Arenas you've been to

[RunTheGoalie]

Lets throw this in the "meaningless thread" column... Which arenas have you been to, and which is your favorite?

My list, in order:

1. Pengrowth Saddledome - Calgary - Just cant beat an NHL calibre arena, especially when we get 10k+ in the building.

2. Medicine Hat Arena - Medicine Hat - if there is one city that needs a new arena, it is MH. That said, the Tigers have the best atmosphere of any junior arena I've been in.

3. Enmax Centrum - Red Deer - I've always found it ugly, but fan support is great, and the games are always entertaining.

4. Enmax Centre - Lethbridge - much better looking than Red Deer, but the atmosphere is lacking since every game I've been to hasnt seen the building more than half full.

5. Stampede Corral - Calgary - The Hitmen's first home. The arena is in it's 6th decade, and it shows. I forgot just how drab the Corral was until I went to a couple ABA Drillers' games last weekend.

6. Centenial Civic Centre - Swift Current. Literally, a barn. Poor sight lines everywhere, uncomfortable seats. But, amazing fan support for a town of 15,000.

[a7x]

Not in any special order.

Seattle - Key Arena - Crappy. Worst place I've been to for a hockey game. Seats are WAY to close together. No seats behind one end. Everything is overpriced. Probably holds 9,000 for hockey.

Tri City Coliseum - Smallest US Division arena. Much better than Seattle though. Holds around 6,000+. Good sight lines, not really a bad seat in the place. Concourse is rather small, but not too bad.

Portland - Rose Garden - Home of the NBA Blazers. The Hawks only play a small amount of games here per season. Holds around 12,000 for hockey with the upper level curtained off. HUGE concourse. Not really a bad seat in the arena. I prefer the Memorial Coliseum though.

Portland (continued) - Memorial Coliseum - 40+ years old. Big glass building. Concourse is quite large. Holds a little less than 11,000 for hockey. From the second you walk into this arena you can feel the oldness. Seats are padded, but not very much. Scoreboard is lacking since they took out the replay machine and put it in the Rose Garden. Much more intimate than the Rose Garden. A crowd of 4,000 in the Coliseum will make MUCH more noise than a crowd of 8,000 in the Garden.

Everett - Everett Event Center - Best arena in the US Division! This place is beautiful. Lower level goes all the way around the ice, while upper level is a "U" shape. Seats are plastic, but comfortable. Screen on scoreboard could have been bigger. Concourse is small. The place is loud as hell though! The fans give the place a great atmosphere.

Spokane - Spokane Veterans Arena - Another larger WHL arena. Holds 10,755 for hockey. Seats are pretty steep. When you sit in the upper level it's like you're right on top of the action. LARGE concourse. Nice fans.

[Kamfan]

This is a good thread to have because the question seems to get asked so often.

Anyway, of the current rinks I've been to (negating fan support, just the buildings themselves):

1. Everett Events Center - a gem, perfect size, concessions are plentiful with a great selection of beverages, concourses are wide, not a bad seat

2. Spokane Arena - if the EEC is a 9.5 out of 10, Spokane Arena is a 9.45, tough to find fault here either

3. Pengrowth Saddledome - NHL-calibre rink, NHL-calibre everything, surface, concessions, space, seating, etc., well-kept but does show some age being a 20+ year old building

4. Sport Mart Place - now in its 12th year (I believe), it's not so new anymore but has aged pretty well, balcony seats are nice (that's where I sit), only reason it sits above Skyreach is the scoreboard with video screens (it's important to me, may not be to everyone), plans to reno are in the initial phases (suites being reno'd & added to)

5. Skyreach Place - similar to Sport Mart Place and would pass it on my list if it had (a) replay screen(s), the newness factor is still there, alcohol allowed in the stands, more suites (better positioned as well), restaurant with a view of the ice

6. Prince George Multiplex (I thought this would be the CN Rail Centre by now) - roughly as many seats as Skyreach and more than SMP, but just not quite as polished overall, utilitarian design, "no nonsense" building (if that makes any sense), doesn't rank far below Skyreach or SMP

7. Pacific Coliseum - old and it shows, but it still does have the amenities of a former NHL rink (concessions, capacity, wide concourses, etc.)

8. Key Arena - still a nice building (though the reno seems a little less recent now), but the seat setup for hockey plumets it to the bottom, some seats have their view obstructed by the scoreboard and of course half the seats are pushed against the wall to make room for the ice surface, this is as much of a hockey arena as Qwest Field

[The_Vulk]

I have been to the following arenas:

Pengrowth Saddledome - Calgary
Stampede Corral - Calgary
Sport Mart Place - Kamloops, previously known as Riverside Coliseum
Prospera Place - Kelowna
Enmax Centre - Lethbridge
Enmax Centrum - Red Deer
Pacific Coliseum - Vancouver

[ihlemic10]

Everett Events Center - My home arena. Can only comaplain about the Usher's. Nice and Loud place.

Key Arena - Hockey should not be played here. Terrible seating and views.

Pacific Coliseum - Nice old building. Cheap seats a little cramped. Otherwise good place.

[Billy Blade]

I've been to almost every rink there ever was in the WHL. I think it's easier to list the ones I've never been to... Even some that aren't in the league anymore, like Victoria, Winnipeg, and Tacoma. Saskatoon's old barn was awesome. 3,704 with standing room, and one of the most intimidating and LOUD arenas to ever play in. Asbestos in the roof, chunks would even fall on your lap the odd night. Blades games have just NEVER been the same since that old place was torn down.

I've never been to Flin Flon, New Westminster, Kelowna, Cranbrook (Kootenay), Everett, or Prince George though. Seattle was nuts, those people are like rabid dogs God bless them. Tacoma wasn't much better. Portland has some of the nicest hockey fans I've ever met, such incredibly hospitable people. Same with Spokane and Kennewick (Tri-City). Some good times on those road trips.

[Fight Guy]

In order from best to worst for WHL...

1. Pengrowth Saddledome - Been there several times and is definetly my favoutire to watch sports. I've only seen one WHL game there, but I've seen the Flames play there 4 or 5 times and saw a Roughnecks game last year too. That was pretty cool.

2. Prince Albert Communiplex - Small place, but is very nice and the atmosphere is great. Your very close to the action. Fun place.

3. Regina Agridome - Home town rink, decent size, pretty good place. Could use more fans in the stands though.

4. Moose Jaw Civic Center - Fun place to go to, and is a great atmosphere. Been there quite a few times for Pats/Warriors games.

As for arenas I've been to but not for WHL...in no particular order...

Rexall Place in Edmonton - I was there for a Red Wings game a few years ago. Had nose bleed seats though.

Winnipeg Arena - Saw the Jets and Wings play in '96 or '97..which ever was the last season for the Jets. Saw a Moose game last year and saw Canada play Finland at the World Juniors in '99. That was an awsome game. Probably the best junior game ever.

Went to the Joe Louis arena in the summer in '99 because my dad is a die hard Wings fan, but it was closed to public. But lucky for us, Mr. Jim Nill (at the time was head of player developement or something...now assisant GM) stopped us just as we were driving away because he saw we were from Saskatchewan, so he knew how far we had come (not just to see the arena, but was on the way back home from Toronto, where I saw the Maple Leaf Gardens), and he envited us in and gave us a tour of the arena. That was awsome. There was no ice, but I was ice level and and saw the octupus and we could have gone into the dressing room, but it was being renovated. That would have been sweet.

And I've been to Sask Place or Credit Union Center once...to see METALLICA FREAKEN AWSOME!!!

But thats about it that I can think of.

[Number_4]

Well I've only been to a few arenas, but heres my thoughts...

Calgary- well, when you have a good crowd in the Saddledome for junior hockey, it can only be good. The fans make this one worth going to.

Lethbridge- Nice, clean arena, but horrible set-up for hockey. You spend most of the game cranning your neck trying to see the play. I really have issues with this arena for hockey, and the fan support, quite frankly, SUCKS. Quiet as a tomb every night. Parkings a b***ch

Medicine Hat- A true original barn. What an amazing fan base there. It really is a barn worth going to, just for the history.

Swift- well prolly the worst I've been to yet. It really needs some renovations, preferably a new arena. However, like the hat, Swift has amazing fan support

Moose Jaw- I LOVE the crushed can, if just to go and cheer for the pats. The only rink in the dub that actually plays the beatles... makes me want to donate some cd's. The rink has made some major improvements lately. Best burgers in the dub, by far

Regina- Not bad, one of the best if you ignore the wooden end bleachers. However, could be better, and prolly would be if it wasnt so quiet

Brandon- Not that bad, good fan support most of the time with not bad sitelines

Saskatoon- impressive arena. Pretty good site lines and not bad sound system. If your sitting at the back, you kinda feel out of the loop.

PA- small barn that has been drastically improved in the past few years. Great fan support, and it doesnt have to be full to be fun.

[Thunderbird107]

You guys are sitting in the wrong seats if you think Key Arena is that bad. And let's not forget we aren't the only arena that has an open horseshoe.

Anyway, I've been to all the U.S Division arenas including the old Mercer Street Arena, the Boone Street Barn and the Tacoma Dome, none of which are played in anymore. I've been to Pac Coliseum and the old Kelowna rink, the name of which escapes me right now. It was tiny though. Only held about 1800.

[Tiger Trauma]

Medicine hat- what can i say I'm honored to be able to watch every home game there. Every game our barn is full to the rafters and hockey couldn't be more popular.

Lethbridge- Been there twice last year......I though it was a nice size... abit quiet...there seemed to be more cheering from the hat fans than lethbridge fans.


Swift Current- Small rink but there are some hardcore die hard fans over there....it can be loud when they use that big horn of there's which i find quite annoying!!