Arenas that could host a NHL team right now

[alko]

There are many discussions about possible expansions to new cities. One still open is here.

But lets now look only to multi-purpose arenas, that are very well suited for an NHL purposes. It doesn't matter, if they are in the city, that is big enough for an NHL. Now it comes only to Arena.

As an example: BOK Center in Tulsa.

Click to read more...

 

[Icedog2735]

Sprint Center in Kansas City

 

[Mightygoose]

Centre Videotron in Quebec City and Toyota Centre in Houston are obvious ones as is Moda Center in Portland.

 

[Tawnos]

I believe KFC Yum Center in Louisville is laid out in a way that can support hockey.

Something to keep in mind: lay out isn't everything. You also need an ice plant.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

There are many discussions about possible expansions to new cities. One still open...

...that hasn't been posted to in a year and a half...

is here.

But yes, by all means, get this out of the way, go to WorldStadiums.com or whatever to get this comprehensive list out there now, so that no one has to bring it up again for the next 5 years in which nothing but the Seattle expansion happens. In fact sticky it, so the next time someone brings it up we can refer him or her to this thread...

 

[AdmiralsFan24]

Amway Center, Orlando

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland

Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee

I believe Oklahoma City and New Orleans have arenas that could as well but I haven't actually seen them with rinks in, so I'm not sure.

 

[David Dennison]

I believe KFC Yum Center in Louisville is laid out in a way that can support hockey.

Something to keep in mind: lay out isn't everything. You also need an ice plant.

Terrible stadium name but I respect the hustle of trying to squeeze two company names in one title.

 

[Tawnos]

Terrible stadium name but I respect the hustle of trying to squeeze two company names in one title.

Oh it's definitely cringeworthy

 

[tarheelhockey]

I believe Oklahoma City and New Orleans have arenas that could as well but I haven't actually seen them with rinks in, so I'm not sure.

The arena in New Orleans has hosted ECHL hockey in the past. The NBA Hornets, who were a super classy outfit at the time, forced that team to fold by convincing the state government to make the frickin' ECHL team cover all costs of switching back and forth between hockey and basketball (bearing in mind the hockey team was there first and had a budget a tiny fraction the size of the new bully on the block). Since then, I don't think there has been any hockey at all inside the building or the city of New Orleans.

But the question is hard to answer in terms of this thread. Could the arena physically host a hockey game? Yes. Does it currently have icemaking equipment installed, and meet NHL standards in terms of ice quality, facilities for players and officials, etc? I highly doubt it but I could be wrong.

 

[tony d]

Videotron Centre in Quebec City is the top 1.

 

[The Lemonheads]

I believe KFC Yum Center in Louisville is laid out in a way that can support hockey.

Based on name alone, I don't care how it sets up. Give them some games.

 

[Lt Dan]

I still can't believe that Milwaukee doesn't have a team

 

[Bostonzamboni]

Does the Golden State Warriors' new Chase arena in San Francisco allow for hockey configuration?

And isn't Diego planning a new arena, or that's just speculation from a year or two ago?

 

[Tawnos]

The arena in New Orleans has hosted ECHL hockey in the past. The NBA Hornets, who were a super classy outfit at the time, forced that team to fold by convincing the state government to make the frickin' ECHL team cover all costs of switching back and forth between hockey and basketball (bearing in mind the hockey team was there first and had a budget a tiny fraction the size of the new bully on the block). Since then, I don't think there has been any hockey at all inside the building or the city of New Orleans.

But the question is hard to answer in terms of this thread. Could the arena physically host a hockey game? Yes. Does it currently have icemaking equipment installed, and meet NHL standards in terms of ice quality, facilities for players and officials, etc? I highly doubt it but I could be wrong.

I know I'm not telling you anything you don't know, so this is more directed towards the general conversation in the thread, but minor league games in NBA stadiums don't necessarily indicate suitability for NHL teams. It depends on how the stadium is laid out. For example, Spectrum Arena here in Charlotte can have an NHL size rink and hosted AHL hockey for a while... but the way the bowl is configured would never work for an NHL team. Same challenge as the old setup at Key Arena.

The arenas pictured in this thread have the proper layout.

 

[Lt Dan]

Does the Golden State Warriors' new Chase arena in San Francisco allow for hockey configuration?

And isn't Diego planning a new arena, or that's just speculation from a year or two ago?

Diego?

 

[Centrum Hockey]

Does the Golden State Warriors' new Chase arena in San Francisco allow for hockey configuration?

And isn't Diego planning a new arena, or that's just speculation from a year or two ago?

After the sharks rejected a move to San Francisco the chase center was made basketball specific like the Barclay center

 

[HisIceness]

The only ones I can think of that haven't been brought up yet

AT&T Center in San Antonio
Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis

Looks like neither is suitable for full-time NHL.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

ffs, people, you're making this way harder than it needs to be....the answer's in here:

List of indoor arenas in the United States - Wikipedia
List of indoor arenas in Canada - Wikipedia

pick a minimum threshhold, maybe a checkbox for whether it has ice capability, and be done with it. you're welcome.

/thread

 

[tarheelhockey]

I know I'm not telling you anything you don't know, so this is more directed towards the general conversation in the thread, but minor league games in NBA stadiums don't necessarily indicate suitability for NHL teams. It depends on how the stadium is laid out. For example, Spectrum Arena here in Charlotte can have an NHL size rink and hosted AHL hockey for a while... but the way the bowl is configured would never work for an NHL team. Same challenge as the old setup at Key Arena.

The arenas pictured in this thread have the proper layout.

Exactly, and likewise there are other aspects of an NHL rink which are regulated by the league. Just having ice is not enough... there are specific standards of ice quality which have to be sustained. That means humidity control and some other aspects that may not be present in a minor league arena. The pressboxes and other media zones have to meet certain capacities, the building has to have adequate dressing rooms and hockey-specific work areas, and from a financial standpoint there have to be enough revenue-drivers to make the building viable for an NHL franchise. A completely modern building with no luxury suites would get rejected.

So there are actually two questions built into this topic:
1) Can the building host an NHL game, at all? Meaning the NHL could put an exhibition game there if they were willing to put up with certain shortcomings.
2) Is it viable to be a home venue for an NHL season? Meaning it meets all the NHL standards and is a viable option for a team looking to relocate.

 

[tarheelhockey]

ffs, people, you're making this way harder than it needs to be....the answer's in here:

List of indoor arenas in the United States - Wikipedia
List of indoor arenas in Canada - Wikipedia

pick a minimum threshhold, maybe a checkbox for whether it has ice capability, and be done with it. you're welcome.

/thread

No, it actually isn't that simple. See the post above.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

No, it actually isn't that simple. See the post above.

Yeah, but you know this group. It's not really about what arenas are suitable. It's a way to keep alive relo/expansion discussion even though there is a slim chance of anything besides seattle happening in the foreseeable future.

That's why I'm saying - start with those 2 lists, pare it down, establish your criteria, determine which meet it, be done with it.

But that's not what's gonna happen, is it? It will become "Why should this one be included, not that one...but that market's not big enough...oh yes it is" bla bla bla ad nauseam.

 

[GuelphStormer]

So there are actually two questions built into this topic:
1) Can the building host an NHL game, at all? Meaning the NHL could put an exhibition game there if they were willing to put up with certain shortcomings.
2) Is it viable to be a home venue for an NHL season? Meaning it meets all the NHL standards and is a viable option for a team looking to relocate.

what are those now? is it documented in the expansion bid process? i sense many older venues in the league now might not meet current new standards - which suggest the league might be willing to camp out temporarily in an older, satisfactory venue when a new one gets built. so we could even further divide the arenas into great and good-enough-for-now.

can i also ask? is building an arena specific to NBA preference (and excluding hockey) that much better for that NBA experience than building a flexible arena? or is the advantage just in costs savings, not needing ice equipment? i guess i just figured that folks would always just build the venue that gave it greatest flexibility.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Does the Golden State Warriors' new Chase arena in San Francisco allow for hockey configuration?

And isn't Diego planning a new arena, or that's just speculation from a year or two ago?

Would be Barclays esque.

 

[KevFu]

I believe Oklahoma City and New Orleans have arenas that could as well but I haven't actually seen them with rinks in, so I'm not sure.

The first time I was at NO arena, I said "Why are there boards?" However, they did a mini-renovation in 2014, and I believe they decided it was a basketball arena now, and would require a retrofit to put hockey back in the building. Not that it matters because very few people in NOLA actually like hockey. I don't like broad generalizations like that, but having lived there for four years, when you saw someone in NHL gear you chatted with them and exchanged nods.

The only ones I can think of that haven't been brought up yet
AT&T Center in San Antonio
Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis

Looks like neither is suitable for full-time NHL.

Would be Barclays esque.

Yeah, huge difference between NHL ready and the Barclay's / San Antonio / etc situation where a rink COULD be crammed in there.

Also, you could basically list every other AHL arena, too. So I'd wager we'd want to add some kind of minimum size of 15,000 or so.

 

[Lame Lambert]

Not Barclays Center