey rink.  It has some amazing sight-lines, even in the corner seats they give away fans.  Only knock on The Greek is the bathrooms, 99% of them are located on the far end of the arena for some odd reason, and the price of tickets.  The atmosphere is very good.  The BU students have a semi-justified reputation as being more into their chants than the game itself, but they’re energetic, loud, and help make up for a sub par band (of course, like every other band in Hockey East they’re at least better than ours).

Pre-Gaming:  Two words; Sunset Cantina.  Two more words; Sunset Grill.  The first is the smaller version of the second and is located across the street from Agganis.  36 hard to find beers from around the country and good food to boot.  Located a few T stops and a short walk away is the mothership, Sunset Grill.  The best beer list in the state, 112 on draft and hundreds in bottle.  Three more words, beware The Reverend.  The old T’s Pub is a more casual place to go before or after a game, but I haven’t been there since it became 973 Commonwealth.

Wear your triangle?  Yes.

Must see:  If you want to see some sports history walk over to Nickerson Field where the grandstands are all that remain of Braves Field, home to to the old Boston Braves.  Since you’re already there, try to sneak into Walter Brown Arena as well.

Lowell

Barn/Atmosphere: Just as the Lowell team has been improving in recent years, so has everything surrounding it.  Quite frankly, a trip to Lowell has become one of my favorite road trips, something I never thought I’d say.  Tsongas is a very solid newish arena with a good view of the ice and plenty of amenities (including beer) and some good recently renovated elements.  The atmosphere inside is really starting to take off.  They’ve always had one of the better bands in the conference, now they’re adding some energetic fans to go with it.

Pre-Gaming:  The addition of Lowell Beer Works just a few blocks away was much welcomed.  There’s also the Brewery Exchange right next door.

Wear your triangle?  Yes

Must see:  How about hope to see:  The Alumni Cup, the trophy given out to the series winner between UMass and Lowell each year.  I think it would help build a rivalry between these schools if they actually had an on ice presentation of the trophy.   One year I did see Lowell have it on display last year on the concourse.  Good idea, both schools should adopt it.

Maine

Barn/Atmosphere: Alfond is a great old hockey barn where everyone is right on top of the action.  As a result, it can get very loud.  Only major drawback is that if you’re underneath the balcony where they stick the visitor allotment you better make friends with someone in the first couple rows who can see the scoreboard so they can yell you updates of how much time is left.  When I was there last Maine the crowds were great and the band was excellent.  Not sure what it’s like now that Maine has hit tougher times.  It might not be the best idea during the game but if you can afterwards walk up the stairs and check out the view from the balcony.

Pre-Gaming:  Orono has a nice little downtown area.  I enjoy stopping in at the Bear Brew Pub where you can enjoy some Black Bear Brewing made just a couple buildings away.  Bangor may not seem like much but it’s home to one of the better beer bars I’ve found in New England, Nocturnem Draft Haus.  Excellent beers from local to Maine Allagash to Norway’s Nøgone.  Have one of their homemade pretzels while you’re there.

Wear your triangle?  I would say yes.  I’ve heard stories of opposing fans being harassed, but it’s never happened to me.  In fact I found the Maine fans to be very friendly folk you just love to talk hockey.

Must see:  Pat’s Pizza in Orono has some of the best pizza I’ve ever had and that’s coming from someone who could eat pizza for every meal.  What makes their pizza stand out is the little kick of spice in the sauce.  Goes great with a good Mainuh beer like Gritty McDuffs.

Merrimack

Barn/Atmosphere: It’s an MDC rink.  It used to be an MDC rink.  Now it’s a really nice Atlantic Hockey rink.  But given resources they’ve done the best that can be done with that place.  With the miracle done by former UMass assistant Mark Dennehy, the atmosphere has really taken off and it’s actually a tough ticket.

Pre-Gaming:  Not too much around except some chain restaurants.  99 and Fuddruckers are the usual spots.  Therefore I suggest you drive just a little bit further to Haverhill and visit The Tap, home to Haverhill Brewing.  Make sure to try the alt, an excellent but rarely brewed German style beer.

Wear your triangle?  Yes

Must see:  No seriously, go to the Tap.  It just may be the best brewpub in the state.

New Hampshire

Barn/Atmosphere: Overall a nice place, especially if you like big, big, really big ice.  I like the open concourse at the top allowing views of the ice while you walk around.  They tend to get sellout or near sellout crowds for every game.  The locals can be quiet but the students get very into it.  Make sure to look for the students’ signs on the glass,  the fact that they despise their own band, and of course watch for flying fish.

Pre-Gaming:  I actually haven’t spent any time right in Durham, but you don’t really need to with all the quality options in nearby Portsmouth.  If you want some very good food I recommend the Red Hook Brewery.  Their beer is ok, but I highly recommend the steak sandwich.  If you’re looking for a higher quality brew check out Portsmouth Brewery right downtown.  And if the place seems eerily familiar it’s because the owner was one of the original founders of Northampton Brewery.

Wear your triangle?  No.  This is one of my least favorite places to go.  You’ll hear it from the crowd if you’re wearing maroon and if UMass actually comes away with the W you might want to wait a while before heading to the exit.

Must see:  Newick’s Seafood in Dover.  One of the best places for fried seafood on the East Coast.  Cheap too!

Northeastern

Barn/Atmosphere: One of my all-time favorite barns, and I say barn in the truest sense.  It was kind of nice when Northeastern wasn’t that good and you had no problem finding a nice spot in the front row of the balcony.  That’s not the case anymore, but it’s actually a lot of fun to see that place with their crazy student crowd.

Pre-Gaming:  I don’t understand how you can be in Boston and have so few options to go before the game.  You have three options, Uno’s, which is….an Uno’s.  Connor Larkins an ok basement bar with awful service.  Or a really long walk to Champions at Copley.  Can someone please open a good beer bar on Huntington?  Though I’ve only been to their sister bar, the Lower Depths, Bukowski’s Tavern isn’t too long a walk from the arena.

Wear your triangle?  I’ve had people tell me they’ve gotten harassed at Matthews.  I haven’t.  I’m going to say yes.

Must see:  Make sure to look for the Bruins, Celtics, and Whalers banners in the rafters.  Matthews is the original home to all three teams.

Providence

Barn/Atmosphere:  Easiest parking of any Hockey East arena.  The arena itself is improving with the recent upgrades of getting rid of the McDonald’s seats and losing the Jiffy Pop ceiling.  Prepare to have to look through, around, or at a railing however if you make the trip.  The students there used to be part of the entertainment but with the team falling on hard times you don’t see too many of them anymore.

Pre-Gaming: Just past Schneider on Admiral Ave are a couple places to go.  First is the Abbey, a little hole in the wall place with a decent beer selection and a great food menu.  They’re known as having one of the better burgers in the Providence area.  Just a two minute walk from the arena is the Bradley Cafe, aka Brad’s.  Nothing much than a little dive bar with a mixture of locals and students, but they do have some cheap beer and some food (though I didn’t eat there myself).

Wear your triangle?  Yes

Must see:  One of these days I have to try some of the legendary Italian restaurants on Federal Hill.

Vermont

Barn/Atmosphere:   The Gutt is right up there with Matthews and Alfond in terms of my favorite arenas.  The configuration is a little strange with most seats actually in the end zone but I love all the exposed wood and a great trophy case/wall of fame (I’m sorry to report that they actually removed the trophy case). The crowd is very much in the game.

Pre-Gaming:   Where do I begin?  Vermont Brewery and Pub.  Magic Hat Brewery.  Three Needs.  Flat Bread Brewery.  Hell, if you get to all those you might as well do the whole state.

Wear your triangle?  No.  Whether you’re a 20 year old student or a 70 year old grandmother these fans don’t hesitate to get right in your face.

Must see:  On the way up to Burlington make sure to stop in Waterbury.  This town is the home to the Ben & Jerry’s factory, a Cabot Cheese store (with free samples), a great cider mill, and one of the best brewpubs in all of New England; The Alchemist.  (I’m very sad to report that Hurricane Irene killed The Alchemist.  That bitch. Instead try to have a Hill Farmstead and toast the memory of what was the best brewpub in the world).

Hockey East Semifinals and Finals – TD Garden

Barn/Atmosphere:  It’s no original Garden but it does the job.  If you can’t spring for the loge (or better) levels, the first 5 rows of the balcony are usually a very good spot to watch hockey.  The atmosphere for the Hockey East games is usually excellent.  Nothing like putting ten teams’ worth of fans in a building and watch for some really odd allegiances to develop.

Pre-Gaming:   There are a few place to go, from the Penalty Box if you’re short on cash, to Boston Beer Works if you want to have some craft brew and shoot some pool, or perhaps Hurricane O’Reilys.   But the place to go before any event at TD Bank Garden is The Fours.  Named the #1 Sports Bar in the country, I recommend you head in, have a seat at the bar, don’t ask for a menu just order a Bobby Orr and a Harpoon.   Be sure to check out the Tommy Pöck jersey in the dining area.

Wear your triangle?  Of course!

Must see:  The Freedom Trail is just a couple blocks away, follow that and see Boston’s contributions to our great country.

That’s it for Hockey East.  I’ll share the limited knowledge I have out of conference.  It’s probably lacking a lot since I don’t get to these locales as often as the conference destinations.

ECAC

Clarkson/Saint Lawrence

Barn/Atmosphere:   I probably shouldn’t lump them both together but the chances that you’ll have to go up there to play one and not the other are slim.  Two very different but very appealing barns.  Appleton, home to the SLU Saints, is a nice old barn with great woodwork.  Only place I’ve seen where players have to turn sideways to get through the door to the ice however because it’s so small.  The seats you’ll be sitting in are equally tiny and Fenwayish.  Clarkson’s Cheel is a newer arena that’s still pretty cozy.  Great student crowd and a mindblowingly loud bell is rung whenever the Knights score a goal (or was it a horn?  I don’t remember, I just remember it was LOUD).

Pre-Gaming:   Honestly, there’s not much there.  You’re basically in the middle of nowhere.  Best bet is to take the significant other and find a nice Bed and Breakfast nearby.

Wear your triangle?  Yes

Must see:  Canada.  It’s only a few miles away, eh?

Cornell

Barn/Atmosphere:  Lynah is well know for its crowd.  Students are good, witty, and loud.  It’s easy to see why it’s such a tough place to get a W.  The arena itself is pretty nice but the students are the real story.

Pre-Gaming:   Unfortunately I did not get to enjoy Ithaca as much as I would’ve wanted when I made the trip.  However, if you’re looking for a little taste from home the town is the home to a Wings Over Ithaca for some Hanger-like spiciness.

Wear your triangle?  I think so.  The crowd seemed pretty receptive.

Must see:  Not sure.  I really have to make a return trip and not try to drive out and back in the same day.

Dartmouth

Barn/Atmosphere:  Thompson is a standard concretish arena.  I was there over holiday break so the crowd was pretty tame.  It may be a little better during other times of the season.

Pre-Gaming:   Even though Hanover is a pretty small town there are a couple good places to go.  Murphy’s on the Green is one recommendation.  I also had an excellent burger at the Canoe Club.

Wear your triangle?  Yes

Must see:  Lou’s right downtown is a legendary place to go for breakfast and it lives up to its reputation.  And that’s coming from someone who doesn’t even like breakfast food.

Harvard

Barn/Atmosphere:  As an arena Bright is pretty nice, but the atmosphere is awful.  Actually the last time I went there was a really loud and energetic crowd.  They all had Quinnipiac jerseys on and were cheering their Bobcats on to a playoff win.  I actually found an entire section of Harvard students studying when I took a walk around.

Pre-Gaming:   A-  Not too far from Harvard Square is Cambridge Common, a great craft beer bar that has tough to find brews as well as local stuff.  A little closer to the bridge that will take you to Bright is John Harvard’s, a brewpub with some good atmosphere.

Wear your triangle?  Yes, if we ever happen to play Harvard again (they still owe us a return game from the turn of the century  Holy crap, they actually returned it!).

Must see:  Though there may be a bubble growing out of the middle of it in the Winter make sure to check out Harvard Stadium, built in 1903.

RPI

Barn/Atmosphere:  Houston Field House is a nice place to watch a game.  The place seems to have a lot of history to it, an involved student crowd, and of course the legendary Puckman.

Pre-Gaming:   Brown’s Brew Pub down the hill in downtown Troy has a good selection of beer and food.

Wear your triangle?  Yes.

Must see:  Saratoga is just a short drive away for you degenerate gamblers.  Ok, it’s not open in the winter, but well worth a visit when it’s in full swing during the summer.

Quinnipiac

Barn/Atmosphere:  After visiting the TD Bank Sports Center it’s amazing to think that Quinnipiac played here not too long ago.  The Sports Center consists of a seperate ice rink and basketball arena sharing a common lobby and is comparable to all the other ECAC rinks I’ve attended.  It offers a comfortable place to watch a game with decent, steep seating leading to good sightlines.  The atmosphere was impressive.  Despite the students being gone for break the arena was filled with energetic, knowledgeable fans who seemed to have fully embraced QU’s place as a competitive team in college hockey.

Pre-Gaming:   Mikro is a nice little craft beer bar located in a strip mall just down the hill from the arena.  Not too far from there is Side Street Grille, a bit of a dive/local bar, but one with a decent beer list.  A word of warning though, it’s a Yankee bar.

Wear your triangle?  Yes.

Must see:  Mohegan Sun is not too far away.

Union

Barn/Atmosphere:  Achilles is a strange set up with wooden bleachers surrounding the ice.  When I was there the student crowd  non-existent.  No one from the fans to the employees really seemed like they wanted to be there.

Pre-Gaming:   I couldn’t find anything and quite frankly wasn’t sure I wanted to explore the surrounding neighborhood.

Wear your triangle?  Yes.

Must see:  The way out of town.

Yale

Barn/Atmosphere:  Structurally Ingalls Rink, aka The Whale, is very intriguing and if you’re going to a game it’s worth getting there early to walk around for a few minutes.  The building itself is concrete but not in that Neo-Soviet style that is so prevalent at UMass.  This is concrete done right.  The wooden roof, curved and wavy through the entire structure helps offset the concrete and give it a more homey feel.  The arena is still pretty small though but offered some great sight lines.

Pre-Gaming:   Just a mile and a half from the arena is Prime 16 located right in the downtown area.  This is one of the better beer bars I’ve been in and that’s saying something.  They didn’t have a ton of taps, only 20 I believe, but they made up for lack of quantity with an amazing offering of some of the best beers in the country.  Oh yeah, and the food is good too.  Delaney’s Taproom is a little further from downtown but worth the drive as well.

Wear your triangle?  Yes.

Must see:  I arrived in town a bit earlier than my friends so I headed over to see the legendary Yale Bowl.  It’s certainly interesting to see that much of the actual stadium is below ground level and from the outside it resembles a fort or bunker more than a stadium.  Sadly, while preparations were busy for the big Havard-Yale game I wasn’t able to find a suitable way to sneak in for a look inside.

Atlantic Hockey

AIC

Barn/Atmosphere:  It’s a youth hockey rink and I think I saw more fans in the adjacent rinks actually watching youth hockey.

Pre-Gaming:   There are a ton of chain restaurants nearby from On the Border to Outback.  Good news!  They’ve added a Hooters!

Wear your triangle?  Yes, but UMass won’t be playing there.

Must see:  The Basketball Hall of Fame is only 5 minutes south.

Bentley

Barn/Atmosphere:  See above for AIC, without the adjacent rinks.

Pre-Gaming:   Watch City Brewery is nearby in Waltham and has some pretty good brews.

Wear your triangle?  Yes.

Must see:  Now you can brag to all your friends that you’ve seen a game at Bentley, you’re one of a select few.

Army

Barn/Atmosphere:  Tate Rink was actually much better than expected.  Good sightlines and the crowd was very good for the game I attended (it was against rival Air Force).  The only strange thing was the fact that it must’ve been about 78 degrees in the rink.

Pre-Gaming:   Not too sure.  I didn’t get to explore the town.

Wear your triangle?  Yes.

Must see:  If you can, do what I did, go to a doubleheader with football because Michie Stadium is a great place to see a game.  And if you do decide to do that get there in the morning before the football game and see the Parade of Cadets.

Holy Cross

Barn/Atmosphere:  Kind of tame but overall not a bad place to watch a game.  It’s a little strange that all the seating is on one side of the ice.

Pre-gaming:  It’s unfortunately on the other side of the city, but Peppercorn’s is a great place to have a beer or three before the game.  It is the home of Wormtown Brewing whose founder/head brewer starting homebrewing while a student at UMass.  A little closer to campus is Armsby Abbey, probably the best beer bar in Central Mass.

Wear your triangle:  Yes.

Must see:  Hmm… I’ll have to get back to you.  I’ll tell you what isn’t a must see; the DCU Center.  The name is missing an M and a P in lieu of the C.

UConn

Barn/Atmosphere:  Not much good to say about the arena.  Metal bleachers around an ice rink.  Crowd was so-so and most of them were rooting for the other team(s) in the arena.  I did like that they’ve tried to adopt Brass Bonanza after goals.  However when I went they had a recording of the Star Spangled Banner that had a skip in it yet no one seemed to care.  Seriously?  (Update: they thankfully found another recording)

Pre-Gaming:   I recommend the Willimantic Brewing Company located about 20 minutes away from the arena.  Not only were their own original brews very good but they offer a nice selection of regional and national craft beers as well.  The food menu was enjoyable though prepare yourself and those you’ll be spending time with if you choose to get their garlic fries.  Wow, were those things strong!

Wear your triangle?  Yes.

Must see:  There’s very little to do in this area of Connecticut.  The Manchester area has some decent shopping, that’s about it.  Mohegan Sun Casino isn’t terribly far away either.

WCHA

Wisconsin

Barn/Atmosphere:  The Kohl Center is a newish, mammoth arena that’s unlike any of the facilities seen in the eastern conferences.  My trip there was during winter break on the eve of a Wisconsin trip to the Rose Bowl so the place was not as packed and students were out of town.  Despite all that the atmosphere was still pretty impressive, especially the students and their chants.

Pre-Gaming:   There are two great brewpubs in Madison, Ale Asylum which is located a little north of town in a strip center and the Great Dane Pub located right downtown.  I was impressed by the quality of the Dane’s beers as well as their selection.  Make sure to get some cheese curds to go with your brews.  After the game I recommend a trip for some pizza to Greenbush Bar.  It’s like a Midwest Pat’s (see Maine).

Wear your triangle?  Unknown.  I think the next fan to wear a triangle there will probably be the first.

Must see:  I’m a sucker for stadiums, so I recommend heading over to Camp Randall.  They even have a gift shop there open year round with windows looking out to the field so you don’t have to try to sneak in and get arrested for tresspassing.

UMass

Well, since I moved out of the valley a few years back every UMass home game is essentially a road trip for me now.  So where do I like to go before and after the games at the Mullins?  If I’m in the mood for a good brewpub, I head to Amherst Brewing Company where they make excellent beer and have some very good pub food as well.  I usually go for the irish stew in a bread bowl and a Two Sisters Imperial Stout.  They also usually always have something good on cask and a number of decent guest beers.  If you really want to be a beer snob you can head into South Amherst to the Moan and Dove, though I prefer their sister bar, Dirty Truth, across the river in Northampton.  Both bars are on Beer Advocates top places to have a pint in the country and have nearly unmatched beer menus.

Rafters had been the standard for a place to meet before games but sadly their food quality and more importantly their beer selection has dropped considerably in recent years so the visits there are less frequent.  But Rafters’ loss is the Hangar’s gain as they can boast a decent beer selection to go with the best wings ever, anywhere.  I’ve built my tolerance up to where I can regularly get the 2nd hottest wings without a problem but I still have further to go to work up to Afterburner.  Located just south of the football stadium the Hangar has officially become my pregame hangout.  Post-game I like to head north of campus to the Harp, a little neighborhood place in North Amherst that a lot of folks still think of as Mike’s Westview.  The owner, Harpo, is a big UMass hockey supporter and does a good job of offering some quality brews considering it’s a little hole in the wall place.  The re-addition of a late night pizza menu makes the Harp as one of the places you’re guaranteed you can grab a bite to eat after the game.  I also can never get enough of the great Celtic music they generally have playing there.  But if you’re still hungry as you roll out of town no trip to Amherst is complete without a stop at Antonio’s right downtown, home to the best pizza in the world.  I recommend the chicken and bacon, or the mac and cheese, or anything with potato on it.  Ok, well everything’s good there, so you decide for yourself.

So those are my recommendations.  Did I miss your favorite place?  Think I gave your barn a bad rap?  Feel free to use the comments to tell the world the must see places when they roll into town.