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Best Arena?

Re: Best Arena?

TonyTheTiger20 said:
Also the Alfond up at Maine is a perfect example of a dumpy craphole of a barn that makes it one of my absolute favorite places to watch a hockey game. Great fans too.
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Then you would have loved the old Mariucci when it was still Williams arena. Everyone jammed into wooden benches and craning to try to see the action in the corners. Student section was just in front of the band and your ears would be ringing for several days after a game. Turned me into a fan, though... Never saw the game before then.
 
OldDave said:
Then you would have loved the old Mariucci when it was still Williams arena. Everyone jammed into wooden benches and craning to try to see the action in the corners.
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Underside of basketball bleachers slanting down over one net. Goldie up on his perch leading the cheers. All kinds of Fenway quirkiness on display.
 
Re: Best Arena?

OldDave said:
Then you would have loved the old Mariucci when it was still Williams arena. Everyone jammed into wooden benches and craning to try to see the action in the corners. Student section was just in front of the band and your ears would be ringing for several days after a game. Turned me into a fan, though... Never saw the game before then.
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ARM said:
Underside of basketball bleachers slanting down over one net. Goldie up on his perch leading the cheers. All kinds of Fenway quirkiness on display.
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This sounds like college hockey heaven
 
Re: Best Arena?

Lot's of drinks spilled over my head in that rink. Think it was the Badger jersey?? Nice old barn.

Englestad is by far and away the nicest rink. Getting larger crowds now so lower bowl is noisy. Amsoil nice but not quaint for the womens' game. In the East, I like Mathews. Great site lines, love to be on the rail up top.
 
Re: Best Arena?

Eeyore said:
Until your season tickets were behind a pillar and you couldn't see half of the ice surface. I do not miss that arena at all.
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Sight lines were poor for about 90% in attendance. Fortunately, I was in the other 10% - maybe the upper 1% - with my season tickets. But despite the poor viewing for "the masses" the atmosphere in the "old Mariucci" was unbelievable.
 
Re: Best Arena?

Those wooden benches got more and more uncomfortable as my years advanced. It was a unique rink...with great atmosphere as noted.
 
Re: Best Arena?

puckskillz said:
In the East, I like Mathews. Great site lines, love to be on the rail up top.
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I do love Matthews but the sight lines are either amazing or awful. Upstairs on the rail is one of the best seats in hockey, but elsewhere leaves much to be desired.

They did a great job with their renovations over there a couple years ago.
 
TonyTheTiger20 said:
I do love Matthews but the sight lines are either amazing or awful. Upstairs on the rail is one of the best seats in hockey, but elsewhere leaves much to be desired.

They did a great job with their renovations over there a couple years ago.
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Need to remember that Boston Arena (now Matthews) and later barns like Boston Garden and Madison Square Gardens were designed for boxing, which was the preeminent spectator sport of the times. Sight lines were based on a square centered in the floor of the arena......without a care for 90 percent of that floor.
 
Re: Best Arena?

Hux said:
Need to remember that Boston Arena (now Matthews) and later barns like Boston Garden and Madison Square Gardens were designed for boxing, which was the preeminent spectator sport of the times. Sight lines were based on a square centered in the floor of the arena......without a care for 90 percent of that floor.
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I was at Matthews this afternoon for the BC/NU game and managed to get a seat right behind the visitor's bench and man oh man what great seats. Plus a great job by the pep band. Love that venue.
 
Re: Best Arena?

THE Icemom said:
As far as college rinks, World Arena home of Colorado College is nice but my favorite is Magness Arena on the University of Denver campus. There are no bad seats in the house. Drawback is not sufficient parking.
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Those aren't real hockey schools. No women's programs. :D

TonyTheTiger20 said:
...Also the Alfond up at Maine is a perfect example of a dumpy craphole of a barn that makes it one of my absolute favorite places to watch a hockey game. Great fans too.
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I was told (by a Maine coach) that Alfond was the best hockey atmosphere in all of college hockey.
 
Re: Best Arena?

D2D said:
Sight lines were poor for about 90% in attendance. Fortunately, I was in the other 10% - maybe the upper 1% - with my season tickets. But despite the poor viewing for "the masses" the atmosphere in the "old Mariucci" was unbelievable.
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I had season tix there 83-84. Another feature of the old Mariucci was that one end of the rink was below the end-seats of the adjacent Williams Arena. The ceiling pitched downward toward the goal line, and it was not at all unusual for pucks to hit the ceiling during games.

If memory serves, the old Mariucci was also home to one of the many "longest goal in hockey history" moments. Opponent had pulled their goalie, and the Gopher goalie (Pietrangelo maybe???) cleared the puck from behind his net, banked it off the side walls, and it went all the way down for an empty net goal. It was written up in the newspapers back in the day... anyone remember the specifics?
 
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Re: Best Arena?

My favourite is Ronald B. Stafford at Plattsburgh State. Went through an extensive reno a few years back. Installed comfortable individual seating; new scoreboard (that wasn't working all that great at first); new boards, and glass. Great place to watch a game!
 
Re: Best Arena?

D2D said:
Haven't seen it in person but Pegula is getting lots of rave reviews. You can take a virtual tour at their web site here:

http://www.gopsusports.com/pegula-ice-arena/index.html
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It's a nice arena, but... they are over-the-top as far as their rules.

Ladies had to empty all their purse contents into a gallon ziplock bag. Then purse went in another ziplock bag. Cameras had to come out of the camera bags.

Attendance was maybe 100 people, but they had ushers wandering around making sure nobody sat in a "reserved" chair in an otherwise empty section, without proper ticket.
 
AggiesHockey said:
It's a nice arena, but... they are over-the-top as far as their rules.

Ladies had to empty all their purse contents into a gallon ziplock bag. Then purse went in another ziplock bag. Cameras had to come out of the camera bags.

Attendance was maybe 100 people, but they had ushers wandering around making sure nobody sat in a "reserved" chair in an otherwise empty section, without proper ticket.
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Certainly nice, but not to the level of tRalph. Crap *** "glass" like at BC...nice fireplace in the Subway though.
 
Re: Best Arena?

AggiesHockey said:
It's a nice arena, but... they are over-the-top as far as their rules.

Ladies had to empty all their purse contents into a gallon ziplock bag. Then purse went in another ziplock bag. Cameras had to come out of the camera bags.

Attendance was maybe 100 people, but they had ushers wandering around making sure nobody sat in a "reserved" chair in an otherwise empty section, without proper ticket.
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I had exactly the same experience! I have a small bag that goes over one shoulder and under the other arm (no hands required). They were telling me I had to put it in a ziplock bag and carry it. Um - hello - entirely missing the point of the bag. I ended up putting my car keys and cash in my pocket and leaving the bag in the car.

And yeah - I like to sit low behind our offensive zone net, but the staff (a ratio of maybe one staff member to 2 or three spectators tops) were very insistent that they had to keep that section closed. Unfriendly, but very nice facility.
 
Re: Best Arena?

Ralph - Prettiest

Infrastucture leaves alittle to be desired. Visiting locker rooms, quality of ice not like the outside, lol. Or so says my informant.

Ridder - best Women's rink

How many schools would kill for this recruiting tool.

Walker Arena - Best Barn ever

You need some gray hairs to have ever experienced Clarkson's old rink.
 
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