Freeze-Out Attempts to Thaw Climate : College hockey: Forum tournament showcases top teams in hope of nurturing Division I programs in Southland.

Until recently, many Southland residents thought icing went on top of a cake, and Zamboni was probably a magician.

But all this has changed since Wayne Gretzky joined the Kings in August of 1988. Los Angeles has become a hockey town. Amateur leagues have doubled and tripled in size.

And that is why the Forum is playing host to the Great Western Freeze-Out, a college hockey tournament matching some of the best college hockey teams from Canada and the United States.

Jeannie Buss, the Forum’s special events director, is hoping that the tournament will help intercollegiate hockey gain more recognition in the city.

“I’d like to see (NCAA) Division I hockey here,” Buss said. “I think that it’s important to have hockey here at that level. Since Wayne arrived, the Kings have generated so much interest, I can’t imagine it not growing.”

But better facilities are needed. It is so difficult to reserve ice time that some local college teams must practice at midnight.

Fortunately for the University of Alberta, Denver University, the University of British Columbia and Michigan State, the Forum was able to arrange practice sessions at either Culver City Ice Arena or the Olympic Ice Arena--the latter called “a converted barn” by one UBC player.

“It was pretty brutal,” UBC forward Kalle Furer said. “It was all hacked up, and the boards only came up to my hip. I wouldn’t want to play a game in there.”

Players who skated at the Culver City Ice Arena said it was adequate. They were not surprised by the popularity of local college hockey.

“Just because the climate is warm doesn’t mean that you can’t have hockey teams,” UBC left wing Dan Baker said.

“It’s not that hard to make good ice. It’s just a matter of keeping it at the proper temperature.”

About 8,000 tickets have been sold for tonight’s 7:30 championship match between top-ranked Michigan State and the University of Alberta. On Monday night, the Spartans (17-3-1) defeated Denver, 2-1, and the Golden Bears (18-7-2) beat British Columbia, 5-4, in triple overtime.

“We’re very excited about having been given the opportunity to prove ourselves against Michigan State,” Baker said. “‘People really think that the American universities are superior, but the Canadian schools are good, too. We just don’t get a chance to play against them during the regular season.”

Luring the teams to Los Angeles, away from sub-zero temperatures, was easy.

“It’s just like you see in the movies and television,” Michigan State forward Leif Gustafson said. “I’m happy to be playing here.”

A television contract for the tournament fell through. “We just want to make this tournament first-rate this year so that the television people will pick it up next year,” Buss said.

Buss hopes the tournament will become as popular as those played in Canada and the East.

Jeffrey Martinson, a hockey fan from Van Nuys, praised the tournament, saying: “I started coming to the (Kings’) games last year, and now I have season tickets. I’ll see any hockey game played in L.A. I’d like to see UCLA and USC play at the same level that these kids do. This is really great.”

Eric Simpson of Beverly Hills said: “The people who know hockey out here were never really involved because it was never taken seriously. Even the NHL players used to think that they were coming here for an easy two points and a day at the beach, but not anymore.”