The University of Connecticut and Hockey East are in serious talks that could lead to an invitation next month
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"Our attention is pretty focused on the University of Connecticut," [Hockey East commissioner Joe] Bertagna said. "There are other institutions that have had casual conversations. But I think it would be disingenuous to suggest that there is someone else, that our conversations are this far along."
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy confirmed in March that he has been involved in the meetings with the conference along with officials from the XL Center, a likely venue for the games. UConn Athletic Director Warde Manuel said the two sides met again last week.
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"The window is small," Manuel said. "It is a great opportunity should it be offered to us to move into the strongest hockey league in the country."
Manuel said the school would have to initially move games from the on-campus Freitas Ice Forum to the XL Center in Hartford, where UConn plays many of its home basketball games.
"It would be starting off playing Hockey East games in XL and then looking down in the future at what we would be able to do for a campus facility as well," Manuel said. "Whether it would be new or renovated, it would be where the hockey rink is currently in that Freitas footprint."
Chuck Steedman, the XL Center's general manager, said the arena would have very little trouble accommodating UConn hockey as an anchor tenant alongside The AHL's Connecticut Whale and UConn basketball.
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A study commissioned by the school and released last month put the cost of upgrading the program at about $1.3 million just in scholarships, and almost $11 million to renovate the on-campus rink. It would also cost the program about $20,000 a game to play at the XL Center
UConn would need to add 18 scholarships for the hockey team and spokesman Mike Enright said the school also would add scholarships to existing women's programs, likely rowing and tennis, to meet federal gender equity requirements. The UConn women's hockey program already plays in Hockey East.