Arenas you've been to

[ihlemic10]

Just wondering, what seats should we sit in at Key Arena?

[C.F]

I've been to 5 WHL arena's. Here they are in order from best to worst.

Pacific Coliseum- Ok so i'm slightly biased. Not only do I love the design of the arena, but the history and hockey atmosphere is hard to beat.

Everett Event Centre- Every WHL fan needs to take a trip down to Everett to watch a game at least once in their life time. The arena is state of the art, the selection of beer is like no other, the store has a wide variety, and the fans are awesome. Of course, I still hate them.

Propera Place-I enjoyed my visit there very much. The fans were polite and the atmosphere was great.

Sportsmart Arena-Not a fan. The seat I was in was cramped, and the fans were classless(coming from Kamloops, I wasn't suprised). It wasn't worth the drive.

Key Arena-NOT A HOCKEY ARENA. Enough said.

[kelownakarl]

Prospera Place - Not a hockey venue.... Better suited for concerts and other events.... The way the players have to walk through the arena concourse to get to the ice and all that stuff is very un-professional. Sightlines are good, nice restaurant that overlooks the arena.

Riverside Coliseum - Love this arena. The whole setup is perfect. Alot of history in the arena.

Key Arena - Terrible for hockey. I would rather watch it at an outdoor rink.

Pacific Coliseum - Great arena for hockey. like how they block off the upper concourse with the big curtains to make it like a small arena atmosphere.

I have also been to the Pengrowth Saddledome, but like any NHL arena being used for junior hockey, the arena is way too big.

[90-91]

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.

The old Boone Street Barn had great atmosphere but reeeeealy showed it's age toward the end.........when I was a poor college student, my friends and I knew exactly where the leaks in the roof were.....when it rained or the snow was melting........the roof would leak.....the staff would bring you a plastic bag to wear AND free tickets to the next game. Small price to pay when you couldn't afford tickets

[D.A.]

Let's see... In order from favorite to least:

1. Red Deer - mostly because it's my home arena and I think it's pretty nice.
2. Kootenay - the people have always been extremely friendly there.
3. Calgary - pro all the way.
4. Seattle
5. Portland
6. Spokane
7. Lethbridge
8. Tri-City
9. Medicine Hat - old and hostile

[Chipper]

The old Silver dome in Cranbrook has to have been one of the most intimidating rinks in the history of the Dub with 2000 fan capasity and fans standing along the glass around the whole rink. Every team hated to play us there when the ice would score the noise in there was probably louder than a jet landing in your bedroom also the beach balls and ruber chickens on a fishing rod were a huge laugh. Now that I think about it I kind of miss that old barn...... on second thought I think I prefer the comfort of the Cranbrook Rec Plex and the 4200 seats of comfort a Great Jr Hockey rink (maybe Im a little biast)

[tazndevil]

OK I've been to just about every rink in the league, current teams only as I have only followed the league for the past 6 or 7 years.

I'm not going to rate the rinks, but offer thoughts on good or bad points about the rink.

Brandon---Crazy horseshoe design have to leave the rink viewing area to finish a lap of the concourse.

Calgary--- home rink Pro all the way but a way too but for WHL hockey.

Everett--never been-plan to go in 2 yrs when Hitmen return.

Kamloops--nice arena, good size for WHL--very nice fans too.

Kelowna--only criticism is the way the players have to travel to get to the ice. Otherwise A+

Kootenay-- beautiful new rinkexcellent for the Ice and their fans to be in-- close to the ice, and loud as hell at times

Lethbridge--another crazy horseshoe. Rink needs a SERIOUS upgrade--posibly from an all events center to a hockey only rink

Medicine Hat-- Loud and crazy most of the time. The way it should be. Rink is a little old though--but I think it only adds to the atmosphere.

Moose Jaw-- Old rink and cold inside-- GOTTA LOVE IT. Probably needs an upgrade though.

Portland MC only--old barn. lots of history and the fans are nice there too.

Prince Albert--haven't been there yet.

Prince George--same as PA

Red Deer--actually one of my fave places to go. fans are great--love their team and 'hate' every one elses(especially the Hitmen).. Beautiful arena too.

Regina--not 2 bad--rink is in not bad shape, and got pretty loud when i was there--but probably not this season.

Saskatoon--Same as PA PG and Everett

Seattle--crazy design. not for hockey.was talking to T-Birds fans there my last visit, and they said the wners did that on purpose, so the NHL wouldn't come.

Spokane-- I like this rink a lot. only weird thing is that the teams warm up at one end, then change ends before coming out to start the first period. Apparently thats the way the owner wants it?????

Swift Current--Aformer Hitmen player told me to 'bring a flashlight to that old barn'--he was right. In need of a new rink, or a major upgrade

Tri-City-- Haven't been there either

Vancouver--good rink for WHL, but not hard to tell why the Canucks needed an upgrade.

Thoughts and comments are always welcome

Taz

[Knuckles Muldoon]

Pacific Coliseum (Home rink) - Getting a bit old and dingy? You bet. But to many people in the lower mainland, it IS Vancouver hockey. I like the dim lights. I love the smell of the place. It's like a dear old, reliable friend. I feel like its my second home. And besides, any arena that I once saw Bobby Orr play in during his prime can't be that bad. It will be interesting to see how the feel of the place changes after the 2010 Olympic upgrades take place.

Key Arena - Probably great for basketball, it sucks for hockey. One-third of the seats are unusable. The building itself is nice enough, but it will never be a decent hockey arena. Always a nice stroll through Seattle Center grounds to get there, though.

Mercer Arena (Seattle) - Old. It seemed more a like an old trade-show building, but was fun anyway. The corners were just brutal. Tight, little 90 degree corners. If you rung the puck around the boards, it was sure to bounce out into the slot every time. No seats at one end. Long, long walkway ramps to get to the concourse (which is at one end of the building) but the concourse/concessions area was packed and lively, and more like that of an old cinema. Overall, a memorable, fun place to watch a game.

Seattle Center Coliseum - A tent, basically. With its four main pillars forming a point at the peak of the building over center ice, it seemed like The Big Top. A standard, old 50's/60's type arena. The dressing rooms (see referee Bruce Hood's book) were in an adjacent building connected by some ridiculously long underground walkways. My friend and I did the walk one time, and it took about 2 minutes of walking to get to the ice from the dressing rooms. Unbelievable! A big, fun arena. Especially on a Friday or Saturday night. Combine that with a standard, rowdy Seattle crowd and it was always a fun time.

Memorial Coliseum - Although Portland fans complain about its antiquated state, I love it. An old, dark arena with a small ice-surface. A hockey nut's paradise. Plenty of history, and at 11,000 for hockey, a perfect size building. Huge cement concourses and they have (do they still?) a roped-off area where you can buy a highball (or 3). We called it "The Bullpen". When you're in the MC, you feel like you're someplace special. Just a grand, old, aging lady of a building. And with its huge glass exterior, its great to see the lights of downtown Portland outside after dark.

Sportmart Place (Riverside) - A nice, serviceable building that seemed to be done on the cheap. Haven't been up for a number of years now, but I thought it was a fine building with nice fans. Memories of watching Iginla raise terror on the ice still reside deep inside me.

Old Kamloops Arena (what the heck was it called?) - A traditional Canadian hockey barn. No more, no less. Cold, benches, small ice surface. Great ambiance. Best french fries in history. Did the Blazies ever lose a game in there? Or did it just seem that way?

Victoria Arena - Another grand old arena from the 40's or 50's. Was only there once. Nice, old arena. Nothing fancy.

Queen's Park Arena - Words can't describe it. Beauty, ugliness, character and many other attributes all rolled into one. And then the Bruins hit the ice. A true house of horrors. The north end was inhabited by people who were described as humans only because most of them could almost walk upright. What a crew! And the Bruins were even worse, as history has shown.

Everett Event Center - This place is truly unbelievable. The smallest building containing 8,400 seats known to man. Steep seats in the upper deck, which is a terrific horseshoe that sits on top of a full lower bowl. Loud? Yes, loud. Very loud. Cowbells a-plenty. The fans there cheer dump-ins. They cheer the "and both teams are back to fuuuullll strength" announcements. The crowd noise builds up as the Tips break out of their own end on a rush and by the time they cross the opponent's blueline, the fans' excitement is palpable. And at least half of the crowd wear SilverTips jerseys. The BEST souvenir shop in the history of junior hockey. I think they sell SilverTips car-covers. Probably even have SilverTip condoms. Great food, too (Philly cheese steaks are highly recommended). If its a good, spirited game on a Saturday night, this place is pretty much the ultimate. I always look forward to the Giants next game there. And have I mentioned the fog horn yet? Deafening. A very welcome addition to the Dub. A must-see for every Dub fan.

Tacoma Dome - The worst. You could sit in row 15 at center ice and still not see where the ice meets the boards on the other side. The seating rows just went up so gradual. Sat there for one period and hardly saw the puck at all. The stands on the sides went up forever. Like there were 70 rows or something. Saw opening night in 1991 (against Seattle) and was about 15 feet away from a brawl between Tacoma vs Seattle hooligans. Never went back. The WORST.

[lovintherockets]

Kelowna - Skyreach/Prospera and the Memorial . Entry and exit annoying for the skaters but I like it.

Kamloops - I like the concourse but the cement pillars are hard to peek around if you buy a standing room ticket

Vancouver - kinda weird with the upstairs closed off, I used to watch games there when the Canucks played, great place to watch Hockey

Kootenay - Beautiful building....those guys in the rafters (Boxes) have a great view

Everett - love it!! but still don't understand why seats don't go all the way around

Seattle - not much to say, ok place to watch a game

Tacoma Dome - I don't remember if it was good or bad ( a little foggy as I age I guess)

Spokane - That was a great place to watch Hockey...except for the whistle guy on the pa system I would love to go back there again soon.

Lethbridge - didn't really like that place , I think it was to quiet. Lots of stuff to see in the lobby tho

Red Deer - Great barn good fans but snow in May.....come on now

Medicine Hat - needs work...or needs replacing

Swift Current - tiny tiny tiny

Victoria Memorial - good for Jr B terrible for the Cougars

I was in Prince George in 1981 at a game but the Cougars were still in Victoria, I wonder if the arena is the same one.

I like Spokanes arena the best
I like Everett for fan participation
and I would have to say that Swift/Medicine Hat are the two that I hope I don't have to visit again unless I have to.

[Thunderbird107]

Tacoma Dome - I don't remember if it was good or bad ( a little foggy as I age I guess)

While large and former holder of many attendance records, the place was horrible for hockey. Sightlines were terrible. This may refresh your memory.