Yeah, right now there is not too much to get excited about once you get past the parking lot.

the game day experience in any U.S. arena I've been to completely blows away the experience in the Western Canadian cities (Though I have yet to go to a game in Winnipeg).


it's a completely different way of viewing the game.
- BINGO!

Agreed. Canada sucks.

Agreed. Canada sucks.
- Feds91Stammer

Do you hail from Petoria by chance?

Do you hail from Petoria by chance?
- farooge

All hail

Also Ek .. can I get my "Joined" date corrected please? I was here before you had a domain.

Eklund: My Top Ten Places to See an NHL Game. Yours?
- Eklund

My #1 is probably Komisaurus Rex’s Mom’s bedroom.

Winnipeg gives fans a great hockey experience. Being a smaller arena the fans are on top of the action and 16 000 fans all cheering for the Jets makes the place so loud that it becomes a true home ice advantage. The knowledgeable fans are there to watch hockey, cheer for their Jets and not to be in corporate seats to do business deals instead of supporting for their team. Also the Jet fans don't turn on their team or any of their players unlike so many other teams fair weather fans do. The Jets don't run players out of town.
- islansjet

No they run their entire team out of town

Imbecile

He's right. Went to a Dallas game a few years back, boring as hell. Nothing like what happens in Smashville. But we're spoiled, the off-ice presentation is starting to be better than the on-ice, if you know what I mean.

Most teams form their own traditions. Nashville just stole all of it's stuff from elsewhere. It's easy to make a good album if you are just playing everyone else's greatest hits. That apparently works for fans in Nashville, but I think most teams prefer to have their own traditions, instead of imitations of someone else's.

Also, Ek needs to learn to read the intro. The Athletic article was ranking the cities on their press amenities specific to hockey, and specifically said it was not a ranking of the best places to see an NHL game or purely of arenas, as Ek claimed it was. They based opinions off of stuff like how good of food & hotel options they had within walking distance of the arena; what the temp in the press box was like, how easy it was to get there from the airport etc.

they probably are, yeah.

an almost total lack of national exposure for them for nearly a decade solidified that.
- BINGO!

Arturs Irbe put them on the map

Arturs Irbe put them on the map
- Komisaurus Rex

never not my boy

I'll never understand the love for MSG. Is it because of the history and nostalgia? I'm honestly asking, because I was not impressed by that arena at all. I saw a Flyers/Rangers game there in 2006, and I remember saying to my brother "for all of the hype, I expected a whole lot more".
- simethos

Agreed! It's pretty much a craphole.

And not that it is a big deal, but MSG needs a goal horn that can actually be heard

Most teams form their own traditions. Nashville just stole all of it's stuff from elsewhere. It's easy to make a good album if you are just playing everyone else's greatest hits. That apparently works for fans in Nashville, but I think most teams prefer to have their own traditions, instead of imitations of someone else's.

Also, Ek needs to learn to read the intro. The Athletic article was ranking the cities on their press amenities specific to hockey, and specifically said it was not a ranking of the best places to see an NHL game or purely of arenas, as Ek claimed it was. They based opinions off of stuff like how good of food & hotel options they had within walking distance of the arena; what the temp in the press box was like, how easy it was to get there from the airport etc.
- Antilles

So, fake news?

The Coliseum has one of the best atmospheres of any arena in North America. The building is still seriously outdated but I’ve been to most of the arenas around the NHL and have never seen an atmosphere that touches a full Coliseum. Surprising for me though... Carolina is pretty loud. Washington and Tampa have nice buildings but the crowds/atmosphere were surprisingly weak

The Coliseum is an old dump, BUT great site lines and low ceiling for a great hockey experience! and to Blue shirts......your just a typical Rag D BAG! Way not to disappoint! LGI!

Belmont is gonna be the new Fort Never Lose!

Nice, my Sens finished 32nd in a 31 team league...

Ottawa has been rough lately but it’s pretty awesome in the playoffs.

As an aside Ek, how are your ‘sources’ treating you? Have you broken a single trade/signing in the past three years?

Most teams form their own traditions. Nashville just stole all of it's stuff from elsewhere.
- Antilles

What's the over/under on how many times a week you say (or think) 'cultural appropriation'? You're looking for reasons to hate on us by trying to vilify the way culture has always worked

I've been to your city .. reminded me of Cincinnati in the 70's

Any building where the Flyers are playing cause they always win.

Most of MSG’s nostalgia and history occurred at the 2 previous locations. A ton of great concerts and boxing matches have happened on 7th Ave but only one cup in 50 years. My Canadian friends call it the world's smelliest arena.

Not to mention that when there’s hockey, you have the world’s most obnoxious audience.

Not to mention that when there’s hockey, you have the world’s most obnoxious audience.
- jmo16

(It's such low hanging fruit I can't resist)

At least there's a crowd

One stadium that’s gone now was priceless for watching Hockey, the old Chicago Stadium. All seats practically hovered over the ice surface with a feeling you were going to fall onto the ice when you stood up. (You had to be part mountain goat when climbing to the nose bleed seats) The Hawks sold out games back in late 60’s early 70’s with standing room only tickets selling out for every game. Watching the players come up from the stadium bowels into a building filled with cigarette smoke built excitement and anticipation.
Back then arenas didn’t have netting above the end boards glass. At the Chicago Stadium you wanted to purchase a standing room only ticket and flock to the area behind the visitors net, hoping to catch or get hit by a 100 MPH slap shot from Bobby Hull. When Hull drew back his stick the crowd All stood up and stopped breathing.

I've been to 16 of the current active baseball parks and plan on going to all of them. 3 more that have since closed....
I'd love to do the same in hockey. Live, Ive been to The Igloo and PPG in Pittsburgh, United Center in Chicago, The Joe in Det for Game 7 2009, Prudential in NJ (Yawn), Atlanta and Nashville.

Nashville was awful at the time; the game experience at the time was selling Nascar--between periods tire changing on the ice--and Constant explanations of rule 70b (offsides).... Mario Lemieux played that night in 2000.

Atlanta was overrun by Pens fans the 3 times I went there. A typical Atlanta crowd for any sport.

My favorite Non-Pittsburgh Arena by far is Chicago... The National Anthem experience there is awesome and needs to be experienced by everyone at least once....

I've been to 16 of the current active baseball parks and plan on going to all of them. 3 more that have since closed....
I'd love to do the same in hockey. Live, Ive been to The Igloo and PPG in Pittsburgh, United Center in Chicago, The Joe in Det for Game 7 2009, Prudential in NJ (Yawn), Atlanta and Nashville.

Nashville was awful at the time; the game experience at the time was selling Nascar--between periods tire changing on the ice--and Constant explanations of rule 70b (offsides).... Mario Lemieux played that night in 2000.

Atlanta was overrun by Pens fans the 3 times I went there. A typical Atlanta crowd for any sport.

My favorite Non-Pittsburgh Arena by far is Chicago... The National Anthem experience there is awesome and needs to be experienced by everyone at least once....
- Amanion

(frank) the national anthem

Nashville was awful at the time; the game experience at the time was selling Nascar--between periods tire changing on the ice--and Constant explanations of rule 70b (offsides)....
- Amanion

Yeah, it was cringingly bad early on (I had season tickets then) . I was positive they were moving when that guy from RIM was trying to buy the team.

Actually, that's about the time when everything changed .. it seemed like the city was collectively offended by the whole situation and decided to step up.

Yeah, it was cringingly bad early on (I had season tickets then) . I was positive they were moving when that guy from RIM was trying to buy the team.

Actually, that's about the time when everything changed .. it seemed like the city was collectively offended by the whole situation and decided to step up.
- farooge

Jim Balsille. He pi$$ed off the NHL so much they wanted nothing to do with him. His end game was to get a team in Hamilton. Fail.