Arenas and Seats

[FolignosJock]

Thought we could compile a thread with buildings and seat reviews (atmosphere, food, local area, things to do before and after games). I cant really help much but was more looking for advice on the Verizon Center. Just realized I bought Standing Room Only tickets to the sabres game on March 27th and wanted some tips or tricks and hopefully a review of how it is. I have heard the building is amazing and am looking forward to it. Also think this would be a good thread to have around to talk about all the othere arenas in the league if people are planning on atteding games on the road.

[Who Else?]

When you walk into Joe Louis Arena everything and I mean Everything is red white and Black. At their merchandise stands you can get absolutely nothing but Wings gear (save for maybe an original six hat with the other 5 teams on it.). This Arena is used for no other sport than hockey. I really have never even noticed any concert or event postings anywhere.

 

There is almost certain to be an Alumn there signing and meeting people. By Alumn I don't mean someone who had a mediocre career and walked the halls for a couple of years. Last time I was there Ted Lindsey was just hanging around meeting and greeting people as they went by. He was also signing about anything passing out books and taking pictures with those who recognized him. The best thing about it was you could tell he did it all the time. There wasn't a PR person hanging around and he was completely comfortable with it all.

 

I am not a Wings fan, but my best friend is and he insists we sit a the top of the stands. When you sit up there and look straight out all you can see is banners. From that vantage point it looks like there is thousands of them. It reminds me of a depiction of a ballroom in a movie with it's ornateness.

The atmosphere is so great that you barely even watch the game the first couple times your there.

 

Even though they almost always sell out, tickets are usually readily available on the web. Tickets for most games are 30% or more less than comparable Sabres seats. Last game we saw the Canadiens and got our regular area seats for $30. Try that in Buffalo for whatever medal game that is. The money you save on tickets easily will pay for the gas.

 

If you love hockey go here. I really can't think of a better enviroment outside of a home college football game that you could attend.

[Eleven]

Great idea for a thread.

[Sabre Dance]

When you walk into Joe Louis Arena everything and I mean Everything is red white and Black. At their merchandise stands you can get absolutely nothing but Wings gear (save for maybe an original six hat with the other 5 teams on it.). This Arena is used for no other sport than hockey. I really have never even noticed any concert or event postings anywhere.

 

There is almost certain to be an Alumn there signing and meeting people. By Alumn I don't mean someone who had a mediocre career and walked the halls for a couple of years. Last time I was there Ted Lindsey was just hanging around meeting and greeting people as they went by. He was also signing about anything passing out books and taking pictures with those who recognized him. The best thing about it was you could tell he did it all the time. There wasn't a PR person hanging around and he was completely comfortable with it all.

 

I am not a Wings fan, but my best friend is and he insists we sit a the top of the stands. When you sit up there and look straight out all you can see is banners. From that vantage point it looks like there is thousands of them. It reminds me of a depiction of a ballroom in a movie with it's ornateness.

The atmosphere is so great that you barely even watch the game the first couple times your there.

 

Even though they almost always sell out, tickets are usually readily available on the web. Tickets for most games are 30% or more less than comparable Sabres seats. Last game we saw the Canadiens and got our regular area seats for $30. Try that in Buffalo for whatever medal game that is. The money you save on tickets easily will pay for the gas.

 

If you love hockey go here. I really can't think of a better enviroment outside of a home college football game that you could attend.

 

I'm sure that this is what the Sabres are aiming for, but it will take careful cultivation and effort. Even TPegs held up the Wings as a franchise to model themselves after. It will takes YEARS for Buffalo to get to this point. No reason it can't be done, but you need top quality people in every position.

[Sabres Fan in NS]

Great idea for a thread.

 

The only arenas I know are no longer around ... I really miss The Aud, The Forum (Montreal), The Igloo (Pittsburgh) and even MLG (Toronto ... even though I only went to a few games there). I love those old relics.

[Taro T]

Great idea for a thread.

 

The only arenas I know are no longer around ... I really miss The Aud, The Forum (Montreal), The Igloo (Pittsburgh) and even MLG (Toronto ... even though I only went to a few games there). I love those old relics.

Except for the Mmarena and the Staples Center, the only barns I've seen NHL teams play in are all gone (or have been converted to different uses) - The Aud, The Forum, MLG, Baaahstaaan Gaaaaaden, and even the Houston Summit (hosted a couple of exhibitions in the early '90's).

[frissonic]

saw the sabres at the pepsi center in denver a few years ago. not a bad arena, but nothing really special either. it's home to the nuggets as well, and hosts numerous concerts throughout the year, so its interior is pretty generic.

 

one positive i took away was the generally amiable nature of the avs fans. i went in my away slug jersey, and got some good natured ribbing, especially from the guys behind me when the avs won in the shoot-out.

 

seats were great, but we were 3 rows from the glass. first and only time i've seen a NHL game that close-up. it was a completely different experience.

 

didn't really bother with food since we had just eaten prior to game time.

[Iron Crotch]

Not sure where to post this (and I don't like starting new threads), but a new Courtyard Marriott hotel is going in right by the F'N Center in the old Donovan Building. http://www.buffalone...ticle731556.ece

 

IMHO, this is sorely needed and I'm glad it is a Marriott!

[beerme1]

Went to the Bell Center in Montreal in November for the Sabres game. It was perhaps tthe best environment I have ever been at for a Monday night game in mid November. Absolutely awesome! We had club seats ridiculously small and you basically had to eat your knees. I guess thry had to do that to jam so many seats in an arena. 21,000 + if im not mistaken. The Molson girls were rockin and kept a vibe going in the rafters. The crowd was as loud as the F'N Center for a playoff game at least a dozen different times.

Oddly not when we won in a shootout though :thumbsup:

One thing that was cool with the club seats was free food. Hot dogs, Montreal smoked meat sandwhiches, peanuts, popcorn, pretzels, pop and more. Sadly the beers were not free but it was weird having all that included with the ticket.

We enjoyed it so much will probably make another roadie next year.

[MattPie]

I don't really do food at arenas or anything, so all I can really comment on is the fans.

 

Carolina: I was at "The Rape and Pillage of Raleigh: Part 1" (Game 1, 2006 ECF). People were generally nice, atmosphere was pretty good, especially with the probably 10% at least Buffalo fans presence. Wore a Sabres t-shirt. I'm not sure they're so nice now. Not much to do around the arena, outside the city (like the Ralph).

 

Philly: Saw some people yelling about $PHILLYFAN calling ${BUFFALOFAN}'s girlfriend a c###. No one really bothered our group, but this was Nov 2006, a few weeks after the 9-1 dubbing that got Hitchcock fired. Best comment of the night: "yeah, well you try winning with Hatcher on your team". Wore a Sabres t-shirt of some description, as did my sister and girlfriend. Going tomorrow, I suspect the fans will be more riled up. Sitting upper deck around the blue line. Not much directly around the arena to do, although Philly proper is only a few miles away by car or subway.

 

MSG: Slug era, can't remember the year. Miller let in 4 goals in the first 10 minutes and got booted. Rest of the game was pretty quiet as far as the fans go. Wasn't wearing any Sabres gear that day because I forgot to take it up with me. MSG is pretty convenient, since it sits on top of Penn Station, which is one of the major Subway and Rail hubs for all of NYC.

 

DC: Been to two games there, both a few years ago. The first was when they were awful, the Sabres had just traded for Grier the first time and won 6-1. Sat in the upper deck was maybe half full, with a significant portion being Sabres fans. The second game I was maybe 6 rows up from the penalty boxes. I'm sure this is endemic to the seat location, but it's an awful place to watch a game. You're looking thru several layers of glass a *lot*. This was when the Caps were pretty good (2008, probably), so the place was rocking. Lots to do around the arena, including an Irish pub type place that the Sabres fans seem to congregate at.

[FolignosJock]

I don't really do food at arenas or anything, so all I can really comment on is the fans.

 

Carolina: I was at "The Rape and Pillage of Raleigh: Part 1" (Game 1, 2006 ECF). People were generally nice, atmosphere was pretty good, especially with the probably 10% at least Buffalo fans presence. Wore a Sabres t-shirt. I'm not sure they're so nice now. Not much to do around the arena, outside the city (like the Ralph).

 

Philly: Saw some people yelling about $PHILLYFAN calling ${BUFFALOFAN}'s girlfriend a c###. No one really bothered our group, but this was Nov 2006, a few weeks after the 9-1 dubbing that got Hitchcock fired. Best comment of the night: "yeah, well you try winning with Hatcher on your team". Wore a Sabres t-shirt of some description, as did my sister and girlfriend. Going tomorrow, I suspect the fans will be more riled up. Sitting upper deck around the blue line. Not much directly around the arena to do, although Philly proper is only a few miles away by car or subway.

 

MSG: Slug era, can't remember the year. Miller let in 4 goals in the first 10 minutes and got booted. Rest of the game was pretty quiet as far as the fans go. Wasn't wearing any Sabres gear that day because I forgot to take it up with me. MSG is pretty convenient, since it sits on top of Penn Station, which is one of the major Subway and Rail hubs for all of NYC.

 

DC: Been to two games there, both a few years ago. The first was when they were awful, the Sabres had just traded for Grier the first time and won 6-1. Sat in the upper deck was maybe half full, with a significant portion being Sabres fans. The second game I was maybe 6 rows up from the penalty boxes. I'm sure this is endemic to the seat location, but it's an awful place to watch a game. You're looking thru several layers of glass a *lot*. This was when the Caps were pretty good (2008, probably), so the place was rocking. Lots to do around the arena, including an Irish pub type place that the Sabres fans seem to congregate at.

 

name of the pub?

[MattPie]

name of the pub?

 

Fado, apparently:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrxaCQmoaFY

 

http://www.fadoirishpub.com/washington/

[nobody]

Fado, apparently:

 

Not that there is often an occasion for it lately - but how come you never hear the 'ohh ahh Sabres on the warpath' chant at the games?

[beerme1]

Not that there is often an occasion for it lately - but how come you never hear the 'ohh ahh Sabres on the warpath' chant at the games?

 

Personally I'm saving that one for 'BETTER DAYS" and as you mention there really isn't any reason they give the fans to get into that mood to do that chant. I think the Germans did it at the start of the year for them though.

[shrader]

saw the sabres at the pepsi center in denver a few years ago. not a bad arena, but nothing really special either. it's home to the nuggets as well, and hosts numerous concerts throughout the year, so its interior is pretty generic.

 

one positive i took away was the generally amiable nature of the avs fans. i went in my away slug jersey, and got some good natured ribbing, especially from the guys behind me when the avs won in the shoot-out.

 

seats were great, but we were 3 rows from the glass. first and only time i've seen a NHL game that close-up. it was a completely different experience.

 

didn't really bother with food since we had just eaten prior to game time.

 

When I was at the Pepsi Center back in 2008 for the Frozen Four, the seating in the lower bowl was awful for anybody who was reasonably tall. The seats were way too close together so I spent the entire time with my knees driven into the back of the seat in front of me.

[apuszczalowski]

Not that there is often an occasion for it lately - but how come you never hear the 'ohh ahh Sabres on the warpath' chant at the games?

I thought that was more of a playoffs chant? Thats usually when i saw the video of the chant played at the arena

[weehawk]

Here's my full review of Carolina's barn.

 

Short history. Born and raised in BUF. Went to Bills games at the Rock and waited in the lobby overnight in the Aud for Sabres tix as a kid. Moved to Raleigh for work in 2007. Been a season ticket holder here for three years.

 

Building: RBC Center is soon to be re-named PNC Arena due to PNC buying RBC. The arena is 11 years old now. It's a pretty typical modern arena with nothing overly-fancy about it. The seats in the upstairs 300 section are hit or miss. The aisle seats are actually the worst, due to the railings they installed. You have to be a few seats in to have a clear view of the ice. Also, the seats are weird. Some have a decent amount of width, while others are for very skinny people. The upper deck is not symmetrical. Some sections have more rows than others. Compared to FNC and the Shark Tank in San Jose, I rate this upper deck third of the three.

 

Parking and general area: The arena is located about a half a mile off of the main highway. Traffic is pretty bad if you dont get to the lots early and it's tough to get out at the end. I think there is a general consensus down here that ingress/egress to the building pretty much sucks. Once you're in though, the scene is pretty good. Lots of BBQ'ers and pre-game partying going on and the lot staff is pretty laid back

 

Food: Other than the standard hot dog and hamburger stuff, two things stand out for me; the BBQ nachos and the prime rib sandwich. They make the BBQ at the arena and it's really good. Throw a mixture of eastern and western BBQ sauce on it along with some Texas Pete's hot sauce, and then top it off with some cole slaw. It's probably my favorite arena food of all time ($7). The prime rib sandwich is carved in front of you and you can get it trimmed or untrimmed, with or without jalapenos, horseradish sauce, and cheddar cheese with a pile of home made potato chips ($14). The arena club buffet is open to anyone with a ticket and it's really good. Full salad bar, two soups, and a bunch of main courses to choose from with prime rib always on the menu. TVs all over with NHL programming going ($30).

 

Drink: You can get anything you want of course, wine, beer, liquor. The stand out for me is a local brew called Foothills Brewery Hoppyum. It's the best IPA I've ever had. ($9) for a large. They also have 24 oz cans of Labatt and Labatt Light for $11.

 

Fans: Runs the gamut. You get college kids, rednecks, business people, and families. The crowds here are pretty good. Fun, knowledgable, and noisy.

 

In Game entertainment: We have Stormy the mascot, Ron the Ref, and some chick that changes from season to season. They do the contests and stuff. My wife won the Buffalo Bros ludicrous wing challenge and we've been eating free wings all year. I got to ride the zamboni last year. They shoot t-shirts into the crowd and they have cheerleaders that dance around and kiss the kids in the hall ways. The music is pedestrian, with a silly song thrown in here or there and they do the video screen stuff with cartoons and movie clips. When the Canes score, Ric Flair appears on the screen and screams WOOO! Overall, it's a fun atmosphere. I'd prefer fewer TV breaks and more hockey, but it is what it is.

 

Conclusion: Despite the rape and pillage jokes, Carolina is a great place to watch hockey. The team (like the Sabres) is having another bad year, but there's little fans can do about it other than bail on the team. Seeing that this is still a young hockey market, the ownership had better do something to keep people interested. Better ingress/egress to the building and maybe some tweaks to the upper deck seating and this would be a first-rate experience.

[frissonic]

Here's my full review of Carolina's barn.

 

(snip)

Great review, man. Next year, when the Sabres are out west on their annual WC road trip, I'm gonna hit up a couple different games. I believe they have Denver and Phoenix next year at least. A thorough review of each arena is definitely mandatory. :)

[nobody]

I thought that was more of a playoffs chant? Thats usually when i saw the video of the chant played at the arena

 

I guess another reason I haven't heard it in forever. :(

[IKnowPhysics]

Staples Center - Los Angeles, CA

Times attended: 8-10

 

Building: New, clean, sterile, Los Angeles-upscaley. No sense of community in the building- no large atriums (like FNC), no team-specific displays (because besides the Kings, two NBA teams and a WNBA team play here). Because of the massive amount of corporate dollars, the arena reflects that. A medium-sized lower bowl, a massive three-tier suite section, and a smaller upper balcony. The massive elevation due to the three stacks of suites causes the upper level to very downward-angled. This results in a overwhelming nosebleedy feeling up there (in contrast, FNC is great in this regard).

 

Parking and general area: The arena's essentially downtown, in the middle of AEG's architectural whimfest named LA Live. Because of the LA Convention Center is next door, parking lots are plentiful, but still range from $25 (stupid) to $10 (better). While there are several bars and restaurants within walking distance (I'd guess roughly the same number as Buffalo, actually), it's rare that they pack up on game days (*see also: fans). There is a lot to do downtown and the area is only in the middle of resurrecting itself from some nuclear bomb of poverity that was detonated sometime around 1985. That resurrection started in the early 2000s: it's not bad and it's getting better.

 

Food: The arena food is pretty standard. Maybe slightly higher quality than average to match LA's higher (read: snobby) standards. Much of it is branded with corporate sponsor brands (like McDonald's, California Pizza Kitchen). Standouts include Wetzel's Pretzel and Budweiser Whistlstop Pub's French Dip sandwich. Despite the ok quality, I've had better arena food selection and quality almost every major league arena I've been to.

 

Drink: The widest availbility of alcohol comes in bottles. Beers on tap are pretty limited to Coors/Budweiser variants, nothing to write home about. More interesting is the wider availability of ###### wine and an interestingly decent availability of hard liquor at most concession stands. Need to get your Jack Daniels on with your pretzel? Done. Want some no name cabernet with your CPK? Why not.

 

Fans: In Los Angeles, hockey is just another spectacle in a city full of spectacles. It surely is not the way-of-life, Sabres-or-die attidtude. LA fans come away as uniterested. *(from above) There's a distinct lack of alcoholic sports culture in LA, so nobody pregames or postgames at any bars. Pearl Street in Buffalo packs five times more people in to a space half the size of the ESPN Zone next to the arena. very few drunks in the rink. Security's tight enough too to spot anyone who's not acting reserved enough. There's metal detectors on the way in (thanks, Lakers fans). The rowdiest fans are often supplied by the expatriots from the city where the opposing team is from. Every sports team worth their salt has fans in Los Angeles, and they all show up when their team comes to town. They're the ones that make it fun. [side story: I went to Penguins @ Kings in my Sabres jersey simply to root against the Pens; good times]

 

In Game entertainment: Lots of corporate money, so lots of contests and giveaways. Lots and lots of commercials on the scoreboard. They have a mascot (Bailey the Lion) and they have some pretty F-ing hot ice girls. [side story: I could do without ice girls] The arena does have pretty good audio and light/laser shiz during intros and goal scoring, likely because the arena's pretty new. Every game they salute a veteran in the crowd; classy move. The Kings are involved with a lot of charities and hockey organizations. They try to reach out to as many fans as possible, and this is usually evident.

 

Conclusion: It's a sterile environment, but one that's good to see your hometown play in with some hometown friends. Ticket face values are high, but cheaper tickets are easily found.

 

 

Wells Fargo Center - Philadelphia, PA

Formerly Wachovia Center. Times attended: 1

 

Building: Clean, somewhat spacious. Has a pub-like feel. Strong sense of community in the building; this is definitely the home of the Flyers. Purchased tickets day-of, sat up in the balcony on the sides. Decent enough view. Maybe slightly worse than FNC in the quality of upper tier view.

 

Parking and general area: The arena's seemingly farther south than most things you'd be interested in Philly.

 

Food: Didn't partake much. Looked like some good options available- lots of local food available (like cheesesteaks mmmmm). I think I had a pretty good pretzel.

 

Drink: Looked like a wide variety of beer on tap available, including both regular crap domestics and yummy microbrews.

 

Fans: This was Tampa Bay @ Philly back in '06. If I would have guessed beforehand, I would've said that I going to be a martyr, as I was wearing my Sabres jersey in the subway down to the arena, where surely I would be stoned to death with D-cells. Not the case. Philly fans are tight, and they like to get drunk and yell. I got a few WTF looks and one or two "Sabres suck!"s, but that was it. I got the last laugh when Forsberg was ejected from the game and Tampa trounced the Flyers that night.

 

In Game entertainment: It's been a while, can't really remember. There were some mascots and some flashing lights.

 

Conclusion: It's like walking into the lion's den, but the lions have no teeth or claws, and it was great to watch Philly lose. [side story: that loss was shortly after Ken Hitchcock was fired (after the 9-1 loss to Buffalo) in the beginning of the Flyers' downfall towards their worst season in franchise history. And I helped!]

 

 

Xcel Energy Center - Minneapolis, MN

Times attended: 1

 

Building: New at the time. Very clean, very spacious. Nice wood paneling on every surface. A classy place, home to classy fans, in a state where hockey is classy.

 

Parking and general area: Was able to park close to the arena, but I don't rememebr much more than that.

 

Food: Didn't partake much.

 

Drink: Had some beers, couldn't tell you what.

 

Fans: This was a Sabres @ Wild preseason game. Fans in Minnesota are two things: 1) crazy about hockey. 2) polite. They love their sport, and they were excited to see it back in town, and they have that midwestern politeness. It was also preseason, so things didn't get that rowdy.

 

In Game entertainment: Don't remember much, but they did have little kid hockey in the period breaks. Their organ player is visible up in the corner in his own crazy balcony; I like organ music at games, but they celebrated this guy. He'd also shout things over the PA to get the fans going, which was somewhat annoying, like Nicholas Picholas annoying.

 

Conclusion: For a preaseason game, they had a good turnout in a nice looking building.

 

[I presume we want to keep this NHL, otherwise I could add Rosemont Arena, Dunkin Donuts Center, Resch Center, Kohl Center...]

[Eleven]

This thread should be pinned for all seasons, and for all readers who are contemplating road trips.

[Bmwolf21]

I've been Carolina's rink (for the ECF) and Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Nothing to add to weehawk's excellent review of Carolina. It's been over five years since the visit to Columbus, but we are hoping to go down there again at the end of March so I will hopefully be able to give a little more info then.

[Corp000085]

 

 

Conclusion: Despite the rape and pillage jokes, Carolina is a great place to watch hockey. The team (like the Sabres) is having another bad year, but there's little fans can do about it other than bail on the team. Seeing that this is still a young hockey market, the ownership had better do something to keep people interested. Better ingress/egress to the building and maybe some tweaks to the upper deck seating and this would be a first-rate experience.

 

Don't forget, they have free pint glass giveaways when there's 10,000+ visiting fans in attendance. It's all part of their master plan.

 

With that said, I enjoy going to the RBC Center for Sabres games. We always sit in section 314. get tickets off the ticket exchange website. From our vantage point, there's always good sight lines. I really have nothing to complain about the arena except for the lack of a main lobby area. A bunch of scattered entrances and exits around the building rather than one main area as with the FNC.

[FolignosJock]

This thread should be pinned for all seasons, and for all readers who are contemplating road trips.

 

It feels good to finally make a good thread lol

[Taro T]

Staples Center - Los Angeles, CA

Times attended: 8-10

 

Building: New, clean, sterile, Los Angeles-upscaley. No sense of community in the building- no large atriums (like FNC), no team-specific displays (because besides the Kings, two NBA teams and a WNBA team play here). Because of the massive amount of corporate dollars, the arena reflects that. A medium-sized lower bowl, a massive three-tier suite section, and a smaller upper balcony. The massive elevation due to the three stacks of suites causes the upper level to very downward-angled. This results in a overwhelming nosebleedy feeling up there (in contrast, FNC is great in this regard).

 

Parking and general area: The arena's essentially downtown, in the middle of AEG's architectural whimfest named LA Live. Because of the LA Convention Center is next door, parking lots are plentiful, but still range from $25 (stupid) to $10 (better). While there are several bars and restaurants within walking distance (I'd guess roughly the same number as Buffalo, actually), it's rare that they pack up on game days (*see also: fans). There is a lot to do downtown and the area is only in the middle of resurrecting itself from some nuclear bomb of poverity that was detonated sometime around 1985. That resurrection started in the early 2000s: it's not bad and it's getting better.

 

Food: The arena food is pretty standard. Maybe slightly higher quality than average to match LA's higher (read: snobby) standards. Much of it is branded with corporate sponsor brands (like McDonald's, California Pizza Kitchen). Standouts include Wetzel's Pretzel and Budweiser Whistlstop Pub's French Dip sandwich. Despite the ok quality, I've had better arena food selection and quality almost every major league arena I've been to.

 

Drink: The widest availbility of alcohol comes in bottles. Beers on tap are pretty limited to Coors/Budweiser variants, nothing to write home about. More interesting is the wider availability of ###### wine and an interestingly decent availability of hard liquor at most concession stands. Need to get your Jack Daniels on with your pretzel? Done. Want some no name cabernet with your CPK? Why not.

 

Fans: In Los Angeles, hockey is just another spectacle in a city full of spectacles. It surely is not the way-of-life, Sabres-or-die attidtude. LA fans come away as uniterested. *(from above) There's a distinct lack of alcoholic sports culture in LA, so nobody pregames or postgames at any bars. Pearl Street in Buffalo packs five times more people in to a space half the size of the ESPN Zone next to the arena. very few drunks in the rink. Security's tight enough too to spot anyone who's not acting reserved enough. There's metal detectors on the way in (thanks, Lakers fans). The rowdiest fans are often supplied by the expatriots from the city where the opposing team is from. Every sports team worth their salt has fans in Los Angeles, and they all show up when their team comes to town. They're the ones that make it fun. [side story: I went to Penguins @ Kings in my Sabres jersey simply to root against the Pens; good times]

 

In Game entertainment: Lots of corporate money, so lots of contests and giveaways. Lots and lots of commercials on the scoreboard. They have a mascot (Bailey the Lion) and they have some pretty F-ing hot ice girls. [side story: I could do without ice girls] The arena does have pretty good audio and light/laser shiz during intros and goal scoring, likely because the arena's pretty new. Every game they salute a veteran in the crowd; classy move. The Kings are involved with a lot of charities and hockey organizations. They try to reach out to as many fans as possible, and this is usually evident.

 

Conclusion: It's a sterile environment, but one that's good to see your hometown play in with some hometown friends. Ticket face values are high, but cheaper tickets are easily found.

 

 

...

The one time I was there, I sat in the corner of the lower bowl. The fans there were pretty much entirely STHers and were very knowledgeable and reasonably loud. (Far louder than I'd expected going in.) Saw the Kings play the Stars and the fans I was sitting with liked Dallas as little as I did. It was a good time. And the corners of the lower bowl would be where I'd recommend getting tix if you're going.

 

Except for all the seats being purple and the 2 extra levels of suites, the bowl itself is very similar to the Mmarena and it probably explains why the walls at the Mmarena seem to stretch up about 30 ft higher than they need to.