Stadiums Around the League

A lot of hockey fans have a desire to visit all 30 NHL arenas sometime in their life. I have the same dream and have made small progress on that goal over the years (Anaheim, Phoenix, Dallas, New Jersey, New York Rangers) but eventually I’ll get to them all.

Recently, I stumbled upon a website called Stadium Journey. The purpose of the site is to go to stadiums of every team and rate them on various categories. They’ve done the big leagues (NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA) and some minor leagues as well (AHL, ECHL, CHL, NCAA).

They rate each arena on 7 categories: food, atmosphere, neighborhood, fans, access, return on investment and extras.

They gave a review of our beloved Honda Center.

Keep in mind, I am just summarizing everything they said and also adding my own thoughts on Honda Center

Food & Beverage:

SJ:Overall they thought everything was overpriced and they quality of the food wasn’t the

greatest. The person who rated Honda Center was clearly a big fan of alcohol. Was clearly upset about the sizes and pricing of beers.

Me: I don’t think there is anything different about the prices from other stadiums. I always expect to go bankrupt when I make it out to a game. The food is good enough for me, but I’m also pretty easy to please.

Atmosphere:

SJ: Like any event near Disneyland, the atmosphere is more family-friendly than anything else. While the Walt Disney Company sold the franchise back in 2005, it has seemingly remained as fan-friendly as any professional sports team today.

Me: Completely agree with that one. I’m not a huge fan of the family friendly vibe. Its a good idea, but it seems when stadiums try to do that its too much and people get all pissy when I yell “crap” about a terrible call.

Neighborhood:

SJ: They throw credit to “The Catch” which has been there for some 30 years now. They also enjoyed the “OMG Burger” you can purchase. Another favorite was Danny K Billiards.

Me: I’m a big fan of the area surrounding the arena. Some solid pre-gaming places and good restaurants to eat at.

Fans:

SJ: The fans can easily be considered to be some of the best as they are as welcoming as anywhere. At any game against a large market team, a visitor can expect the opposing fans to be just as boisterous as the home fans.

Me: I love Ducks fans. Always have a good time at Honda Center, win or lose.

Access:

SJ: Though a common complaint of Southern California is in regards to its traffic congestion, the facility is in close proximity to five major freeways (57, 22, 5, 91, 55), and is located across the freeway from Angel Stadium.

Me: Parking is expensive (like pretty much stadium) but there are tons of ways to get down there without driving yourself. Pretty simple to get there.

Return on Investment:

SJ: Tickets are readily available for most games, often through the Ducks box office. If the game in question is sold out, there is a ticket broker next to JT Schmid’s and scalpers often directly in front of the restaurant.

Me: I am a big fan of the fact that I can get tickets same day. Yeah, it would be cool if games sold out more often but usually I end up going last minute so it works out well.

Stadium Journey is a pretty cool sight and an easy way to check out some other teams venues.

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