MSU and Michigan have always been in a cold war, of sorts. There are never any weapons involved in the rivalry, but it’s seen everything short of a tank roll through the two schools’ athletic competitions.
At a press conference Monday, it was confirmed the Spartan and Wolverine hockey squads will take to center ice in the middle of Spartan Stadium at 6 p.m. Oct. 6 in what’s being dubbed “The Cold War.”
The idea to play in the stadium - normally used by the football team - was sparked years ago jokingly by MSU hockey assistant coach David McAuliffe.
“From the time we first talked about it, whether it was fantasy or reality, it was kind of up for grabs,” MSU head hockey coach Ron Mason said. “Now that it is reality, I think it’s going to be truly a tremendous event. It’s going to be very exciting for the fans, the coaches, the players, everybody involved, including the media. I think it will go pretty well.”
Construction of the outdoor ice rink will begin Oct. 1 and is scheduled to be completed three days later, which will allow both teams to have one practice session, during which they will be able to check the ice conditions and get a feel for playing in the venue.
The rink, measuring 200 feet by 90 feet, to be built by California company Tres Papagayos, will sit on a four-inch stage, preventing it from touching the turf. The rink will be in the middle of the football field, extending just outside of each 20-yard marker.
Ice installation is estimated to cost slightly more than $100,000, with the stage costing $70,000 and lighting projected at $45,000. A total budget of $400,000 has been allotted for the project.
For a game that won’t be played until October, there are already a plethora of storylines.
The one in the minds of many is the chance to set the world hockey attendance record. Spartan Stadium has the capacity to seat 72,027 fans.
The world record is 55,000, set March 5, 1957, in Moscow when Sweden defeated the Soviet Union 3-2 in the Sweden International Hockey Federation gold medal game at Lenin Stadium.
And that record seems ready to fall. Because the football team has a bye the weekend of the hockey game, more fans will be apt to attend the contest. U-M’s football squad will be visiting Penn State.
Plus, tickets aren’t overly expensive - $18 for prime seats and $10 for remaining seats.
But Mason said the record isn’t the real story behind this game - it’s about gaining support for the sport.
“We talked a little about the record,” Mason said. “I don’t think that’s a major issue. I think more that we would like to have a good support of hockey in the state of Michigan. If we happen to break the world record, that’s tremendous.”
In the beginning, Michigan officials were skeptical of “The Cold War,” but after running through the logistics of putting the contest together, both sides were positive it could actually work.
Michigan head coach Red Berenson actually called the idea, upon first hearing it, “ridiculous.”
“And yet, when we thought about it and when I talked to Coach Mason and got some details about the legitimacy of this idea, it seemed like it would be possible,” Berenson said.
Even weather might not be an issue come game time. No temperatures are likely to postpone the contest, and only fierce rain could alter the game time. Oct. 7 is reserved as a rain day.
Players knew when being recruited by powerhouse programs like MSU and U-M, they would be a part of big games.
However, they say it’s hard to fathom playing in a game with world-record-setting potential.
“But coming to Michigan, you expect big things,” U-M center Mike Cammalleri said. “And you come to Michigan to play in big-time games and this is as big as they get, so Michigan has definitely delivered with their promise to get you some big-time games.
“I don’t think they get any bigger than this.”
MSU senior right wing Adam Hall, who was elected team captain last week, said he hopes the game serves as a great start to his senior season.
“First game of the season your senior year and you’re hopefully going to get 72,000-plus fans,” he said. “We don’t really know what to expect right now. We’re just hoping for a great atmosphere, we’re hoping it works out.
“It’s a great event for all involved.”
MSU junior goaltender Ryan Miller grew up in East Lansing and has seen the sights and sounds of Spartan Stadium on football Saturdays.
Now, the Hobey Baker Award winner is excited to finally feel what it’s like to be part of a football setting.
“I always wondered what it would feel like to play football,” Miller conceded. “This is the closest I’m going to get, because I don’t have the frame for football. I always kind of wondered why football players got so pumped up. There is so much energy in the building. People cheering and getting loud and making an event out of it, tailgating.”
But, in a way, this contest was made a reality for the fans. It will allow attendees a peek at a game they probably never thought they’d see.
A chance for an extra day of tailgating.
A chance to be a part of history.
And it’s something the coaches of both schools look forward to being a part of.
For Mason, the game will simply add another exciting chapter to his coaching legacy at MSU.
“I think it’s great,” said Mason, MSU’s coach of 23 years. “I can’t wait. I think it’s something that when you have been coaching as long as I have, anything new like this gets the adrenaline flowing.”
Tickets will go on sale Monday at the Athletic Ticket Office in Jenison Field House, or call 355-1610 or (800) GO STATE.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Paul Day can be reached at daypaul@msu.edu.
