Bell Centre and the ACC

[Riggins]

Courtesy of Bob McKenzie:

http://tsn.ca/columnists/bob_mckenzie.asp

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There was a huge difference in the Toronto crowd compared to Montreal. I say this as a hockey fan born and raised in Toronto - there was no comparison in the atmosphere. Montreal was much more raucous. It was not even close in Toronto.

The players noticed it, too. Everybody noticed it.

I was surprised the difference was so great. Now, there is no question that fans at the Air Canada Centre love their Maple Leafs, but Toronto has not been home to much international hockey in the past, so maybe they just had trouble cheering for the red Maple Leaf instead of the blue one. It's really unfortunate, because Canada will play the balance of its schedule in Toronto, and they seem to get a better reception in Montreal.

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Come on TO, get your act together!

Click to read more...

 

[Rscorpio]

lol no surprise MONTREAL= Hockey

 

[Habfansincebirth]

I noticed that too. I was at the Slovakia game on Wednesday and the atmosphere was great. It looked and sounded pretty tame at the ACC last night. Perhaps it is because there are more tickets available to regular fans at the bell centre due to it's huge capacity of 21,273 compared with the 19,000 in Toronto, where a larger percentage of the crowd is corporate.

 

[Mr. Penguin]

I was disappointed too. I know that Toronto is "the capital of hockey" and a hockey crazy city, but the crowd at the Russia game was really quiet and tame. I wonder why the rest of the games will be played in ACC since Bell centre's capacity is bigger and the atmosphere is obviously better. And I wonder why none of the Canada's games were played in Vancouver.

Anyways, come on Toronto, it's time to get loud and raucous!

 

[Jace]

I guess if Toronto isn't good enough to host World Cup hockey, I know that there are 3 arenas out West that would love to host some WC action...

 

[guinness]

Which arena has more corporate seats?

 

[TML]

Which arena has more corporate seats?

ACC.

 

[H/H]

Montreal lose because they're french.

 

[Crusher20]

ACC.

all right then.. its all corporate.. and of course in 72 and other great competition the corporate didnt give sh..t as well i guess.. it no excuses.. tickets are expensive in montreal too. anyway... montreal is the real hockey town in popularity and history.

 

[ehc73]

I guess if Toronto isn't good enough to host World Cup hockey, I know that there are 3 arenas out West that would love to host some WC action...

Problem is the time difference. People in the east would complain that the games start too late (as evidenced by many playoff games that Detroit plays because it's in an eastern time zone but playing in a western time zone conference).
Unless the games started at 4 pm, which would suck for attendance over here because a good majority of the people that would attend are still working, the eastern folk would have to stay up past midnight to watch the games.

 

[Johnny]

all right then.. its all corporate.. and of course in 72 and other great competition the corporate didnt give sh..t as well i guess.. it no excuses.. tickets are expensive in montreal too. anyway... montreal is the real hockey town in popularity and history.

Montreal is no more of a "real" hockey town then any other city in the country... The fans in Montreal were no more passionate then the fans in Halifax for the WJC... get over yourself.

 

[Habsaku]

Montreal is no more of a hockey town then any other city in the country... The fans in Montreal were no more passionate then the fans in Halifax for the WJC... get over yourself.

yup, they were.

 

[Johnny]

yup, they were.

No they weren't, and not only were they not more passionate then the fans in Halifax, they were also not more passionate then the fans in Winnipeg who hosted the WJC prior to it being in Halifax...

and while I'm at it, Hab fans in the playoffs were not more loud and crazy then the fans in Calgary, Edmonton (when they were there) Vancouver.

 

[guinness]

Montreal is no more of a hockey town then any other city in the country... The fans in Montreal were no more passionate then the fans in Halifax for the WJC... get over yourself.

I'm sorry, but most of the people that use corporate seats have the enthusiasm of a wet noodle. Usually there because it's a free ticket and to treat other associates.

There's a fine line catering to the fans and corporate dollars, unfortunately with the market is, the corporations pony up more.

 

[Johnny]

I'm sorry, but most of the people that use corporate seats have the enthusiasm of a wet noodle. Usually there because it's a free ticket and to treat other associates.

There's a fine line catering to the fans and corporate dollars, unfortunately with the market is, the corporations pony up more.

Yeah, no kidding, what does this have to do with what I said.

 

[guinness]

Yeah, no kidding, what does this have to do with what I said.

That's why I asked which arena had more corporate seats, generally the more genuine fans that are in attendance, the louder the building will be.

 

[Habsaku]

No they weren't, and not only were they not more passionate then the fans in Halifax, they were also not more passionate then the fans in Winnipeg who hosted the WJC prior to it being in Halifax...

and while I'm at it, Hab fans in the playoffs were not more loud and crazy then the fans in Calgary, Edmonton (when they were there) Vancouver.

Funny you say that, cause a lot of lightning players were saying the montrealseries was much louder then the Calgary series, but hey, what do they know right?

Halifax .

 

[Johnny]

That's why I asked which arena had more corporate seats, generally the more genuine fans that are in attendance, the louder the building will be.

uh huh, I'm still failing to see what that has to do with what I said.

 

[Johnny]

Funny you say that, cause a lot of lightning players were saying the montrealseries was much louder then the Calgary series, but hey, what do they know right?

Halifax .

Well, sure didn't reflect that on TV..

But you go ahead thinking Montreal is the real hockey town as if you have the basis to measure the passion from city to city, or from idividulal to individual, in this country. Yes, Montrealers are the be all and end all whom know how to embrace the game properly, something the rest of the country in a country where hockey is king just cant measure up to the great Montreal

 

[rulin]

It's Canada - all cities have their hockey pride. The reason for ACC's crappy atmosphere has to do with all the suits. Let's not get into the 'whose fans are better' and 'which is the hockey best city' arguments.

And there's no need to diss Halifax. We kick ass. Especially when it comes to hockey.

 

[Anksun]

Well, sure didn't reflect that on TV..

But you go ahead thinking Montreal is the real hockey town as if you have the basis to measure the passion from city to city, or from idividulal to individual, in this country. Yes, Montrealers are the be all and end all whom know how to embrace the game properly, something the rest of the country in a country where hockey is king just cant measure up to the great Montreal

I dont think any city in Canada is more of a hockey town then another since about a vast majority of Canadians all around the country loves the game...

But the guy did said Montreal arena was louder than Calgary in the last playoffs. This is actually a fact, 4-5 players from Tampa Bay have been quote in the last months where they said Mtl was louder. So what? It doesnt mean Calgary is less pasionnate about hockey, it simply mean the smaller arena does worth few more thousands people when it's time to make some noise...

 

[Habsaku]

Well, sure didn't reflect that on TV..

But you go ahead thinking Montreal is the real hockey town as if you have the basis to measure the passion from city to city, or from idividulal to individual, in this country. Yes, Montrealers are the be all and end all whom know how to embrace the game properly, something the rest of the country in a country where hockey is king just cant measure up to the great Montreal

Im glad you finally understand.

 

[BlackArcher101]

This is actually a fact, 4-5 players from Tampa Bay have been quote in the last months where they said Mtl was louder.

Got a link to these "facts"?

 

[MontrealSF]

Got a link to these "facts"?

http://www.rds.ca/chroniqueurs/expert_andrroy.html

Liste des chroniques:

L'AMH est une possibilité (AHM is a posibility)
Quel feeling incroyable! (What a feeling!)
Je ne comprends pas ses décisions (I don't understand his decisions)
Il y aura un septième match (There will be a seventh game)
Un lecteur assidu chez les Flames (A passionnate reader with the Flames)
C'est plus bruyant au Centre Bell qu'au Saddledome (It's louder in the Bell Centre from the Saddledome)
Nous sommes encore loin des Olé Olé Olé (We're still far away from the Olé Olé Olé)
Je flotte sur un nuage (I still can't believe it)
La foule du Centre Bell est la plus bruyante (The Bell Centre attendance is the loudest)
Tous les moyens sont bons pour détendre l'atmosphère (Every trick is good to keep the atmosphere calm)

 

[Habfansincebirth]

I don't think it has anything to do with who likes hockey more. There are a number of reasons why Montreal has louder crowds.

1) Seating capacity. At 21,273, the Bell Centre is one of the largest arenas in the world.

2) Percentage of non corporate seating. There are more regular fans at the Bell Centre than ACC games.

3) Montreal Culture. Montrealers love to party and sporting events are no different. The Als get the same kind of boisterous singing dancing crowd at Molson Stadium. This party culture is contagious to all fans who visit Montreal as well.

All Canadian cities are good hockey towns with great passionate fans. Montreal is just the quintessential hockey experience. Sort of like a baseball game at Fenway. I'm just glad that the Bell Centre has finaly developed some of the atmosphere that the forum had.