Best Arena Atmosphere in KHL

[hansomreiste]

Sorry if there is already a thread for this, or if it's against the rules, but I thought something like that could be worth speaking of. Objectively, which team(s) would you rate as the best in KHL when it comes to fan support? I realized that I enjoy Ak Bars games more than any other - well, it might be because they were the FIRST ice hockey team I ever watched as a child but anyways, their arena is great and the fans always look very energetic and interested in team. It feels like "home" for anyone watching it, except away team players. What other arenas are worth looking for?

Actually, I am planning some kind of "KHL tour" for myself in next season. If you did something like that, I would be very glad to hear about your experiences, as well.

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[loppa*]

Yugra, of course. You should go there.

 

[hansomreiste]

Yugra, of course. You should go there.

If pillow and blanket comes with the ticket, I will consider this.

 

[loppa*]

If pillow and blanket comes with the ticket, I will consider this.

It's an excellent choice. If you do indeed decide to go there I just might provide you with that pillow and blanket.

I'd also suggest Vladivostok. You'll have a blast, a fun time, at both of these two places.

 

[Go Donbass]

In an attempt to actually answer your question, I won't say it's the best atmosphere, but Novosobirsk is always a great place to watch a game. So far this year, every game has felt and sounded like a game 7. Place is loud, and everytime Sibir score the fans explode. Amazing atmosphere

 

[Acallabeth]

Avangard fans used to be notorious for their passion and loudness.

 

[ViD]

SKA ainec

 

[Finnpin]

^^ too much fake noise.

My votes: Sibir and Slovan

 

[alko]

Slovan Bratislava.

If they play good hockey and are in winning modus. Then it is great. I can say, maybe the best crowd in KHL.
If thea are loosing...

 

[hansomreiste]

Slovan Bratislava.

If they play good hockey and are in winning modus. Then it is great. I can say, maybe the best crowd in KHL.
If thea are loosing...

That's really fantastic! Some people don't like noisy fans in hockey, actually I remember someone said this yesterday right in this KHL forum; but personally, I think European hockey is much more better with noisy fans in contrast to American, where people watch the game as if they were looking at a boring movie. This video made me feel like I am watching a basketball derby in Greece or Turkey, exactly the thing I am looking for.

 

[SoundAndFury]

My votes: Sibir and Slovan

Same here.

 

[DenisB8]

Slovan games have an amazing atmosphere!

 

[RicEsteban85]

It`s Omsk and Sibir for me

 

[penepi]

Medveščak

 

[Go Donbass]

That's really fantastic! Some people don't like noisy fans in hockey, actually I remember someone said this yesterday right in this KHL forum; but personally, I think European hockey is much more better with noisy fans in contrast to American, where people watch the game as if they were looking at a boring movie. This video made me feel like I am watching a basketball derby in Greece or Turkey, exactly the thing I am looking for.

Agree wholeheartedly. Canadian sports fans are the worst. Mostly because tickets are so expensive and purchased by large corporations and used as giveaways to customers. So there's very few real fans in the rink, and the people that are there feel that all they are allowed to do is sit politely and cheer only when something good happens. Most Canadian arena's have the atmosphere of a library. I'll take the European football type atmosphere of most if not all KHL arenas anyday.

 

[hansomreiste]

Agree wholeheartedly. Canadian sports fans are the worst. Mostly because tickets are so expensive and purchased by large corporations and used as giveaways to customers. So there's very few real fans in the rink, and the people that are there feel that all they are allowed to do is sit politely and cheer only when something good happens. Most Canadian arena's have the atmosphere of a library. I'll take the European football type atmosphere of most if not all KHL arenas anyday.

That's also another thing I can't understand. Comparing NHL to KHL in finances makes no sense but still the gap is really huge for ticket and merchandise prices. Today, I bought a game on KHL video for less than a dollar and I can watch like 5 or 6 games of my favorite team at arena for like 10 dollars (provided that I am in Russia, of course) - just as a student who earns less than %90 of not only his country but also world. Sure, NHL is big and they pay/earn tons of money but still, what good is it for me when I can't attend or watch a single game without paying huge sums?

 

[Go Donbass]

That's also another thing I can't understand. Comparing NHL to KHL in finances makes no sense but still the gap is really huge for ticket and merchandise prices. Today, I bought a game on KHL video for less than a dollar and I can watch like 5 or 6 games of my favorite team at arena for like 10 dollars (provided that I am in Russia, of course) - just as a student who earns less than %90 of not only his country but also world. Sure, NHL is big and they pay/earn tons of money but still, what good is it for me when I can't attend or watch a single game without paying huge sums?

I live in Canada and earn a Canadian wage, and I can't afford to go to a game. Not that I would since I can't stand the NHL. But the cheapest ticket to a Canucks game is over $150. That's just to get in the arena, never mind anything else you might want to do. No the NHL is way overpriced for the product they are selling. KHL is a far superior league in terms of entertainment in my mind. Of course any Euro hockey is, but that's just my opinion

 

[hansomreiste]

I live in Canada and earn a Canadian wage, and I can't afford to go to a game. Not that I would since I can't stand the NHL. But the cheapest ticket to a Canucks game is over $150. That's just to get in the arena, never mind anything else you might want to do. No the NHL is way overpriced for the product they are selling. KHL is a far superior league in terms of entertainment in my mind. Of course any Euro hockey is, but that's just my opinion

I am very happy to hear that from a Canadian when most of Europeans keep bashing their own leagues and treat NHL as dreamland. For players, it may be, but it's definitely not appealing for me as a fan. It's so much commercialized that I wanna puke while watching a game. Hope the teams in KHL won't follow NHL in terms of, for example, rink size... Noisy fans and big rinks are what makes Eurohockey what it is, imo. NHL feels like watching bumper cars. I am wondering if Americans say "I love you" as they do in game. Like, instead of "I love you Martha." maybe they say "Go Martha go!". That's how passionate (!) they are.

 

[Go Donbass]

I am very happy to hear that from a Canadian when most of Europeans keep bashing their own leagues and treat NHL as dreamland. For players, it may be, but it's definitely not appealing for me as a fan. It's so much commercialized that I wanna puke while watching a game. Hope the teams in KHL won't follow NHL in terms of, for example, rink size... Noisy fans and big rinks are what makes Eurohockey what it is, imo. NHL feels like watching bumper cars. I am wondering if Americans say "I love you" as they do in game. Like, instead of "I love you Martha." maybe they say "Go Martha go!". That's how passionate (!) they are.

North American sports are pretty much unwatchable now, because you spend more time watching commercials than game. I love the Euro model of putting advertising everywhere, and then being pretty much commercial free during the game. Have all the commercials you want during intermission, I don't care, but when the game is on, just play. The games in Europe take about 2.5 hours to play, whereas no sport in North America takes less than 3 hours, and the average NFL game is taking around 4 hours to play now.

 

[geri]

i also would say slovan is the best. as a seasonticketholder i experienced this many times.
funny only that fans are getting inpatient quickly, but if slovan scores goal then all is best ;-)
and of course the arena is perfect, round & steep with 10,000 capacity..

 

[Peter25]

So has Riga fallen off to radar?

 

[SoundAndFury]

So has Riga fallen off to radar?

Pretty much. Attendance dropped, Slovan got into the league, Riga just got nothing on those guys. Riga is much like Omsk, on a good day it's really good but most of the time it's meh nowadays.

 

[Jussi]

Pretty much. Attendance dropped, Slovan got into the league, Riga just got nothing on those guys. Riga is much like Omsk, on a good day it's really good but most of the time it's meh nowadays.

Just look at the apathy of the Latvian posters in this section. They don't seem to care about the KHL anymore.

 

[geoo9]

Pretty much. Attendance dropped, Slovan got into the league, Riga just got nothing on those guys. Riga is much like Omsk, on a good day it's really good but most of the time it's meh nowadays.

I Like Riga)) especially their sound editor

 

[bishonen91]

Medvescak. There is enough space, you can always get tickets, no one sits around you and 10 people sing all the game and wave flags.

Very nice and friendly