Gila River Arena Review

[StadiumVisits]

Hey everyone...I have a passion for sports travel and visiting various stadiums and arenas around North America. They are reviewed on my website and I just got back from a trip to Arizona, having gone to a Coyotes game. It's tough to get all the nuances of an arena and an average feel for a crowd in just one visit, so I'm curious from those that are familiar with the Coyotes and Gila River Arena on what your overall thoughts are about it and the general experience. Thanks!


Gila River Arena Review

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[The Feckless Puck]

Hey everyone...I have a passion for sports travel and visiting various stadiums and arenas around North America. They are reviewed on my website and I just got back from a trip to Arizona, having gone to a Coyotes game. It's tough to get all the nuances of an arena and an average feel for a crowd in just one visit, so I'm curious from those that are familiar with the Coyotes and Gila River Arena on what your overall thoughts are about it and the general experience. Thanks!


Gila River Arena Review

Seems like a very accurate summary. I think you nailed the whole "genericness" of the experience. As a former STH of over a decade, I always hated how the arena rarely looked like the Coyotes' home in more than the most perfunctory manner. And I'm not surprised that the seats are showing wear - we haven't had an owner capable of affording maintenance for almost a decade now. It's really a shame, because the Westgate amenities and the absolute ease of getting into and out of the arena are top-notch.

 

[MIGs Dog]

The highest score was for location, 8 out of 10. You might find some around here that disagree with that assessment.

I think the outside atmosphere is very good. Visiting in January on what looks like a wet and cloudy day may not have shown well. Was there a band playing?

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Gila River Arena Review
"what exactly is that odd circle hanging down a bit from the roof that has the Coyotes logo inside what looks like a moon?"

It is indeed a *crescent* moon, C for Coyotes, and coyotes howl at the moon, right? That goes back to the peyote downtown days...

 

[Coyotes2000]

Your initial paragraph isn't accurate

 

[StadiumVisits]

I know Glendale is not a desired location for most in the area, but as far as stuff around the building, Westgate provides a great spot within walking distance. I know it's manufactured and not natural like in a downtown setting, but there's a lot of places for a visitor to eat/drink before or after a game.

Thanks for clearing up the crescent moon thing. Seeing this picture made me a remember that the moon came down when the games were at America West

 

[SniperHF]

It's also a puck if you look at it the right way. It's brilliant logo really, so of course we mostly stopped using it.

 

[RemoAZ]

You are correct about Westgate. Us west siders love it. It's a fun place to hang out on nongame nights too. I like how it's pretty easy to find parking and get in and out. That's what I dislike about the down town arenas. There's plenty of places to eat so you should never have trouble finding what you might be craving for. They took the Chilean sea bass off the menu at Kabuki though. I've been enjoying that every few trips for like a decade. First my macho nachos in the arena gone and now Kabuki drops the sea bass. Ugh!

 

[Dirty Old Man]

They took the Chilean sea bass off the menu at Kabuki though.

Was it ill-tempered?

 

[Tom Polakis]

Hey everyone...I have a passion for sports travel and visiting various stadiums and arenas around North America. They are reviewed on my website and I just got back from a trip to Arizona, having gone to a Coyotes game. It's tough to get all the nuances of an arena and an average feel for a crowd in just one visit, so I'm curious from those that are familiar with the Coyotes and Gila River Arena on what your overall thoughts are about it and the general experience. Thanks!


Gila River Arena Review

Good review, and thanks for posting it here. Pretty impressive list of buildings you've been to back on your front page.

As others mentioned, your score for location is off the mark, but otherwise the criticisms and praise are mostly valid. I've been to a couple dozen NHL arenas and MLB ballparks over the years, and have to admit that ours is the worst for home team energy. While Gila River Arena is mostly bland, the one that is the most disappointing to me is the Honda Center. There didn't seem to be anything in that building or surrounding area to set it apart.