T1B

Rate your home town NHL arena, pros and cons.

Corel Centre (even thought I hate the Senators)

Pros

Wicked sight lines everywhere (even in the nosebleeds you can still read the names on jerseys), easy to get in and out of the building (parking lot is another story), Marshies (restaurant in arena) is very well priced, and tickets are well priced as well.

Cons

Senator fans :twisted: , the parking lot is a NIGHTMARE to get out of after a game, overpriced consession stands, Horrible public transit to and from arena (however lots of sports bars offer free shuttle service, however Ottawa still desperately needs a light rail system).


Overall - 9 out of 10

I live in the west end of the city and close to the arena, so any Senators fans in the East end ('sup Spex) may have a bigger complaint with the drive.

Saddledome is getting old.

There aren't enough washrooms or concessions in the building. The concourse is difficult to wade through during intermissions.

But if you're smart like me, you sit high enough that you can use the upper-level concessions and washrooms and get beers from the lounge. Way less lineups up there.

As far as sightlines and viewing and all that goes, the place is great.

Parking ain't bad... unless there's something else going on at the Grounds. They did jack up the price to $8 this year, though.

Overall, I think it's still a great building, even if it lacks the fanciness of the newer places.

Having skated there this winter, however, I can say I wasn't overly impressed with the ice quality. Hopefully the NHL ice guy was on vacation or something that week.

Arrowhead Pond:

Pros: None

Cons: Feels like more than a 12 year old arena, no footroom, seats cushioning has broken down, no escalator to the upper deck, parking lot is poorly designed and is a pain in the ass to get out of ($10), team cranks music up in order to drown out opposing fans (doesn't work, have lost my voice several times when the Kings have taken on the Ducks there)

Staples Center

Pros:good view from the upper deck, decent legroom, plenty of restrooms, large jumbotron, plenty of parking spots (cost depends on how far you like to walk $3-20)

Cons: upper corridors are narrow and gets crowded during intermissions, food is overpriced, ice quality can vary depending on amount of events during a week

Joe Louis Arena

Pros:
The seating in the arena is in a bowl shape...there really isn't a bad seat in the joint.

All luxury boxes up near the roof...it would be a con to the rich people but for the regular people, I'm glad we have better seats than the fat cats.

Ideal parking...you get off the freeway and you go directly into the parking garage. The arena is right off the highway.

Cons:
Prices...tickets and concessions. Tickets have gotten progressively worse as the team kept spending money on salaries.

Bathrooms...I'm not down with the trough.

Bathrooms...I'm not down with the trough.

Wurd, the Forum and Anaheim Stadium (in the football seating areas) had troughs. Would always wait for a stall to open up.

HSBC Arena

Pros: Plenty of seating.

Cons: No games being played

The Bell Centre in Montreal is the arena that holds the most seats in the NHL (21 273). Now that might be a good thing but if you're sitting in Level-Bleu Section 434 C20, chances are you might have a hard time following the game. That's ok though, the more fans you can put in the better it is.

The arena is located in downtown and is easily accessed by car and public transports. It takes me about 15 minutes by Metro to go there. Overall it's a nice place and that specific area is booming with all kinds of luxurious projects.

Cons: Too many Toronto fans when the Leafs are in town j/k

Should had left that line for Senator fan :)