Murder on Ice (Hockey)

Last call: Party where the pucks are

[ With Jessica Bowman ]

Published: October 10, 2007 Last Modified: October 11, 2007 at 05:09 AM

Sportswriter Jim Murray wrote, "Hockey is murder on ice." Sounds like a good time! After all, what goes together better than ice and a drink? Hold the murder.

Hockey games pack the rare combination of drinking, eating, good-looking guys, adrenaline rushes and clanging cowbells into a single venue. For Anchorage party people, that venue is Sullivan Arena. As the hockey season arrives, here are some reasons why going to a game is one of the best ways to score a great night.

Food and drink

The Alaska Aces give you the option of sitting on the wet side, which means you can drink in your seat and the bar is nearby. Also, everything is served in a plastic container and you're surrounded by concrete, so dropping your drink and making a mess isn't an issue. There's a variety of beer, wine and wine coolers (from Bud Light to Red Hook to Kenwood Yalupa) ranging from $5.75 to $6.25. There are also people who will come to your seat to sell you a beer in case you don't want to miss any action.

If there's a hockey hang-up, it's that UAA Seawolves games don't have a wet side. But there is a bar, so between periods, find an enforcer, skate through the crowd and try to finish a 24 ounce draft ($9.50) before the next period starts.

The game

Like quarters, hockey is a relatively easy game to learn and follow, even if you're having a good time and not paying too much attention. And you can keep track of the score with your fingers, since it rarely reaches double digits.

The players

Jeter, Favre, we love you. But Sergei Fedorov? No contest. Hockey players are hot, even if they're really not. They're all attitude. Their language is crude, they swagger on skates and they have -- inexplicably -- enhanced the sexiness of the mullet against all odds.

Women cheer for hockey players because they feel like they can change their rowdy ways. Guys love to have the players' backs when the other squad gets a little too rough. With all this sexual tension in the air, the opportunity for some beer-line flirting is high.

Convenience

Get the party started early and save gas money by taking free shuttles to and from the Sullivan for Aces games from the Peanut Farm (5227 Old Seward Highway, 563-3283). You'll still have to pay for a cab home if you have too much fun, but it's worth the cost to avoid the parking lot scuffle at the Sully. A great post-game party option is the Crossroads Lounge (1402 Gambell St., 229-6897), just a block and a half away from the arena.

Remember, with hockey season comes ice outside the arena too.

And if you plan to party hard, get an assist from a cab or a designated driver. Nobody likes the penalty box.

Contact nightlife columnist Jessica Bowman at adn.com/contact/jbowman or visit Play's Lush Life blog at play.adn.com/lushlife.

This story was in the paper today. Its got me wondering: The tickets I bought for the Governors Cup say the "wet" section. We (the University of Alaska Nanooks) will be playing the UAA Seawolves. According to this story the UAA Seawolves games don't have a "wet" side. I hope they make an exception for the Governors Cup!