Anaheim Gets 1999 Hockey Finals

The Anaheim Arena has been awarded the 1999 NCAA Division I hockey finals, said Dennis Bickmeier, Orange County Sports Assn. director of marketing and publicity.

It will be the first time the hockey championship is held west of Colorado, pending where the 1998 site is awarded. The official host school will be Alaska Anchorage, the nearest Division I hockey program on the Pacific Coast.

“The idea of UAA hosting a championship in Southern California might seem somewhat unusual, but it has some exciting possibilities,” Alaska Anchorage Athletic Director Tim Dillon said in a release. “College hockey needs to expand its base of fans. With the three NHL teams in the state, California is a natural place to begin.”

A seven-member committee made the presentation to NCAA at a meeting in Hilton Head, S.C., in June. The group comprised members of the OCSA, Los Angeles Sports Council, Southern California Sports Council and Alaska Anchorage.

“The Southern California Sports Council is made up of a lot attorneys, and many of them played college hockey,” Bickmeier said. “They are avid fans and are looking to help the NCAA expand hockey on the West Coast. We all joined forces.”

Bickmeier said Disney officials helped with the presentation. Disney owns the Mighty Ducks, which begin play in the NHL this fall.

“They helped put together the package and supplied some of the gifts that were taken back there,” Bickmeier said.

While local support has varied with the venue, the tournament is known for drawing large groups of fans from certain schools, particularly perennial powers such as Boston University, Harvard, Maine, Michigan State and Wisconsin.