Fish on the Ice? Yes, Fish on Ice. Hockey Games at the Ashburn Ice House have always been home to madness. There have been several instances of fish being thrown onto the ice rink during the midst of heated games, all for comedic effect. However, such shenanigans is no longer welcome at the local rink. With this upcoming winter season, the rink is enforcing some serious rules to guests and all game attendees. This comes as a shock to many high school hockey fans, as the games were renowned as some of the most hectic of all winter sports. The Ashburn Ice House has long been home to so many rowdy fans, and with these tough regulations, who knows what hockey games will look like?
The behavior of fans at hockey games has been appalling, to the point where the rink had to take action. In the past, overcrowding has been a serious problem, with fans crowding all areas around the rink. All of this promotes commotion that goes beyond the needed excitement for any sport event. Some fans have gone as far as to shout insults at goalies and players, which included jokes poking at their physical appearance and intelligence. There have also been rumors of underage drinking, which is a liability for any establishment. This is of major concern to the Ashburn Ice House especially, as it is known as a place for family-friendly fun.
Some restrictions that the rink has imposed include payment, wristbands, and maximums on the number of fans allowed to attend. With the sheer number of attendees at each game, the rink was losing out on potential profit by choosing not to have paid tickets. They have instituted limits on the number of game attendees with the hopes of controlling the commotion usually found in these games. To ensure that those at the games are paying customers, the rink will now provide wristbands for each ticket purchaser. The rink has also reiterated its ability to kick any rule breakers out of the establishment, including any people who are visibly intoxicated.
These new rules may have an impact on the numbers of fans who will be willing to put up with these restrictions. The absurdity of these games have always been a big attraction to those who come. Addy McCarthy, a regular Hockey game fan said, “No one is going to be even going to these games anymore.” Those who have not been able to witness the mayhem prior to this season are out of luck. “This sucks because I’ve always heard about how hectic hockey games are. I’m not gonna be able to experience that anymore. I get why they chose to have paid tickets, just because I know a lot of people come,” said senior Shaily Poodari.
Only time will tell about the impact of these new rules. They may be better to ensure the quality and safety of the rink, but not without the possibility of affecting student turnout at these sporting events. After all, a game without fans is like a show with non-stop ads; it’s not as good.