What is your favorite hockey arena?

[SwissGCZ]

Mine is the Eisstadion Davos:

The Ice arena of Davos is one of the most beautiful hockey arenas of the world and is an architectural master-piece as well. The arena was built in 1979 and has a capacity of 7700, about 3500 fans can have a seat and the other 4400 will have to be in the standing room.
http://www.stadionwelt.de/Stadionwelt-Stadien-Arenen/Eishockey/Eishockey-Listen/Schweiz/Davos/da_Davos_03.jpg

http://www.stadionwelt.de/Stadionwelt-Stadien-Arenen/Eishockey/Eishockey-Listen/Schweiz/Davos/as_Davos_04.jpg

More pics:http://www.stadionwelt.de/Stadionwelt-Stadien-Arenen/Eishockey/Eishockey-Listen/Schweiz/Davos/Davos.html

The Eisstadion is of course home to HC Davos and the Spengler Cup (the world's most prestigous annual invitational tournament).

I simply love the church-esque wooden architecture and of course the location as well (Davos is great)...

[SABuffalo786]

http://nhlfr.free.fr/actualites/dossiers/patinoires/memorialauditorium.jpg

[yellowbismark]

http://www.sfo.com/~csuppes/NBA/LosAngelesLakers/aerial.gif

[SwissGCZ]

It would be swell if you guys would post why you like the arena. A small description of the arena wouldn't hurt either (as well as some interior pics)...

[yellowbismark]

You are right Swiss,

I like the GW Forum for nostalgic reasons. I grew up watching the Kings, I've only been to 2 NHL buildings (Forum and Pond), and I had the most enjoyable game viewing experience at the one game I went to at the Forum.


Is that stadium you like in Switzerland or Germany?

[CRays6]

http://theralph.com/new1/images/Arena_Info/images/REA_Sunset1.jpg


http://theralph.com/new1/images/Mens_Hockey_Photos/Main_Page.jpg


Opening night.......October 2001......we walked for about a block from our parking space and couldn't see the front of the building.......when we walked around the front of the bookstore and saw Englestad Arena completely lit up it literally took my breath away and I couldn't say anything. I don't think either one of us talked the first 15 minutes we were inside the building........

[soccernutter]

Originally posted by yellowbismark

I like the GW Forum for nostalgic reasons. I grew up watching the Kings, I've only been to 2 NHL buildings (Forum and Pond), and I had the most enjoyable game viewing experience at the one game I went to at the Forum.


It's the Fabulous Forum (also known as the Great Western Forum - stupid sponsorships), known for the Miricle on Manchester. Oh, what great stuff happened there. :D

[Glenwood Lane United]

Chicago Stadium.

Lining up at Gate 4 at 6:00 to race up the stairs to stand in the 2nd Balcony at center ice.

The noise.

The organ.

Being able to read the name on the players back despite being in the last row of the place.

The anthem.

A somewhat competitive team.

Ahhh, those were the days......

[Daniel from Montréal]

I think pretty much any packed European arena takes the cake. Why? Standing room. Fans arrive hours before the games, make the most noise and there aren't nearly as many gimmicks as during an NHL game. Sure the crowds will only be half or a third of NHL arenas, but they're much more rocking.

And this coming from someone living in the most storied hockey city.

The few times I've actually been wowed by NA crowds are during the World Juniors when they're in Canada and a playoff game a few years back (Dallas at Edmonton, game 3 I believe; the crowd was insane - even on TV - and the Oilers jumped out to a few goal-lead).

But I still kinda like that the Montréal Canadiens hold the highest hockey average attendance in the world (it helps that the Bell Centre is the biggest in the NHL at 21,273).

[hobbes]

I've seen televised games from some great European venues. The interior of their rinks are beautiful and the atmosphere is great. I had no idea the rink in Davos was that beautiful. You don't really notice the weird architecture on screen. I think there was one in Finland for the World Championships a few years ago, or maybe I was thinking of Russia. It had a weird balcony-type thing I liked.

Anyway I'm biased in my choice (I've spent a lot of time there and the only game I ever played there was one of the best of my life), but there's something special about the Moose Jaw Civic Centre.

On the downside it's small, it's old and it's not modernly equipped and it's never on TV because the TV sightlines are bad because of the hanging speakers.

On the plus side it's one of the loudest buildings you'll ever be in. The crowds are passionate and right on top of the action. The place gets it's nickname (the Crushed Can) because of it's concave roof that the Calgary Saddledome copied without trapping the noise nearly as well. Since there's no seats at the end, the most vocal fans stand three or four deep behind the goals. Add singing, fans with drums and the passion of fans on the prairies and it's just a great old barn. It only seast 3,000 and is intimate enough for fan/player interaction.

There's also less savoury elements that make it unique. Everything - bathrooms, lockerooms, etc - are below the stands making fan/player interaction interesting. A certain current NHL player gave a mouthy fan a little lumber last year in the playoffs. The fan didn't whine, didn't press charges and didn't alert the media. The area behind the goals is a breeding ground for violence because security has trouble wading through the crowd. There was nearly a riot when visiting fans took a swing at the mascot and clipped her for a few stitches. The large glass doors have had visiting fans thrown through them twice since I've been here. The expansive parking lot has also seen some incidents before.

The Hockey News said it was the best place to watch a hockey game in their Best of issue, so I don't think I'm being a complete homer on this count.

I don't have pictures, but the asthetic doesn't really do it justice. At playoff time, there's nothing better and nothing louder. I'm hoping the Warriors go deep in the playoffs and force Sportsnet to come do a playoff game here.

I'll give props to winnipeg Arena as well. loud building, steep stands right on top of the action and a big-a$$ picture of the Queen. What more do you want?

cheers,
hobbes

[fidlerre]

you can all laugh but...nationwide arena in columbus - home of the columbus bluejackets.

http://www.turnerconstruction.com/columbus/files_columbus/Arena_day.jpg

ranked #1 sports arena in the united states in a espn poll two years in a row now. everything is first class in the arena; from the food to the game event staff and environment. and despite having a horrendous team, the city supports them and the place really rocks.

i have taken 3 different hard-core hockey fans to games; one from detroit, ottawa and toronto and they all come away amazed at the arena and the environment for a team & arena that is only a few years old in a city everyone didn't expect hockey to do so well.

[SABuffalo786]

http://www.sabresalumni.com/2001/images/audimage.gif



I can still smell the stale beer.

[SoccerFan8270]

http://www.hockeyarenas.com/stadien/neuefotosnhl/madisonsquare/NewYork02049.jpg

[dfb547490]

Just old enough to have a few memories here:

http://www.johnnyroadtrip.com/cities/philadelphia/images/spectrum.jpg

http://www.johnnyroadtrip.com/cities/philadelphia/images/rocky1.jpg

The Spectrum, once and always the true home of the Flyers. That place rocked on game day.

[dfb547490]

Honorable mention goes to Boston College's Conte Forum:

http://www.chtg.net/schools/images/bc_arena.jpg

And even though I wasn't alive when it was made famous, I've been to the rink at Lake Placid; the minute you lay eyes on the ice, you are filled with a feeling that something truly wonderful happened there:

http://www.hockeyarchives.info/photos/retro/1980miracle.jpg

[Own Goal Hat-Trick]

nationwide, in columbus and globen, in stockholm.

just because.

[Jimjamesak]

Originally posted by CRays6
http://theralph.com/new1/images/Arena_Info/images/REA_Sunset1.jpg


http://theralph.com/new1/images/Mens_Hockey_Photos/Main_Page.jpg


Opening night.......October 2001......we walked for about a block from our parking space and couldn't see the front of the building.......when we walked around the front of the bookstore and saw Englestad Arena completely lit up it literally took my breath away and I couldn't say anything. I don't think either one of us talked the first 15 minutes we were inside the building........
I would just like to say Parise in God, and St. Cloud sucks. Oh and nice Arena, I loved it when UAA took three points there, and never won again.

[whirlwind]

Chicago Stadium, when it existed. That, and the Forum in Montreal.


Still standing-- Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Of course, I'm slightly biased.

[óleóle12]

Xcel Energy Center and my favorite Lake Palcid Olympic Center Arena. Feels nice when you play there.

[afgrijselijkheid]

Mine is the Eisstadion Davos:

The Eisstadion is of course home to HC Davos and the Spengler Cup (the world's most prestigous annual invitational tournament).

I simply love the church-esque wooden architecture and of course the location as well (Davos is great)...


that place is unreal!!!


for me it can only be the arena (1929-1999) - this barn and chicago stadium were easily the loudest buidings ever - in the newer, more cavernous homes for these two teams it's not quite the same (ftr i have not been to united but i know how hawk fans feel about CS) - the kiel center is a cool place for the BLUES and it gets crazy in there, but the sheer build of the place doesn't harness the sound of the game like the arena did - also hosted the "bill walton" final four, the harlem globetrotters every spring, one of the most epic davis cup matches ever (mcenroe v wilander - 5 sets, 6+ hours) and about every concert, circus and ice show you could name - i personally saw the stones, the who, van halen, REM, billy joel, foreigner and an early rap show that featured run DMC, kurtis blow, fat boys, whodini, iceT, and a couple i forget on the same bill

a couple of interesting pages:

http://www.builtstlouis.net/vanish03c.html

http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=st.+louis+arena/v=2/l=IVR/*-http://www.sfo.com/~csuppes/NHL/St.LouisBlues/oldindex.htm

circa 1941
http://www.hockeylegend.com/_borders/stlarena.jpg

if i ever find a good pic of the inside...