Michigan State Likely to Renovate Munn Ice Arena

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

There was a rumor that there was an internal deadline within the Michigan State athletic department to make a decision about the future of Munn Ice Arena; renovate or build new. It appears that Athletic Director Mark Hollis has made his decision - to renovate.

In an interview with the Lansing State Journal's Joe Rexrode, Hollis said that barring any unforeseen infusion of donor money, the school would move forward with a renovation project instead of seeking to build a new stadium.

Hollis puts the price tag on a renovation at around $20 million which is far more palatable than the $70 million that he believes it would cost to build a new stadium on campus for the hockey program. Renovation could be the better choice for the Spartans, Munn has the bones to regain its luster, it just requires some effort.

Head Coach Tom Anastos said that he is happy with either direction the university chooses to go in, in talking with Rexrode he said that he has seen conceptual sketches of both options and it's a win-win. Although Anastos feels that a new stadium could be constructed for $40-$50 million, he acknowledges that MSU will have their work cut out to raise the $20 million for the renovation.

Of immediate concern for Hollis is to replace the refrigeration unit for the arena, which would allow for more consistent ice conditions in the stadium. The current cooling unit is old and in desperate need of replacement, the $3 million tag for that will be footed by the department operational funds this offseason.

Suggestions on the renovation has said that the new Munn should remove the bench seating and install chairback seating throughout. In addition, expansions to the bathrooms and scouting areas could help move Munn back to being one of the better facilities in college hockey.

Improvements to the locker rooms and academic areas were highlighted by Hollis as being areas where upgrades need to take place, he also said that minor changes like adding air conditioning to the offices could happen during the renovation.

"I want to create space for NHL scouts to have a comfortable location. Recruiting-wise, you want to have a room that can be used to entertain recruits. I want to develop the changing rooms, locker rooms, academic areas.," Hollis told Rexrode. "We’ll have an entrance plaza and we’ll have our great history on display. We just want to kind of change everything to the positive for the fans and the kids.”


   

The Future of Munn Ice Arena To Be Decided Soon

By Sean Gagnier
@SeanGagnier 

An update on this story is available here. 

The future of Michigan State's Munn Ice Arena could be in the hands of the Board of Directors and the Athletic Department right now. Rumors had it that there was to be an internal deadline of May 1st, to decide what to do with the stadium in the near future.

Athletic Director Mark Hollis has previously said that he would look into the future of Munn Ice Arena and could go as far as to build a new stadium on campus for the hockey program.

Head Coach Tom Anastos has said that he would love to have a new stadium, but didn't rule out an overhaul and update to the existing stadium. Anastos has said that this future of the 40-year-old stadium would be heavily dependent on the funding they receive.

If the school chooses to build a new stadium there are options in place that could transform Munn into a stadium for wrestling and gymnastics, allowing indoor track to move into Jenison Field House on campus.

Michigan State will have to weigh their options in the near future and decide what they want to do with Munn; overhaul and upgrade or build a new stadium.

"Our university realizes that we're in a 40-year-old building. It's time for an upgrade," said Coach Anastos in an interview with The State News' Dillon Davis.

Spartans look to down Wolverines at Yost

By Sean Gagnier
 
After stumbling out of the gates this season the Spartans have caught their stride and haven't looked back, they have soared to No. 14 in the nation after going 8-1-1 over the past 10 games.

With the new regime of Tom Anastos in place Michigan State has adopted the montra, "100 percent, 100 percent of the time" and it has worked. After losing to Lake Superior State University earlier in the season, the Spartans have steadily climbed in the rankings and boast a 10-5-1 (6-4) record.

Although the Spartans sit in sixth place in the conference, they still have 18 conference games left to play and the upcoming home-and-home series with Michigan looms large.

The Wolverines have not maintained their power from last year, after winning the CCHA they currently sit in eighth place with a 8-8-2 (4-6) record, but any game between these two rivals tends to come down to the last period and tends to remain close.

Coach Anastos has preached that this game is more than just another on the schedule, saying there's something more to it than that.

"They say all games count the same," Anastos said. "True, but some games mean a little more."

The rivalry is strong with many of the players on the Spartans team, with captain Torey Krug saying that he lives for games like these against Michigan.

"You go to Michigan State to beat teams like Michigan,” Krug said. “You know, if you don’t have that hatred for Michigan, then I don’t think you’re a true Spartan. It’s just that confidence thing."

Over the past 11 years the two teams have played to an even 21-21-10 series record, while each game tends to be a tight battle. The two met in The Big Chill at the Big House and the Wolverines soundly beat the Spartans 5-0, but both teams broke even on the season with a 2-2 record.

The two teams are heading in different directions of late, with the Spartans having ripped off eight wins in their last ten games and the Wolverines having just one win since Nov. 5. Despite their trends, the two teams are close in their goals per game with Michigan State averaging 3.2 to Michigan's three.

Michigan State will head to Yost Ice Arena on Friday and hopes to continue their streak of late, the game will be televised on Fox Sports Detroit and Saturday's game between the two at Munn Ice Arena will be covered on Big Ten Network.