Thoughts on Showare Center?

[winterhawkssupporter]

I think Showare Center may be the best hockey experience in the Pacific Northwest, and i'm saying that as a Winterhawks fan. I had the pleasure of recently attending one of their games against the Giants. Parking was straightforward and cheap, and located close to I-5. The tickets were incredibly cheap. Spent under $25 to watch maybe the best team in the WHL. There also isn't a bad spot in the entire arena, as every seat was close to the rink. The fans were awesome, and were engaged throughout the whole entire game. It kind of puts Portland to shame with its game day experience. I love Veterans Memorial, but the prices are almost 40 dollars for the cheapest seats when factoring in fees. I also feel the crowd energy at Veterans is way lower than it was before the pandemic. I hope I can catch a game again at Showare because it was awesome.

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[kneelworm]

The only WHL games I've been to were in Portland. One of these years I'm going to take a Canada road trip and go to as many WHL games up there as I can. Probably squeeze some junior a games in there as well.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

I've been to quite a few junior games around BC/Alberta and the States... Seattle games have always been the most entertaining I agree. The crowd is always bananas and it's an unreal experience from a fans point of view.

I remember years back when Barzal was debating if he should play in the WHL or NCAA, Seattle got Barzal to come watch a playoff game and that experience sealed the deal for him to want to commit to Seattle.

 

[kneelworm]

I think Showare Center may be the best hockey experience in the Pacific Northwest, and i'm saying that as a Winterhawks fan. I had the pleasure of recently attending one of their games against the Giants. Parking was straightforward and cheap, and located close to I-5. The tickets were incredibly cheap. Spent under $25 to watch maybe the best team in the WHL. There also isn't a bad spot in the entire arena, as every seat was close to the rink. The fans were awesome, and were engaged throughout the whole entire game. It kind of puts Portland to shame with its game day experience. I love Veterans Memorial, but the prices are almost 40 dollars for the cheapest seats when factoring in fees. I also feel the crowd energy at Veterans is way lower than it was before the pandemic. I hope I can catch a game again at Showare because it was awesome.

Also thanks you inspired me to take a trip to Seattle to catch a game this season lol. I've never been! I'll try to go to one of the games vs Portland.

 

[PCSPounder]

I think Showare Center may be the best hockey experience in the Pacific Northwest, and i'm saying that as a Winterhawks fan. I had the pleasure of recently attending one of their games against the Giants. Parking was straightforward and cheap, and located close to I-5. The tickets were incredibly cheap. Spent under $25 to watch maybe the best team in the WHL. There also isn't a bad spot in the entire arena, as every seat was close to the rink. The fans were awesome, and were engaged throughout the whole entire game. It kind of puts Portland to shame with its game day experience. I love Veterans Memorial, but the prices are almost 40 dollars for the cheapest seats when factoring in fees. I also feel the crowd energy at Veterans is way lower than it was before the pandemic. I hope I can catch a game again at Showare because it was awesome.

Showare looks like a squared steelhead. Not to mention that it’s near enough to Seattle that it smells like fish.

The seating is tighter than some would hope. That does mean there’s no bad sight lines, but those are practically your only options. Plus you have to climb from floor level. Everett has better amenities, but I tend to actually favor the arena in Kennewick. No bad seat in the house, not too packed in, so no real need for other options.

 

[superdeluxe]

I do like that there is free parking. Tha helps ALOT to make it affordable for the family. Also you can eat at Kent Station before the game (Although I love the Poutine!)

 

[tank44]

Showare is pretty great. The arena is a very good minor league arena. Supposedly they learned from what Everett did well (or not well) and tried to improve up on it. Free parking in the park & ride or Kent Station shopping center is extremely helpful. kent station food options are a big plus too.

Everett's Angel of the winds arena I like better still, but maybe it seems like a bigger deal since it has a small upper deck which I like to sit in. But this arena is either street or paid parking. pre/post game options for food are much limited in the immediate vicinity which is odd due to being in a downtown area. There are a few places but there are many facades for closed restaurants/bar - they just dont stick around or aren't open late.

 

[Sweetpotato]

I'll be transparent and say the only experience I have is Rogers place in Edmonton but Peavy mart centrum arena in Red Deer was a blast. Drove the hour to go to their game against Regina and the vibe in there is great.

 

[jetsmooseice]

I'll be transparent and say the only experience I have is Rogers place in Edmonton but Peavy mart centrum arena in Red Deer was a blast. Drove the hour to go to their game against Regina and the vibe in there is great.

The fact that it was sold out for Bedard and the Pats helped. But WHL arenas lack much of a vibe when there are only 1,200 people rattling around the place.

I kind of wonder if the WHL got a little too ambitious in the 2000s when all the big new rinks went up. Now you have teams like Medicine Hat and MJ playing in massive arenas that they couldn't realistically hope to fill except in super rare instances like a major star such as Bedard coming through town. Most of the time they are playing in front of huge numbers of empty seats. Probably would have made more sense to build 2,500 seat arenas that would be mostly full instead of expensive 5,000+ seat monsters that never sell out.

 

[brentashton]

The fact that it was sold out for Bedard and the Pats helped. But WHL arenas lack much of a vibe when there are only 1,200 people rattling around the place.

I kind of wonder if the WHL got a little too ambitious in the 2000s when all the big new rinks went up. Now you have teams like Medicine Hat and MJ playing in massive arenas that they couldn't realistically hope to fill except in super rare instances like a major star such as Bedard coming through town. Most of the time they are playing in front of huge numbers of empty seats. Probably would have made more sense to build 2,500 seat arenas that would be mostly full instead of expensive 5,000+ seat monsters that never sell out.

Many of these facilities are municipally owned and are multi purpose buildings. They are built out so that they can attract the B circuit touring shows that frequent many of these medium sized locations. I think it’s prudent that they do so have done so. Building a 2500 seat hockey facility that is too small to attract other events, concerts, Scotties etc would crank me if I were a taxpayer in that locale.

 

[jetsmooseice]

Many of these facilities are municipally owned and are multi purpose buildings. They are built out so that they can attract the B circuit touring shows that frequent many of these medium sized locations. I think it’s prudent that they do so have done so. Building a 2500 seat hockey facility that is too small to attract other events, concerts, Scotties etc would crank me if I were a taxpayer in that locale.

I don't know... a place like MJ could have built their arena with like half as many seats for far less money, and still be able to host at least 95% of the events they currently do.

 

[brentashton]

I don't know... a place like MJ could have built their arena with like half as many seats for far less money, and still be able to host at least 95% of the events they currently do.

Perhaps. Moose Jaw is the one WHL location that probably I can agree with your assertion. It’s an extremely small city and proximity to Regina as an event competitor probably do conspire to make sense for it to have a smaller facility.

Only someone who is/was involved in those facilities, the initial building development and commercial forecasts, daily operations, event bookings etc., can probably answer the question with any factual certainty.

Cheers.

 

[jetsmooseice]

Perhaps. Moose Jaw is the one WHL location that probably I can agree with your assertion. It’s an extremely small city and proximity to Regina as an event competitor probably do conspire to make sense for it to have a smaller facility.

Only someone who is/was involved in those facilities, the initial building development and commercial forecasts, daily operations, event bookings etc., can probably answer the question with any factual certainty.

Cheers.

That's fair. But I think even an outsider can look at the city of Moose Jaw, look at the arena they built, and conclude that their plan was driven by more than a little aspiration.

 

[brentashton]

That's fair. But I think even an outsider can look at the city of Moose Jaw, look at the arena they built, and conclude that their plan was driven by more than a little aspiration.

I‘m not arguing that. I said I agreed with your assertion insofar as MJ is concerned.