January 25, 2012

The third annual Road to the Garden tour beings this weekend

WAKEFIELD, Mass. - Hockey East Commissioner Joe Bertagna announced on Wednesday that the league will kickoff it's third annual "The Road the Garden" tour this weekend. The promotion will tour the Lamoriello Trophy, awarded annually to the league's tournament champion, around New England at each of the 10 men's campuses in the weeks leading up to the tournament at the TD Garden in Boston on March 16-17, 2012.

Hockey East fans will be able to see the trophy at each of the 10 campuses and will have a chance to register to win a Hockey East weekend VIP package. The grand prize includes two loge tickets to the semifinals on Friday, the Championship Game on Saturday and hotel accommodations for one night, as well as a player gift pack from tournament weekend. In addition, a pair of Championship tickets will be given away at each campus event.

The "Road to the Garden" will begin this Saturday as Vermont hosts Northeastern from Gutterson Fieldhouse and will conclude with Vermont at Boston College, the 2011 reigning Hockey East Tournament Champions, at Conte Forum on Friday, March 2nd.

"These events will be a great way to showcase our tournament around New England and 'The Road to the Garden' literally goes through each of our 10 campuses in the next six weekends," said Bertagna.

The Hockey East Association is a 10-team Division I college men's hockey conference founded in 1984 and an eight-team Division I women's league which began play in 2002-03. The men's league has won seven NCAA championships in the past 19 years.

Since 1999, Hockey East has won five NCAA Championships and have placed 18 teams in the Frozen Four, along with 45 teams in the NCAA Tournament.