Springfield, Massachusetts was the site of the 2024 NCAA men’s ice hockey tournament on Thursday. The influx of visitors from all over has been a great boon for local businesses in the area. Bars, restaurants and shops have seen an increase in customers as fans make their way to the arena for games.
In the opening games, UMass Minutemen faced off against the University of Denver Pioneers while Cornell Big Red took on the University of Maine Black Bears at MassMutual Center. Before the games began, fans were unique in their need for food. UMass fan Michael Sacenti mentioned that he enjoyed meeting up with his fellow UMass fans at MGM, noting the camaraderie among them.
Local businesses are enjoying the business brought in by the NCAA hockey tournament. Signs in their windows beckon hockey fans to come inside and establishments like Theodore’s Blues, Booze and Barbecue see fans from all four hockey programs dining there. Co-owner Keith Makarovski expressed his excitement for the upcoming games and said that local businesses were thrilled to see community coming together for NCAA hockey. He noted that they looked forward to continuing to welcome visitors as more games were scheduled for Saturday night at MassMutual.