NHL Arenas

Since the NHL shares their arenas with the NLL for the most part, I figured I should continue with these arenas. I will try to provide only a small description of any arena I have mentioned previously although the experience may be different for each sport.

1. HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY
Date of First Game – January 29, 1997
In 1997, the HSBC arena was known as the Marine Midland Arena. I was more concerned with the actual game back then and not so concerned with the overall experience. I have not been to the HSBC arena for a game recently but I saw both Lemieux (the first time) and Gretzky during their last year of hockey at this arena so it will get the number 1 spot here too.

2. Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, ON
Date of First Game – February 22, 2003
I have only been to this arena once, and it was known as the Corel Centre then, but that is all it takes to fall in love with a place I guess. The weather was perfect hockey weather, the parking was close by and cheap, the tickets were cheap ($25 for tickets a hot dog and a drink), and the company was good. It was a great weekend overall even though the drive home was painstakingly slow (it was the heaviest snowfall of the year). The set-up inside is similar to most other arenas but for some reason the Corel Centre seems better than most.




3. Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON
Date of First Game – unknown
I was too young to remember much from my first game but I do remember the Red Wings destroyed the Leafs and our car was blocked in so we were stuck in the parking lot for a while after the game ended. As a child, I attended more WWF events at the Gardens than hockey games but due to the history of the building, it must have been a great arena.

4. Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI
Date of First Game – March 25, 2006
What can I say here? It is the Joe. The fans showed up before the game and most stayed until the shootout finally decided the winner. The arena is easy to get to and since we left before the shootout, leaving was no problem at all too. Parking was very affordable and easily accessed the arena, plus there were many street lots in close proximity. The food was good and the souvenirs were very affordable too. Even though the arena is old, it is still one of the best.

5. St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL
Date of First Game – May 27, 2004
The above game was a Stanley Cup Final game so the experience was awesome. The main downfall for this arena is that it is Florida. This arena did remind me a lot of the Scotiabank Place, but was nicer to look at. The Tampa fans may not be as knowledgeable as those to the North may be but they sure do know how to have a good time. Overall, it was a lot of fun but I think most it resulted from the playoff atmosphere around the arena and not from the game itself.

As you will see, my travels in the summertime far exceed that of the winter as the number of baseball stadiums visited outnumber the hockey arenas. The low number of hockey arenas visited may also be a result of my lack of interest in the sport the past few years and my rekindled interest in baseball.