What is the best NHL arena?

[Benighted]

Just need to correct this. The oilers logo is not shown across the seats. You are likely thinking of this image:

That is just towels that were put on every seat for the home opener. I agree that it looks amazing, and believe 100% that it should have been the seat colors, but unfortunately Rogers Place uses black seating all around.

My guess is that while it would look amazing when fresh/new, as time goes on, the wear and tear would make it look hideous and stand out. Especially on the white seats. They would have to replace seats too regularly.

 

[High five Tom]

I have one rule......Newer is always better!

 

[Diamondillium]

My guess is that while it would look amazing when fresh/new, as time goes on, the wear and tear would make it look hideous and stand out. Especially on the white seats. They would have to replace seats too regularly.

I wouldn't necessarily agree on that. Other arenas in the league manage to have bright colored seats and get by just fine. The main issue, from what I heard, is that they wanted it to look decent for non-Oiler events and whatnot. I understand the logic behind that, but I still think it would have been preferable to black seating, at least in my opinion.

 

[The Lewler]

I'll rank the ones I've been to:

1. Amelie Arena (Tampa)
2. BB&T Arena (Florida)
3. MSG
4. Air Canada Centre
5. Canadian Tire Centre
6. Bell Centre

I feel like my picks are heavily influenced by the weather when I was there.

 

[Patrik Barkov]

My guess is that while it would look amazing when fresh/new, as time goes on, the wear and tear would make it look hideous and stand out. Especially on the white seats. They would have to replace seats too regularly.

Also it makes empty seats stand out. Don't know if that's a problem in Edmonton but still.

 

[EpicDing]

As a Rangers fan, Prudential Cener is really nice, but you can't beat MSG for me. Nassau Coliaeum was a dump.

 

[YEM]

I have one rule......Newer is always better!

I'm kinda the opposite, the new(er) arenas seem all the same, generic cookie-cutter hulking shells with no charm or character
MSG for me [as a Flyers fan] & I loved Nassau as well, warts and all.

 

[Rich Nixon]

It's hard to rank. PPG Paints had beautiful concourses but the seating is almost too spread out, it seems to dull the crowd sound. Bridgestone and Wells Fargo have utterly unremarkable interiors but great atmospheres. Bell Centre kind of as well, but I have onlybeen there in Club level (and that's the only Club level I've been in). United Center is cramped and old in the concourses buta huge and loud crowd (and a very steep seating spread).

The Spectrum and the Igloo were cramped and electric. Continental Airlines Arena was the worst building ever, of any purpose.

 

[edog37]

This is very subjective. Not sure how to answer. Some will like the newer arenas for the goodies, some will like the old ones for history. It's up to the individual...

I've only been to the Igloo, PPG Paints & the Verizon Center. Of the three, PPG Paints for the goodies, Igloo for the history. Verizon Center is very cookie cutter....

 

[nbonaddio]

For me, of the ones I've been to:

1. PPG Place
2. Bell Centre
3. Bridgestone Arena
4. Prudential
5. TD Garden
6. Nationwide
7. Civic Arena/Igloo
8. Verizon Center
9. MSG
10. Barclays
11. Nassau

Food is probably least important to me. Wide concourses, good sightlines are most important. Verizon in particular just feels like an airport hangar and Nassau, well, I can appreciate it for what it was but it's clearly last. I do think for the Islanders though they'd be better off there than in Barclays.

Not sure I understand the love for MSG. It's cramped, ugly, and expensive with below-average food in a profoundly annoying part of the city. The difference between MSG and Prudential is comically large.

 

[muddywaters]

I wish the Saddledome had more seats in the lower bowl , there is only 6000 as compared to the standard 9000 that are in the newer arenas , I think that is the main issue driving the Flames push for a new rink .. the lower hanging roof makes the atmosphere a lot better than in the other arenas I have been to .. I hope they can somehow incorporate this feature into our new building whenever the new arena issue is worked out .... in truth I wouldn't mind if we didn't build a new arena and stayed in the Saddledome but the current economics of the NHL make that option unfeasible ...

 

[Habs Homer]

as a Habs Fan, some of the best seats I've had was for the Panthers (BB&T ?), I was at aisle with actual chairs that could move and even a space to put my drinks and food in front of me, like first row in the middle, I was **** faced I can't remember I guess I got lucky. If only that arena wasn't in the middle of nowhere. Cost me like 200 bucks of Taxi from SoBe when I visited Miami.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

As a Rangers fan, Prudential Cener is really nice, but you can't beat MSG for me. Nassau Coliaeum was a dump.

See I've been to both MSG and Nassau and definitely preferred watching hockey at Nassau.

 

[sebsisles]

See I've been to both MSG and Nassau and definitely preferred watching hockey at Nassau.

There wasn't a bad seat in the house, playoff time was insane at the old barn

 

[Legionnaire11]

Home vote, but Bridgestone is voted the top arena or top-3 in North America nearly every year. Of course that's considering all events and not just hockey.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Right now, it has to be the Rogers place in Edmonton since it is the newest and most up to state.

 

[Nightmare1000]

Just need to correct this. The oilers logo is not shown across the seats. You are likely thinking of this image:

That is just towels that were put on every seat for the home opener. I agree that it looks amazing, and believe 100% that it should have been the seat colors, but unfortunately Rogers Place uses black seating all around.

Thanks for clarifying that. I never noticed.

 

[PeterSidorkiewicz]

There wasn't a bad seat in the house, playoff time was insane at the old barn

I know of the playoff games and the great atmosphere but never had a chance to watch one there, just a couple of regular season games. Obviously the amenities sucked, and public transportation sucked to get there too, but it was the best place to actually view a game in the league IMO. And that's really all I ever cared about, but that's just me.

 

[Wild-Sabres]

I've only been to the Xcel, but I love it and would probably love watching a game there even if I wasn't a Wild fan.

 

[BmxHockey]

How do you determine this? You would basically have to attend games in all of the arenas to make a fair judgement.

Lot of different criterias to consider, such as location, architecture, parking, food and drinks, seats and view from them, staff, toilets, temperature, goal horn and songs etc etc

I've been to four arenas.
Melon (Penguins)
Honda (Ducks)
Kings (Staples)
PPG (Penguins)
O2 Arena (HC Lev Praha-Prague-KHL)

I've personally played beer league at Staples and Honda. Staples ice was rock hard and the Ducks ice was more forgiving and predictable.

For sound system- Staples just rocks. Big bass, big sound. Fans are obnoxious.
Ducks fans are just quiet. Non intimidating.
PPG was plush, best seating, comfy arena. Good food selection. Fans were quiet.
O2- fans were rowdy in a good way and locked into the game.

Didn't pay attention to toilets, accept one time at the Frozen Four in Pittsburgh there was a line and some older bald genetlemen in a suit cut in front of everyone and I had said "hey man" he turns to me and says "I don't know how it works" and proceeded to take the urinal that came up anyways, guy next to him looks over and says "hey what's up Steigy" unbeknownst to me and everyone else, it was Paul. I guess Seigerwald never been in a public restroom before? Wtf, lol? Years later, he would get us tickets at the staples center because he is good friends with better halfs family in Pittsburgh. Yes, that's how I became a hockey fan.

 

[Ezekial]

I'll rank the ones I've been to:

1. Amelie Arena (Tampa)
2. BB&T Arena (Florida)
3. MSG
4. Air Canada Centre
5. Canadian Tire Centre
6. Bell Centre

I feel like my picks are heavily influenced by the weather when I was there.

I thought Amalie was great, too.

 

[Saitama]

Out of all the NHL arenas I've been to, the MTS Centre is by far the best!


I've only ever been to the MTS Centre.

 

[LiveeviL]

I would rank any arena with consistently good ice as first tier arenas. Then one can add in other parameters.

 

[thedustman]

main thing for me is the money, but that should be a bigger factor than it seems to be in this thread so far.

I have only been to three arenas: United Center, Scottrade, and CBJ cannon house.

I would rank them STl, CBJ, CHI, in that order. The Florida arenas are great from what I've heard... same with the tire centre and the bell centre

 

[SCampo98]

Can't believe a company like Little Caesars got their name on that new arena. A pizza company that sells cheap pizza. I like Little Caesars pizza by the way. Good pizza even better price. Only problem is they don't deliver where I live.

If people don't start calling it the Dough-Joe like I've already seen, the whole things a farce