Anyway, here is a rough ranking of the 22 current NHL buildings that I've been to. There is little science to this, just based on what I remember to be the best and worst of each arena. Fans and any atmosphere they may or may not create in a given place are not factored in here.
1)
Prudential Center
New Jersey Devils
Newark, NJ
visits: 7
last: 1/4/11 vs. Minnesota
The Rock is tough to beat. It has it all. Pretty outside. It's in a good location and is easy to get to. Awesome inner (Devil logos on urinals) and outer aesthetics. They've even added more food options. The tables overlooking the ice are sweet. The team's color scheme used throughout is unmatched by any other building except maybe Detroit.
2)
Wells Fargo Center
Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia, PA
visits: 5
last: 10/30/10 vs. Islanders
I don't love the location of the sports facilities in Philly, but they aren't hard to get to. The SEPTA goes right to the oft-renamed arena. The exterior leaves something to be desired but the rest of the building is excellent. Nice, simple layout. A good lobby, nicely sized hallways. Excellent banners. Good sight lines.
3)
Air Canada Center
Toronto Maples Leafs
Toronto, ON
visits: 1
last: 3/27/10 vs. Rangers
An underrated building. It could be in a slightly better location, but it is in downtown Toronto, right next to the city's main rail station, so can't I kill them for it. The outside is decent enough looking. The inner seating look is excellent, deadly quiet patrons aside. Plentiful food options, well represented team history, and open viewing areas in the corridors abound.
4)
TD Garden
Boston Bruins
Boston, MA
visits: 2
last: 3/7/09 vs. Chicago
A disappointing exterior is the Garden's worst feature. The compact seating bowl of yellow seats is awesome and very Bruins. It lacks a discernable lobby but sits in an excellent location, right above North Station. The banners of both home clubs are displayed in intimidating fashion. The Bruins may have the coolest retired number banners in the league.
5)
Bridgestone Arena
Nashville Predators
Nashville,TN
visits: 1
last: 11/17/07 vs. St. Louis
Great downtown location. One of the coolest looking exteriors. Great inner look incorporating team colors. Probably the most intimate feel of the newer buildings (which is basically all of them now).
6)
Centre Bell
Montreal Canadiens
Montreal, QC
visits: 2
last: 10/16/10 vs. Ottawa
The Centre Bell has risen on my list due to major additions in recent years. Whereas there was little on display of the Habs' storied history before, there is now a slew of it. A pavilion featuring statues of Montreal greats is particularly awesome. Very big bathrooms are a plus. Cramped hallways are a minus, especially in the highest capacity arena in the league. A really blah exterior, almost as if no thought went into it. It's a box with a small logo on it. Steep, intimidating seating layout is fantastic.
7)
Nationwide Arena
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus, OHvisits: 1
last: 12/11/05 vs. New Jersey
It's been a while but Nationwide is a great all around building. Nice brick exterior. Nice lobby. I seem to remember they had better than average food options. (Columbus gets no picture because my browser keeps freezing when I look at my CBJ pics.)
8)
United Center
Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago, IL
visits: 1
last: 1/28/07 vs. Calgary
Possibly the nicest exterior in the NHL, mimicking the Chicago Stadium look. Everything else seemed above average.
9)
American Airlines Center
Dallas Stars
Dallas, TX
visits: 2
visits: 2
last: 2/11/07 vs. Colorado
Absolutely awesome brick facade. Different hallway look as some parts resemble a hotel. I don't love the gray seats but the super high ceiling is very cool.
10)
Verizon Center
Washington Capitals
Washington, D.C.
visits: 3
last: 1/31/10 vs. Tampa Bay
Possibly my least favorite inner look of any building. Luxury boxes are laid out in a very cluttered fashion. The Verizon Center is in a great location though and easily accessible by train. A conservative, but classy exterior. Hallways are above average size.
11)
Staples Center
Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles, CA
visits: 1
last: 1/15/11 vs. Edmonton
The "house that Shaq built" has an absurd amount of luxury boxes and a very small upper level. The boxes aren't cluttered in a DC fashion. There are just so many of them. The Staples is in downtown LA, not buried in an outlying area, so that's good. A very cool exterior greets LA fans. $25 player shirts gets Tinseltown some points. Different look with team banners on a wall rather than hanging from the rafters.
12)
Honda Center
Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim, CA
visits: 1
last: 1/16/11 vs. Edmonton
Tickets seem reasonable enough but the once inside the Ducks go after your wallet big time. There were hardly any fans wearing player name and number shirts. That could be due to the Ducks selling them for $35. Very distinct marble floor look in the corridors. Simple, compact seating arrangement. The Wild Wing statue? Lame.
13)
Scotiabank Place
Ottawa Senators
Kanata, ON
visits: 1
last: 1/21/06 vs. Toronto
Horrendous location in the middle of nowhere outside of Canada's capital. Excellent exterior and a nice interior. One of the few places to have an upper walkway above the upper level. I remember their burger being pretty good for an arena burger.
14)
HSBC Arena
Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo, NY
visits: 4
last: 4/27/07 vs. Rangers
Nice exterior, expansive lobby, and the best and biggest team store you'll find. Not a huge fan of the heavens scraping ceiling, but it is distinctive. The ice feels a mile away from the upper level.
15)
Joe Louis Arena
Detroit Red Wings
Detroit, MI
visits: 1
last: 5/1/09 vs. Anaheim
Charming old building sits in what's left of downtown Detroit. Can't fault it for being surrounded by nothing in this case. Red and gray seats look stellar. The hallways are wallpapered in the club's history. Biggest issue is a lack of bathrooms.
16)
Scottrade Center
St. Louis Blues
St. Louis, MO
visits: 2
last: 1/27/07 vs. Nashville
Not a bad place but somewhat boring. Probably the most glassy exterior (besides maybe Minnesota but I haven't been there yet). Nice use of team colors inside.
17)
RBC Center
Carolina Hurricanes
Raleigh, NC
visits: 1
last: 3/25/06 vs. Washington
Love the red seats repping both the Canes and the NC State Wolfpack. Sort of a Nassau Coliseum setting. As in it's in a parking lot in the middle of nothing. Not really sure if there is any happening area in Raleigh that would be a better setting though.
18)
St. Pete Times Forum
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa, FL
visits: 2
last: 1/24/08 vs. Ottawa
Good at everything, great at nothing. Nice setting. Nice pavilion near the entrance. Nice seating bowl. Love the blue seats.
19)
Philips Arena
Atlanta ThrashersAtlanta, GA
visits: 1
last: 3/18/06 vs. Philadelphia
Awesome exterior featuring a massive "ATLANTA" sign. For some reason the main hallway is a U shape. You can't walk all the way around the building. All of the boxes are on one side of the rink. Weird, different. Not sure that it works very well aesthetically. The upper level is very high up.
20)
BankAtlantic Center
Florida Panthers
Sunrise, FL
visits: 1
last: 12/29/06 vs. Montreal
The carpeted corridors are different and get a plus. The setting seems pretty, surrounded by palm trees and a pond, but why the hell is this rink 40 minutes or so northof Miami? This team needs all the help it can get and being out of the way of the major metro area isn't helping.
21)Madison Square Garden
New York Rangers
New York, NY
visits: 88 (since 1992-93)
last: 1/13/11 vs. Vancouver
My home rink. Despite the unique round shape of MSG, the magnificent ceiling, the unbeatable location, and the general cool feeling, I've come to realize just how bad the "World's Most Famous Arena" is aesthetically as I've visited more places. Rare is the seat that offers views of all four corners. MSG offers the worst sight lines in the NHL, regardless of the price on your ducat. The hallways are cramped, the bathrooms are few, the food options suck, the booze is pricy. The ceiling is magnificent. The league's oldest building might have a cool, old timey feel if it weren't for the purple and teal seats.
22)Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
New York Islanders
Uniondale, NY
visits: 52
last: 12/12/09 vs. Boston
The saving grace of this decrepit structure is that every seat, save for the top few rows, offer excellent sight lines. When this place is rocking, which it rarely is, it's a special place. The second oldest rink in the league has numerous issues. It's not uncommon for the bathrooms to be backed up a quarter of the way around the building on a night when a third of the seats are empty. Amenities don't exist. This place needs to be reachable by train. It isn't. It's amazing the Coliseum's single concourse isn't considered a fire hazard. Sure, the Isles play in a suburban setting, but there is next to nothing as far as drinking and dining options within walking distance.
Pittsburgh, we're coming for you (again) in March.
