Although facilities play a part in determining the atmosphere in any sport, it's unlikely that the character is more important in any sport other than hockey.
Baseball stadiums may have their own personality, but for the most part, they're all outdoors, so the ceiling is the same height. Basketball arenas are also indoors, but unlike hockey, the playing surface is always the same size. Football stadiums are primarily outdoors and with the exception of the difference between the American and Canadian game, the playing surface is again always the same size.
For many reasons, hockey arenas are unique. While the slope of the seats, sight lines, music, lighting, roof height and many other factors shape the experience of the game, hockey also has the somewhat distinct nature of the playing surface being a variable size. Although baseball is the same way, the size of the ice surface has more significance in a fast-paced sport such as hockey. In the USHL, ice size varies from 200 feet by 100 feet in Waterloo to 179 feet by 80 feet in Sioux City. With an ice size of just under 20,000 square feet (when the radius of corners is accounted for), Young Arena's ice is significantly larger than the approximately 14,000 square feet of ice surface at the Sioux City Auditorium.
Perhaps that is one reason why hockey arenas seem to have an additional personality when compared to stadiums or arenas in other sports. There's a lot more to it than just the size of the ice, as you'll see throughout the rest of this column.
Best arenas:
1. Young Arena, Waterloo
Although it seems that most new arenas lack the personality of many of the game's older buildings, Waterloo's Young Arena does not follow the trend. Although Young Arena is just four years old, the building combines many of the best features of old arenas with the comforts of new arenas.
Young Arena is built along the Cedar River in downtown Waterloo, and several windows allow fans to see the river while walking around the concourse. The arena seats 3,200, and there isn't a bad seat in the house. The sight lines are quite steep, allowing fans a great view of the action on the ice. The seats are setup in a horseshoe, with seats on the two sides and on one end. The other end features a walkway and an area to stand and watch the game, reminiscent of many old-time, small-town arenas.
Perhaps the only criticism of Young Arena is the narrow main concourse. The concourse is above the seating area, which does create the advantage of being able to watch the game while standing in concession lines, as well as eliminating aisles from the seating area, meaning less obstructed seats. Overall, the narrow concourse is a small price to pay for an excellent facility.
2. Fort William Gardens, Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay's Fort William Gardens is considerably older than Young Arena, but it certainly fits under the category of older buildings with personality. The arena is located on a street front near downtown Thunder Bay, in the part of the city known as Fort William before Fort William and Port Arthur combined in the 1970s to form the city now known as Thunder Bay. As fans walk along the city streets to the game, one is reminded of old-time hockey arenas such as Maple Leaf Gardens, which is located on a street front in a slightly larger Ontario city.
The similarities between the two buildings do not stop there, however. Inside the arena, Fort William Gardens' dÈcor and atmosphere is again reminiscent of the more famous Gardens. For a relatively old arena, Fort Williams Gardens is clean and well kept. The concourse area is relatively wide-open, and the concessions, which are among the best in the USHL, are plentiful.
The seating area is equally impressive. With relatively steep sight lines, any seat in the Gardens is a good one. As opposed to the horseshoe shape found in many USHL arenas, the seats circle the ice at the Gardens. The sound system is good, access to the seats is convenient, and the people are friendly. Overall, it's a great place to watch a hockey game, even if the Flyers' attendance has struggled somewhat in recent years.
3. Sioux City Auditorium, Sioux City
If there's an arena that just feels like hockey, it's the Sioux City Auditorium. From the time you walk in the front doors, up the long ramps to the concourse area, the arena has a feeling of tradition. As you hear organist Dave Soelberg play the traditional hockey tunes prior to the game, one is transported back about 40 years in their minds, creating a great old-time hockey atmosphere.
In just about every sense of the word, the Auditorium is old-time hockey. The seats are the steepest in the USHL, as each row puts the fan's feet at about head level of the fans in front of them. Legroom is nearly non-existent, but it's a very small price to pay for the incredible view. The only flaw is that several seats are obstructed. Some of the seats in sections one and two, at the two ends of the horseshoe-shaped seating area, are located so that the fan can not see the near net at all. Also, several seats in section four are located behind the organ, which can cause an obstructed view of the ice, and several balcony seats are located behind poles.
Other categories:
Loudest arenas:
1. Ice Box, Lincoln
2. Metro Ice Sports Arena, Des Moines
3. Young Arena, Waterloo
Hockey is only three years old in Lincoln, but the fans have adopted the team very quickly. From the time the Stars enter the ice before the game until the end of the three-star selection, the Ice Box is one of the loudest arenas anywhere in which to watch a hockey game. The fans' enthusiasm and the wooden roof combine to make a great hockey atmosphere.
Enthusiastic fans and an acoustically loud building help to make the Metro Ice Sports Arena one of the league's loudest buildings. One of the most intimidating crowd reactions in the league is the playing of "Rock and Roll Part II" after a Buccaneer goal. The volume always seems to get turned up another notch yet when a strong rival such as Omaha is in town.
When the hometown Black Hawks are winning, it's tough to imagine a louder arena than Waterloo's Young Arena. Much of this can be attributed to the arena's design, as steep seats and a low metal roof create what is likely the loudest acoustics in the league.
Most famous arena: Columbia Arena, Twin Cities.
The real life home of the Twin Cities Vulcans is also the fictional home of the Mighty Ducks - not the Anaheim variety, but the Disney variety. The third Mighty Ducks movie, D3, was filmed largely in Columbia Arena. Several signs throughout the building remind the fans that one of the most famous hockey movies in history was filmed in the Vulcans' home.
Most significant historic arena: Aksarben Coliseum, Omaha.
Professional hockey has existed off and on in Omaha since the 1930s, and the teams have always played at Aksarben. NHL stars such as Gordie Howe and Terry Sawchuk played minor league hockey at Aksarben, contributing to a feeling of tradition at the aging facility.
Best pre-game introductions: Ice Box, Lincoln.
The Ice Box was one of the first junior hockey arenas to utilize spotlights in their introductions when the Stars entered the league in 1996-97, but the Stars have taken it a step further since then. Not only is the light show, timed to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck", the best pre-game show in the USHL, it might be the best anywhere. If you've never seen a game at the Ice Box, it's worth the trip just for the pre-game show.
Best organ music: Sioux City Auditorium, Sioux City.
One of the few USHL arenas that still plays organ music; the Sioux City Auditorium features a traditional organ with traditional music. There's something about hearing the national anthem played on an organ that makes a game feel like old-time hockey.
Toughest arena for a visiting team: Metro Ice Sports Arena, Des Moines.
With only two home losses through the next to last weekend of the season, the Bucs have dominated at home this year. Much of the credit goes to the enthusiastic crowd, which packs the arena on most nights.
Best popcorn: North Iowa Ice Arena, North Iowa.
The North Iowa Ice Arena will be missed for many reasons after the team moves south to Cedar Rapids, one of which is the popcorn. With real butter, the popcorn in Mason City is as good as at any movie theater. Let's just hope they take the popcorn machine with them to their new home.
