High expectations for UMaine men’s hockey brings surge in season ticket sales
Bradly Nadeau and Artyom Duda have yet to play a hockey game for the University of Maine.
But they have already had a positive impact on the program.
Last month Nadeau, a high-scoring center, became the fourth player in the history of the program dating back to the 1977-78 season to be chosen in the first round of the National Hockey League draft. The Carolina Hurricanes selected him with the 30th pick.
Duda, a defenseman from Russia, was an early second-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2022. He was the 36th overall pick.
Last season UMaine was the only team in Hockey East without an NHL draft pick.
There is finally a buzz around the once-elite program that has earned two NCAA championships, five title game appearances, 11 Frozen Four berths and 18 NCAA Tournament invitations.
The team went to 11 NCAA semifinals between 1988-2007, but it hasn’t even reached the Hockey East semifinals or the NCAA Tournament since the 2011-12 season.
UMaine is the only Hockey East school that hasn’t reached the semifinals over the past nine years.
Nadeau and Duda headline a talented incoming class of freshmen and transfers who will join a solid nucleus that engineered a dramatic eight-win improvement from the 2021-22 season, which was the first under head coach Ben Barr.
UMaine was 15-16-5 overall a year ago, 9-11-4 in Hockey East, after going 7-22-4 and 5-17-2 the previous year, respectively. The team was picked to finish last in the Hockey East preseason coaches poll last season but wound up sixth.
That new buzz has already given the athletic department a $120,000 boost in season ticket revenue, according to Logan Desmond, UMaine’s associate athletic director for internal operations.
“We have sold 325 season tickets since May 23. That’s double what we sold all of last year,” said Desmond, who hasn’t seen a surge like this in his six seasons at the school.
He said the biggest reason for the spike has been the “improvement on the ice.” Since Barr became head coach in 2021, the team has recruited better talent, Desmond said. Barr has recruited for three first-time national championship teams at Providence, Union and UMass.
The program has also increased its emphasis on selling tickets online, Desmond said.
He noted that there is a “hunger” among the hockey fans to have the program return to the glory days.
“We have such a unique experience here. We have two national championships in our back pocket. And people also want something to do in the winter,” Desmond said.
Hockey is certainly much more revered at UMaine than it is at most schools, and the Alfond Arena has one of the most energized crowds in college hockey.
The university is expected to announce a multi-million dollar renovation to the arena later this summer, which could create another season ticket spike.
In addition to Nadeau and Duda joining the team, the list of returnees include All-Hockey East second team center and 21-goal scorer Lynden Breen, all-league second team goalie Victor Ostman and five mobile defensemen who played major roles in helping the team shave nearly a goal per game off their goals-against average, bringing it down to 2.6 allowed.
But UMaine’s biggest need is scoring. The team scored just 2.56 goals per game last season, which was 44th among 61 Division I schools.
The addition of the Nadeau brothers, Bradly and Josh, who combined for 122 goals and 172 assists in 71 games, regular season and playoffs, for the British Columbia Hockey League champion Penticton Vees, should solve that problem.
Returning nine-goal scorers Nolan Renwick, Donavan Houle and Ben Poisson should be in double figures this season, and there are other newcomers who can also put the puck in the net.
With the added buzz will come higher expectations. That is a given.
It is up to the team to continue its progression from a last place team in 2021-22 to a sixth place team a year ago.
It is not going to be easy in such a stacked league.
The culture began to change last summer when every player showed up to an optional six-week workout regimen. They were willing to devote six weeks of their summer to begin the process of restoring the program to prominence.
That’s not something that happens overnight.
The team will return to campus next week to begin another six-week workout regimen.
The Black Bears beat five nationally ranked teams last year including eventual NCAA champ Quinnipiac. They should enter this season with a swagger and a confidence that they are capable of beating anyone.
Even though the first game is still over three months away, it certainly gives the Alfond faithful something to look forward to.