MSU’s Cold War game set a hockey attendance record with 74,554 people. The event, held at Spartan Stadium on Oct. 7, 2001, resulted in a 3-3 tie between MSU and U-M. The former record stood for 41 years.
Mark Hollis remembers pulling into Jenison Field House during the ticket sales of the Cold War game between MSU and Michigan in 2001 and being surprised to see the line stretch around the parking lot.
The current MSU athletics director didn’t expect a record crowd of 74,554 to attend Spartan Stadium’s hosting of the first regular-season outdoor hockey game in NCAA or NHL history. He also didn’t expect fans would stay for the entire game, which ended in a thrilling 3-3 tie.
But, as Hollis said this week, that is the appeal of bringing a game outdoors and restoring hockey to its natural roots.
“I think that’s what sports is about,” Hollis said. “When you step back and ask yourself what is college sports supposed to do, and I think one is to provide opportunities for kids to compete and two is to entertain alumni and fans. As long as you don’t get too crazy … I think it’s good for college sports.”
The technology needed to create an outdoor setting was far more primitive in 2001 than it is now, as U-M prepares to face MSU on Saturday in the Big Chill at the Big House, where a new record of 110,000-plus fans is expected at Michigan Stadium (3 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).
Hollis said a refrigeration system that was used to chill Hollywood movie studios was used in 2001, but depended on the weather being cold to work effectively.
“We makeshifted an ice rink out of that kind of a system, and were fortunate with a lot of praying that some cold weather came in,” Hollis said.
“It’s exciting to see it replicated. When you can come up with an innovative concept on a college campus and actually pull a plan like that off, it’s very exciting.”
The 74,000-plus fans in attendance watched as No. 1 MSU used then-MSU forward Jim Slater’s goal with 47 seconds left to tie the No. 4 Wolverines in a championship-type environment. At that time, it was the largest crowd ever to watch a hockey game before a World Championship hockey game in Germany drew 77,803 on May 7.
Current players said the physicality of the rivalry game was very noticeable and expected.
“Those guys hit hard. That was back before all the obstruction rules and stuff like that,” sophomore forward Anthony Hayes said. “I mean, those guys really cracked down. The Cold War was probably the perfect name to call that game. We were all just speechless with how hard they were hitting each other — they were going at each other.”
Tickets quickly sold out for the Big Chill, and players hope they can put on as nice of a show on the biggest of stages at Michigan Stadium.
“As the game started, you could hear the crowd in the background. More and more people were impressed with the crowd,” junior goalie Drew Palmisano said. “It was a back-and-forth game. We’re going to be expected to face a hostile environment.”
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