JMSIA or The Mac | |
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| Former names | Student Ice Arena |
|---|---|
| Location | Michigan Tech Univ. Houghton, MI 49931 |
| Coordinates | 47°06′45″N88°32′45″W / 47.1125°N 88.5458°W /47.1125; -88.5458 |
| Owner | Michigan Technological University |
| Operator | Michigan Technological University |
| Capacity | 4,466[1] |
| Surface | 200' x 85' (hockey) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | January 14, 1972 |
| Construction cost | $2.6 million |
| Tenants | |
| Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey (1972-present) | |
John J. MacInnes Student Ice Arena is a 4,200-capacity hockey arena inHoughton, Michigan. It is home to theMichigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey team. It is named forJohn J. MacInnes, head coach of the Huskies from 1956 to 1983, who was one of the most successful coaches in the history of college hockey with a record of 555-295-39.
In addition to hockey, the arena is used for Spring Commencement ceremonies. The arena's originalWurlitzer organ was used during the Commencement ceremonies, until it was removed during the 2009 renovations.
In 2008, the original wooden seats were replaced with plastic seats.[2] Renovations continued in 2009 with the addition of 12 private suites at the west end of the arena.[3] An office renovated in 2010 became the 13th suite. The design for the renovations were completed by the renowned architecture firmRossetti Architects, a Michigan-based company. The 10 smaller center suites are leased by the season, and the larger three corner suites are game-by-game rentals.
In 2013, the center-hung fixed digit scoreboard was replaced with a newMitsubishi Electric video scoreboard featuring four 14-by-8-foot (4.3 by 2.4 m)LED video screens.[4]
The John MacInnes Student Ice Arena is home to many traditions. The oldest and by far the most well known is the Copper Country Anthem. The tradition was started as an insult to Polka music that was popular at the time. The songBlue Skirt Waltz was taken and slowed down as a bastardization of the song, people rose from their seats and began to sway. From then on, the Copper Country Anthem was played and people continue to stand and sway during the second intermission. Also theHuskies Pep Band plays "In Heaven There Is No Beer" in which many extra verses have been added over the years, including references to snow, referees, sex, and marijuana. Thestudent section, Mitch's Misfits, known to be fans of college hockey, stand throughout the game in support of the team.
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