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Some NHL Venues Still Feel Unique

By Adrian Dater
November 13, 2009

This is a column about the most unique NHL arenas, with some inside tips on what to do and see when you’re there. But they’re all the same right? This will be akin to discussing the differences of every song
ever done by the band Boston (none), the plotlines of every CSI ever done (none) and the year-by-year home run totals of shortstop Bert Campaneris’ 19-year career (almost none, except for that really weird
1970 year when he hit 22. Did Campy get his hands on A-Rod’s future steroid shipment that year?).

This would have been a better column, of course, about 20 years ago. I never got to cover a game at the old Chicago Stadium, but still hear a lot of stories from fans and old-time writers about the crowd noise
at “The Pit” (deafening). Never got to cover a game at the old Boston Garden, either (missed it by one year, and it’s still on the top five of things I’m most pissed off about in my life). But there were trips to the old Maple Leaf Gardens (pictures lining the walls were worth 41 admission prices in themselves), the old Montreal Forum (spectacular, the cathedral of hockey), the old Philly Spectrum (great seats for the
media) and the old L.A. Fabulous Forum (not so fabulous inside, but the Greco-roman design outside was great and I once got to chat with Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn after a game outside the Kings locker
room – “loved ya in “Overboard”).

Yes, most NHL arenas now all look the same. Most were built in the mid-to-late 1990s under a big boom in corporate welfare handouts by cities to shrewd owners who threatened to carpet-bag their way out of
town. Most all have the same look inside and out, stuffed with luxury suites and giant glass atriums. Most give you the exact same experience inside, too, which is: video show right before the team skates on ice, game starts, music blares between every play stoppage, t-shirts fired into crowd by bazooka guns between periods or a lousy Morning Zoo FM local DJ introduces some sumo wrestlers, KISS-cam comes
on late in the game, horn sounds at end game and then a giant fog horn if it’s a win for the locals.

But there are some places that are still quite unique, and if you’re in a travelin’ mood, you can put them into the GPS system, and other insider tips from yours truly to do while there. First up:

CALGARY – The Saddledome really does look like a saddle on the outside – or a Pringles potato chip. It’s definitely the place where aliens would most want to go see a hockey game if they were coming down from a spaceship. The surprising thing is how quiet Flames fans are inside a lot of the time. Canadian fans tend to really watch the game intently, and don’t fall prey as easily as Americans to the “Make some noise” garbage on the jumbotron.
WHAT TO DO WHILE THERE: Go to Joey Tomatoes at the Eau Claire Marketplace the night before a game and you’ll almost certainly see some visiting players, and maybe a Flame or two after the game.

MONTREAL – Yes, the Bell Centre looks a lot like other arenas. But it’s still in a great location, right next to the old Forum downtown, and it’s got a great atmosphere once the game starts. The basso,
smoky-voiced PA guy is great, speaking everything in French and English, and the music is always great. Always urban and fresh and matching the mood – not “We will rock you” for the millionth time.
WHAT TO DO WHILE THERE: Eating one of the smoked meat sandwiches in the concourse is a must. And if you can, sneak into the press room between periods to have one of the world famous hot dogs on toasted buns. Have a post-game drink at the Marriott Chateau Champlain next door.

DETROIT – Joe Louis Arena is one of the oldest buildings in the league now, and it shows in many spots. It’s sticky and dark and inconvenient to access via automobile. But it’s got some great, great banners of Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay and Terry Sawchuk hanging in the concourse, and the sightlines are good from every seat and the PA announcer, WWII veteran Budd Lynch, is a treasure.
WHAT TO DO WHILE THERE: Walk around the Renaissance Center then go up to the top bar where George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez filmed that scene having a drink before going back to her room. Also, drive to Dearborn (about 20 minutes away) and visit the Henry Ford Museum. It’s got every weird piece of history you can imagine, including the blood-stained chair in which Lincoln was shot.

WASHINGTON – It used to be the bleakest place in the league, because the Capitals once played in a pitch-black arena in Landover, Md. Now, the Verizon Center is in a hip part of downtown Washington,  right next to a subway line, it’s just fun inside. Of course, having the most exciting player in the league playing for the home team helps, too.
WHAT TO DO WHILE THERE: There might be a few historic things to see, but we’ll check and report back later.

PITTSBURGH – Enjoy the Igloo while it lasts, which isn’t much longer. Some think that’s a very good thing, and it might be. But it’s still a good place to watch a game. The building was actually an opera house in the beginning, so the acoustics are great. And you feel like you’re in a giant geodesic dome inside, looking up at the rounded ceiling.
WHAT TO DO WHILE THERE: It’s a great place to get autographs, because the player entrance is so accessible to the average fan. That’s why you see so many Sharpie-scribbled jerseys on Pens fans.

Adrian Dater covers the NHL for the Denver Post