One member of the Queen's court that greeted the Crimson sidled up to one of the varsity players and, after crowning him with the inevitable ten gallon hat, said to him in a husky voice, "You should have come yesterday, we were all sunbathing." The varsity player blushed and hustled off to find his room.
No player may date the Queen, for she is the sole property of the captain of the winning team at the Saturday night dance. However, there is a comment at the end of the instructions that each player receives on his arrival at the hotel which reads, "There is no law prohibiting you from dating any member of the Queen's court."
Colorado Springs itself does not benefit particularly from this tournament, for the town offers little that the hotel does not. A few visitors, who cannot get into the Broadmoor, usually end up in one of the town's hotels, but then again, it is hard to fill all of the Broadmoor's 450 rooms.
The "Springs," however, goes all out to support it's hockey team. Many merchants have decorated their store fronts with such signs as "Go, You Tigers" and "Beat Those Wolverines." Enthusiasm is high for CC's hockey team, chiefly because the Tigers' other sports, except for skiing and figure skating, are not particularly successful.
The Broadmoor's shops and facilities do a landslide business during the playoffs, providing one of the chief reasons that it sponsors the event. Although the members of the different teams are somewhat special guests, they are still tourists, and they eagerly attack the Broadmoor's multitude of souvenir shops. Even the hotel barber is working overtime and commented, "I never knew hockey players had so much hair."
Possibly one of the only defects the Broadmoor has to face as a resort center is its isolated locale. This year, the plane carrying the three teams was unable to land on the runway as a bad snowstorm iced the field. The Broadmoor dealt with this situation by sending a bus and two limousines up to Denver, some 75 miles away, to pick up the teams. An official of the hotel said later, "We're working on something to control this situation." Indications are that the "Springs" will build a new airport, naturally with the assistance of the Broadmoor.
The rerouting of the flight to Denver deprived tournament officials of some of their customary welcoming shenanigans. A crowd of officials, bands, and Jaycees had to trek back to the Broadmoor where the ceremonies were more restrained than usual. One of the high spots of the tournament, the "branding" of the Queen by the Jaycees, did not come off this year.
Players Luxuriate
While both the NCAA and the Broadmoor benefit from the tournament, the players are the individuals who really live the idyllic lives. They are put up in fine suites to begin with, and room service is supplied at no extra charge.
The day usually begins with a large breakfast in the dining room, followed by a dip in the specially heated pool or a trip to the skeet range. If any practices are held, they are an hour long, and all facilities such as skate sharpening, extra equipment, and the like are supplied by the management.
After lunch, there are various scenic trips prepared by the management to such places as Pike's Peak, Echo Canyon, the Royal Gorge Bridge, or the Will Rogers Memorial located halfway up Cheyenne Mountain. At night there is hockey. Over the weekend, there are numerous social functions such as teas and dances, which are all staffed by CC girls.
While all this is indeed enjoyable for the players off the ice, there is one rub to Broadmoor, or rather to Colorado Springs. The city itself is almost 7000 feet above sea level, and the oxygen content of the air is considerably lower than at sea level. This has no effect on CC teams as they are used to it, but eastern sextets have often found that they are far more tired in the third period than they had been throughout the season. This year Crimson Coach Cooney Weiland decided not to bring oxygen along on the trip as other eastern teams have done in the past.
Everyone Benefits
By virtue of the Broadmoor and the tournament, Colorado Springs has developed into the hub of NCAA hockey. Every year, various meetings of NCAA officials and of the American Hockey Coaches Association are held and new rules and regulations passed. The Broadmoor has also donated a Spencer Penrose Trophy for the "Coach of the Year." Weiland won this award in 1955 when the Crimson, headed by Bill Cleary, went to the NCAA to finish in third place.
Thus has a commercial hotel developed into the center of amateur hockey. Critics of the system may scoff at such "amateurism," but the NCAA doesn't mind, the Broadmoor gets its publicity, and a good time is had by all.