Best Arena?

[pokechecker]

Re: Best Arena?

I'm a big fan of Mariucci out west. But Mariucci and Ridder are the only western rinks I've been to. I just know that it ranks ahead of all of the arenas I've been to out east. I *love* Ridder too.

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.

the thing about Mariucci and Ridder is that they are great for watching, but like the soon to be dead MetroDome, pretty lackluster concourse
so if you go for the game, it's hard to beat Mariucci which has better sightlines than Amsoil, but if you are going for an event (meet friends and talk out in the concourse,) Amsoil is much nicer.

The old barn despite all of it's drawbacks, was one helluva place to watch hockey

 

[HankScorpio]

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

You're joking right? What part of the infrastructure at the Ralph is subpar?? I'll get back to that in a second.

While Ridder may be one of the best women's rinks, it's easy to say that because there are only a handful of women's-rinks in this country. I'd rather have the best rink period than the best women's rink by default.

Back to the infrastructure part, I can only attest to the rinks that I've been to, I don't like commenting on rinks I haven't seen first hand... Also, all my comments are based on games for women's hockey, for those rinks that share men's and women's.

WCHA (in alphabetical order)
Bemidji - Great venue for fans. Great looking building inside, and perfect size for their fan base, and would be a great size for a women's hockey tournament if it were in Minneapolis. However, the ice is almost always brutal and the visiting (and home) locker rooms are a nautical mile away from the ice. Granted the visiting locker rooms are cushy, nice big metal stalls for each players. Good concessions.

Minnesota - Another great venue for women's games, not going to argue that. Fan experience is great, gets loud, etc. However, it is starting to show its age, and when there are other events going on in the area parking is horrendous. Also, the visiting locker rooms are just a big room with bench seating around the wall. Not really anything special, and for tournaments two teams have to be really close to each other. Also, concessions there are brutal.

Minnesota Duluth - AMSoil is not bad either, right up there with Bemidji in a great looking building. Some people don't like the color scheme for the seats but I like it. Great concessions for fans. For the visiting teams, basic locker rooms and same as Ridder for tournaments when other teams are around, space goes quickly. They even had to use locker rooms in the old DECC for a fourth team during the Final Face-Off/Frozen Four.

Minnesota State - Brutal, but at least they know it. The quicker they can get into the Civic Center the better.

North Dakota - If you try arguing that there are any better college rinks than the Ralph than I feel sorry for you. There aren't very many better NHL venues, though I might put the X above the Ralph, but not by much. As far as infrastructure goes, you still cant ask for more. Separate dedicated visiting locker rooms for men's and women's teams. Women's visiting locker room has individual stalls and is just steps from the ice. And the locker room the coaches get is bigger than both the team and coaches room at Ridder. And the ice crew there work around the clock to make sure the ice is maintained well, granted you may have days where the ice isn't as great as it should be, but that's going to happen every where. At least at the Ralph they set the bar very high when it comes to ice quality.

Ohio State - Brutal again. Home locker room is in another building and the team has to walk outside (albeit a covered walkway) to get to the ice. Visiting locker rooms are downstairs and players have to walk up a flight of stairs to get to them. The Schott isn't bad, and it's cavernous for men's games, women's games there are literally empty.

St. Cloud State - Better after the recent upgrades. Visiting locker rooms are brutal though, especially when there are youth teams running around down there at the same time.

Wisconsin - Another pretty building, but the people that got the best end of the deal was the wisco men's and women's teams. Their facilities there are great. Fan environment is not that good. Cramped seating, fudged attendance reporting (guess that's not on LaBahn Arena....) and limited concessions are only a few of the complaints that they have. As far as the visiting team set up: it's not good. The most cramped locker room in the world, followed by an athletic training room that fans can look into! Also, the ice quality can be brutal if it's a sunny day with the light heating the ice in uneven spots.

Others
Clarkson - Old School barn, horrendous facilities for the visiting team.
Lindenwood - Can't expect much from a city rink, just a step up from All Seasons IMO.
Rensselaer - Too big for women's games there. Not the nicest facility, but gets the job done for them.

While Ridder may be the best overall women's-only rink, it is still light-years away from a lot of other venues. So spare me with all this Gopher love. I'd rather play in the best rink college hockey has to offer; not the best second-tier rink.

EDIT: They sell beer at the Ralph, yes, for women's games too. Game, set, match, UND.

 

[D2D]

Re: Best Arena?

Rensselaer - Too big for women's games there.

And the Ralph isn't too big for the Whioux's womens' games? Last year the building averaged 89.5% empty!

http://www.uscho.com/stats/attendance/division-i-women/2012-2013/

EDIT: They sell beer at the Ralph, yes, for women's games too. Game, set, match, UND.

I think all that beer might be having an influence on your judgment!

 

[Eeyore]

Re: Best Arena?

Minnesota - . . . when there are other events going on in the area parking is horrendous.

I won't argue about the concessions and I'll take your word on it for the visiting locker rooms but this I absolutely don't agree with. I never have any trouble parking for games, whether I want to use the Washington Ave ramp or the 4th Street ramp. Someone from Grand Forks may not like the prices but that has nothing to do with the facilities and everything to do with being a campus of some 75,000 people right in the middle of a metropolitan area. If you want to attend ANYTHING within a mile or two of downtown you're going to pay roughly those rates to park.

 

[D2D]

Re: Best Arena?

I won't argue about the concessions and I'll take your word on it for the visiting locker rooms but this I absolutely don't agree with. I never have any trouble parking for games, whether I want to use the Washington Ave ramp or the 4th Street ramp. Someone from Grand Forks may not like the prices but that has nothing to do with the facilities and everything to do with being a campus of some 75,000 people right in the middle of a metropolitan area. If you want to attend ANYTHING within a mile or two of downtown you're going to pay roughly those rates to park.

Eeyore, agree 100%.

With possibly one exception, I've attended every home game at Ridder this season, and have never had a problem getting a parking spot. That said, the amount they now charge, for the convenient close-in lots, has increased to a minimum of $8 vs. a minimum of just $4 a couple of year ago (parking charge will vary, depending on what other Gopher sporting events are going on that day). In any case, it often ends up being more than it perhaps should be, as I often end up paying more to park my car in a big, mostly empty lot than what I pay for the actual game ticket. Still, given the excitement and usual high quality of play, I think it's still the best entertainment bargain for hockey fans who live in the Twin Cities area, period.

 

[D2D]

Re: Best Arena?

P.S. Couldn't agree more on the (poor) concessions at the Gopher women's games. But if you ever venture next door to Mariucci to attend a men's game, you'll find both the quality and the variety of the menu increases exponentially...including my favorite, the Jax Café booth...prime rib, great chili, clam chowder, etc. ...yum. And if you're still hungry, you can venture down to the other end for some real ice cream...proud to say that I've done that only once - so far - this season.

 

[ARM]

Minnesota - ... However, it is starting to show its age ...

You do realize that the Ralph is older, right? Ridder's problem isn't age, it's the difference in budget between it and the rinks that were built as men's rinks, particularly the Ralph. Where the latter has hardwood and stone, Ridder has painted over concrete. It's like comparing a kitchen to a garage. Yes, the kitchen is nicer, but the garage can still be a good place to park your car.

 

[HankScorpio]

Re: Best Arena?

And the Ralph isn't too big for the Whioux's womens' games? Last year the building averaged 89.5% empty!

http://www.uscho.com/stats/attendance/division-i-women/2012-2013/

I think all that beer might be having an influence on your judgment!

Okay, you caught me in a lapse...but, while the Ralph only filled out 10.5% of it's capacity, that's still A LOT more than the 2.8% that RPI was averaging in a building less than half the size. It's too big for them, heck, All Seasons or OSU Ice Rink is too big for them.. Also on a side note, it's annoying that each school has it's own attendance reporting practices, like Wisconsin reporting tickets sold, instead of people in the building. I wish the NCAA would set a rule on this practice.

You do realize that the Ralph is older, right? Ridder's problem isn't age, it's the difference in budget between it and the rinks that were built as men's rinks, particularly the Ralph. Where the latter has hardwood and stone, Ridder has painted over concrete. It's like comparing a kitchen to a garage. Yes, the kitchen is nicer, but the garage can still be a good place to park your car.

I just don't think Ridder is God's gift to women's hockey like every one makes it out to be. And I know the Ralph is older, but it doesn't show it's age. Ridder has no room for expansion and it doesnt help that it's facilities are shared with tennis, St. Kates, and a weight room upstairs.

Hopefully at some point in the future when people start realizing how great the women's game is, the Ralph will start feeling just the right size for women's hockey.

 

[ARM]

All Seasons or OSU Ice Rink is too big for them..

I've seen All-Seasons essentially full for a women's game, so I disagree with it being too big. The most I've every personally witnessed for a women's college game at UND was 3,000+, and while it no longer felt empty, IMO it would have taken one or two thousand more to make it truly start to feel alive. But I'm not disagreeing that the overall list of features is at or near the top as a fan experience.

I just don't think Ridder is God's gift to women's hockey like every one makes it out to be.

For its tenants, Ridder is a home of their own, offering the advantage of being able to play and practice and hang out in one location. Beyond that, most of the appeal of Ridder is the product on display, the history that teams have added to the place, and the atmosphere it is possible to create in a smaller facility. It's problems are less about aging, and more about features that weren't there to start with. But with the new scoreboard, the artwork that's been added, and more trophies/banners, I think Ridder is much better now than it was was when first built.

 

[FiveHoleFrenzy]

Re: Best Arena?

Okay, you caught me in a lapse...but, while the Ralph only filled out 10.5% of it's capacity, that's still A LOT more than the 2.8% that RPI was averaging in a building less than half the size. It's too big for them, heck, All Seasons or OSU Ice Rink is too big for them.. Also on a side note, it's annoying that each school has it's own attendance reporting practices, like Wisconsin reporting tickets sold, instead of people in the building. I wish the NCAA would set a rule on this practice.




I just don't think Ridder is God's gift to women's hockey like every one makes it out to be. And I know the Ralph is older, but it doesn't show it's age. Ridder has no room for expansion and it doesnt help that it's facilities are shared with tennis, St. Kates, and a weight room upstairs.

Hopefully at some point in the future when people start realizing how great the women's game is, the Ralph will start feeling just the right size for women's hockey.[/QUOTE

Of course you don't think Ridder is God's gift to women's hockey and I not sure that everyone is making it out to BE that. What is good about Ridder is that it is great for a fan to watch a game. The seating capacity is just the right size to create an intimate atmosphere and that is the reality of women's college hockey.

 

[brookyone]

Re: Best Arena?

I just don't think Ridder is God's gift to women's hockey like every one makes it out to be.

Ridder has been promoted as the only rink constructed (when originally built) exclusively for a women's hockey program. Pretty straightforward, and for that reason, worthy of some recognition for that as a positive aspect for the sport in general. I've never heard anyone effuse to a magnitude of "Ridder is God's gift to women's hockey" but I've heard quite a bit of appreciation for the gift that it was...courtesy the Ridder family. Kind of an unusual beef it seems. Not thinking it's a particularly great arena, not the equal of REA, or thinking Ridder is an average arena at best is fine. Others have said the same. Having a problem with the appreciation others have for the place even if it's merely the initial novelty...that's not really a valid complaint regarding the facility in my view.

Maybe Ridder looks older than it is due to all the women's varsity hockey WCHA, NCAA banners and hardware that litter the place...and conversely The Ralph looks as if it was opened yesterday. Could influence someone's impression of a buildings age I suppose.

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Best Arena?

Okay, you caught me in a lapse...but, while the Ralph only filled out 10.5% of it's capacity, that's still A LOT more than the 2.8% that RPI was averaging in a building less than half the size. It's too big for them, heck, All Seasons or OSU Ice Rink is too big for them.. Also on a side note, it's annoying that each school has it's own attendance reporting practices, like Wisconsin reporting tickets sold, instead of people in the building. I wish the NCAA would set a rule on this practice.

I have never heard of a sports team in college or professional sports that doesn't publish the paid attendance as the actual figure. It's the same across the board.

 

[D2D]

Re: Best Arena?

I have never heard of a sports team in college or professional sports that doesn't publish the paid attendance as the actual figure. It's the same across the board.

This got me wondering if today's Gopher women's game against Minnesota State at TCF Back Stadium will set an all-time attendance record for a women's hockey game. Even though the stadium will at best be only half-full for the women, officially the paid attendance will be 45,000+ since the same ticket gets you admission to both the women's game at 4:30 and the men's game at 8:00. So officially I suppose the paid attendance will be the same for both games?

 

[brookyone]

Re: Best Arena?

This got me wondering if today's Gopher women's game against Minnesota State at TCF Back Stadium will set an all-time attendance record for a women's hockey game. Even though the stadium will at best be only half-full for the women, officially the paid attendance will be 45,000+ since the same ticket gets you admission to both the women's game at 4:30 and the men's game at 8:00. So officially I suppose the paid attendance will be the same for both games?

Is it possible the ticket barcodes and scans are used for attendance figures of people actually entering the building? Something I tended to assume.

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Best Arena?

This got me wondering if today's Gopher women's game against Minnesota State at TCF Back Stadium will set an all-time attendance record for a women's hockey game. Even though the stadium will at best be only half-full for the women, officially the paid attendance will be 45,000+ since the same ticket gets you admission to both the women's game at 4:30 and the men's game at 8:00. So officially I suppose the paid attendance will be the same for both games?

They may figure out a way to get a more accurate number. I know for the game at Camp Randall, the women's game had a lower number than the men's, but I think that was single admission.

Somewhat related - the Big Chill at the Big House had 2 different numbers. The Guinness world records people used a lower number than the initial announced attendance.

 

[NMH]

Re: Best Arena?

Camp Randall was single admission, but they did give two different attendance numbers. I don't think they ever announced how they came up with the number, but presumably they used scans.

I'll agree, though, that I've never heard of anyone using anything but ticket sales as the measure for attendance. I've worked with a few minor league teams in various sports and that's what they all did, as well. I thought it was accepted practice to assume that announced attendance is always higher than actual attendace.

 

[myStuff]

Re: Best Arena?

5 of the top 15 are hockey arenas, obviously whoever did the picking likes hockey.

here is the college hockey picks:
1. Amsoil Arena, Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

2. Compton Family Ice Arena, Notre Dame Fighting Irish

3. Mariucci Arena, Minnesota Golden Gophers

4. Kohl Center, Wisconsin Badgers

5. World Arena, Colorado College Tigers

6. Ralph Engelstad Arena, North Dakota Hockey

7. John J. MacInnes Student Ice Arena, Michigan Tech Huskies

8. Agganis Arena, Boston University Terriers

9. High Point Solutions Arena, Quinnipiac Bobcats

10. Matthews Arena, Northeastern Huskies

and the pro:
1. Xcel Energy Center, Minnesota Wild

2. Verizon Center, Washington Capitals

3. Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa Bay Lightning

4. Scottrade Center, St Louis Blues

5. Bell Centre, Montreal Canadiens

6. United Center, Chicago Blackhawks

7. Jobing.com Arena, Phoenix Coyotes

8. Staples Center, Los Angeles Kings

9. SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose Sharks

10. MTS Centre, Winnipeg Jets

ACC in Toronto

 

[HankScorpio]

Re: Best Arena?

The argument here about venues was getting to a point I wanted to make about the original article that started this thread. How do you really rate arenas against one another? I think the list was total BS. You can't compare AMSoil Arena to AT&T Field or the Indy Speedway. They aren't in the same league, heck they're not even the same sport (pun intended ).

I also don't think you can use fan experience as a measure either, everyone has totally different opinions. And the sport being played in the arena matters too. You can't say that both basketball and hockey at the Target Center are equal. So I think people that make these silly lists trying to rank facilities over each other is a bit ridiculous. Enough of these buzzfeed-esque list stories. Stop trying to make it happen, it's not going to happen.

Back to the attendance reporting thing. The Ralph for a fact reports number of people in the building as the attendance, not the tickets sold. Of course people would love to show the inflated tickets-sold number, but I guess the people at UND are trying to be honest (I know right?? Someone in the NCAA being honest for a change??)

I remember watching the video feed of a Minnesota State at Wisconsin game, in the last year the women were in the Kohl Center. It was a Friday 2 p.m. game, while a massive blizzard was going on in Wisconsin. I would bet my life on it that there were not more than 450 people in the stands, but the attendance was listed at 2,047. What a joke!

It's called "attendance" for a reason, you know, because that means the number of people that ATTENDED the event. Not the number of people who bought a suite for the basketball season and were comped 10 season tickets each for women's hockey, but never use them.

 

[robertearle]

Re: Best Arena?

I remember watching the video feed of a Minnesota State at Wisconsin game, in the last year the women were in the Kohl Center. It was a Friday 2 p.m. game, while a massive blizzard was going on in Wisconsin. I would bet my life on it that there were not more than 450 people in the stands, but the attendance was listed at 2,047. What a joke!

Yes, UW reports number of tickets sold.

But according to a web site wunderground.com, there was no snow in Madison the day you describe (Feb 3rd, 2012). I was there, but I have no particular recollection of the day, the game, the crowd, or the weather. I do remember slogging through a heavy snow storm from the bus stop to my bank to use the ATM, and then from the bank to the Kohl Center for a 2 PM start; maybe during the 2009-2010 season? And I don't think I've ever seen that few people at the Kohl Center (since 2008-2009 season, when I moved back to Madison).

EDIT: by that I mean I don't think I've ever seen as few as the 450 you claim, and NOT that there were that few at the snowstorm game.

 

[WiscDC]

Re: Best Arena?

Back to the attendance reporting thing. The Ralph for a fact reports number of people in the building as the attendance, not the tickets sold. Of course people would love to show the inflated tickets-sold number, but I guess the people at UND are trying to be honest (I know right?? Someone in the NCAA being honest for a change??)

If that's the case, which you haven't really confirmed, then UND is the exception. Usually major weather events that affect local travel make the discrepancies obvious. Think about any highly-touted sellout streak. That doesn't mean every single ticket was accounted for at every game. I know the Washington Capitals are in a big sellout streak, but you can see enough empty seats to be sure that some of those tickets simply never made it to the venue. The Red Sox had an 820 game sellout streak, which is just over 5 seasons. I don't believe for a second that in a 5 year span, nobody ever ate a Red Sox ticket, whether or not it was their plan.

You may want the information that gives you how many actual people entered the gates, but I don't know what you expect, because it's not only the more common practice, but it's the expected practice. I remember there was a Florida Marlins game after a huge, damaging storm that drew a few hundred people according to head counts. I forget what the paid attendance was, but I know it was at least a few thousand. Nobody lost their mind, because that's what they all expected.

Edit: To be clear, I wish actual attendnance figures were more readily available in any sport. I just never expect them to be.