The 2003 NCAA Frozen Four logo was unveiled at a ceremony Friday at HSBC Arena, site of the event, set for April 10-12, 2003. Representatives from the three hosts — the MAAC, Canisius College and Niagara University — were on hand for the event.
The logo features an image of a waterfall, representing Niagara Falls, flowing over a hockey puck. The Falls, with parts in both the U.S. and Canadan, fits into the organizer’s theme of recognizing Buffalo’s role in bridging the two nations. Events in conjunction with the 2003 Frozen Four are planned for both sides of the border.
The 2003 Frozen Four is expected to bring a large economic impact the to Greater Buffalo area. Organizers in Albany, N.Y. estimated the impact of the 2001 Frozen Four at more than 20 million dollars. The 2000, 2001, and 2002 Frozen Fours sold out months in advance, with a record crowd of over 19,000 expected for the 2002 championship April 4-6 at the X-Cel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. Including 2002, the Frozen Four has sold out six of the last seven years.
The ticket process will remain similar to the one first implemented for the 2002 Frozen Four in St. Paul, which rewards past ticket purchasers.
According to the NCAA, half of the tickets available to the general public for the 2003 Frozen Four will be held for previous years’ ticket purchasers. The remaining half will be available to the general public (and those previous years’ ticket purchasers that were not able to obtain tickets in the first application period) through a random selection process. There will be a limit of four tickets per household. Arena suite holders at the time of the event and Buffalo Sabres club seat season ticketholders at the time of sale, will have the opportunity to purchase a limited number of tickets to this event outside of the lottery process.
If you have purchased a ticket to the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four within the last six years (going back to the 1997 championship at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee), you will receive an application to order tickets for 2003 in late March, 2002. These applications must be returned by May 1, 2002, to be considered in the priority ticket process.
There will be a second application period between April 1 and May 1, 2002, for the general public. Starting April 1, 2002, you may obtain a ticket application at www.ncaaicehockey.com. If you are in the first application process (by virtue of being a previous Men’s Frozen Four ticket purchaser) and do not receive tickets in the first process, your application will automatically be re-entered into the second pool of random applications. However, if you receive tickets through the first application process, you are not eligible for any subsequent drawings.
The NCAA says confirmation letters will be mailed in May, 2002, and any unfilled orders will be refunded in full. Tickets will be mailed in March, 2003.
