Minor league hockey often seems a long way from the glitz and glamor of the National Hockey League, but fans can enjoy big league experiences at arenas that dot the sport’s junior circuits.
Many American Hockey League and ECHL hockey arenas now offer an intimate, affordable spectator experience with many of the amenities that are associated with the sport’s premier league, such as luxury suites, full-service restaurants and lounges, and mammoth, high-tech scoreboards.
In some cases, minor league squads even have found elegant homes in arenas that cater to higher-profile sports franchises like the Winnipeg Jets, Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Our countdown of the best minor league hockey arenas runs the gamut from historic structures that have maintained their charm while undergoing much-needed facelifts to modern, sleek palaces that provide a dazzling array of technological wonders and gastronomical creations.
29. Coca-Cola Coliseum
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Year opened: 1921
Capacity: 8,300 (including standing room)
Team: Toronto Marlies
Affiliate: Toronto Maple Leafs
Bottom line: Originally built for the Canadian National Exhibition, Coca-Cola Coliseum has undergone three major renovations during its nearly century-long existence.
The most recent, in 2003, featured the construction of a new, higher roof that expanded and upgraded seating, including 38 private suites.
The Marlies have called the Coliseum home since 2005.
28. MassMutual Center
Location: Springfield, Massachusetts
Year opened: 1972
Capacity: 6,793
Team: Springfield Thunderbirds
Affiliate: Florida Panthers
Bottom line: A $71 million renovation in 2005 ushered in a new era for the longtime hockey arena, including a bar and lounge, clubroom, executive suite and refurbished concession stands.
In 2015, the arena got a major technology upgrade with a new LED video board and LED lighting.
27. Bojangles’ Coliseum
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Year opened: 1955
Capacity: 8,600
Team: Charlotte Checkers
Affiliate: Carolina Hurricanes
Bottom line: Known for its signature tin domed roof, Bojangles’ Coliseum ranks as one of the more architecturally distinctive hockey arenas in the minors.
After a five-year refurbishment of the arena, the Checkers became the arena’s primary tenant when it reopened in 1993. When the team departed in 2005, however, the Coliseum went a decade without a permanent tenant before major renovations lured another Checkers franchise in 2015.
The additions included improved seating, a restaurant, upgraded concessions and a repainted interior.
23. Webster Bank Arena
Location: Bridgeport, Connecticut
Year opened: 2001
Capacity: 8,412
Team: Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Affiliate: New York Islanders
Bottom line: Webster Bank Arena, built at a cost of $56 million, features 33 executive suites, 1,300 club suites, three hospitality suites and a Sony Jumbotron.
The Stags Club bar in the executive suite level features 25 different bottled beers along with premium liquors and wines.
The Sound Tigers have called the arena home since joining the American Hockey League in 2001.
22. Allstate Arena
Location: Rosemont, Illinois
Year opened: 1980
Capacity: 16,692
Team: Chicago Wolves
Affiliate: Vegas Golden Knights
Bottom line: Known for its distinctive wooden roof, Allstate Arena has hosted four Calder Cup finals during its nearly 40-year history, most recently in 2019.
Located at the gateway to Chicago, the arena boasts excellent sight lines and extensive on-site parking.
With 48 luxury suites, it ranks as one of the largest indoor entertainment facilities in the Chicago area.
20. Norfolk Scope
Location: Norfolk, Virginia
Year opened: 1971
Capacity: 8,701
Team: Norfolk Admirals
Affiliate: Arizona Coyotes
Bottom line: Norfolk Scope’s claim to fame is that it features the world’s largest reinforced thin-shell concrete dome, making it a landmark of downtown Norfolk.
It was designed by Italian architect Pier Luigi Nervi and modeled after Rome’s PalaLottomatica, which was built for the 1960 Summer Olympics.
The arena has received $11 million in renovations since 2003, including a new LED scoreboard and LED video boards.
The newly remodeled Showcase Restaurant includes an all-you-can-eat buffet and full-service bar.
19. North Charleston Coliseum
Location: North Charleston, South Carolina
Year opened: 1993
Capacity: 10,537
Team: South Carolina Stingrays
Affiliate: Washington Capitals
Bottom line: The past decade has brought substantial upgrades to the 27-year-old arena, including a new audio system, expanded concessions and new luxury boxes. The new concession areas feature food court layouts designed to eliminate long lines.
The $22 million spent on renovations has helped to maintain the Coliseum’s place as one of the top venues in minor league hockey.
The city is planning a 2,000-space parking garage as the latest amenity to the Coliseum complex.
18. Mile One Centre
Location: St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Year opened: 2001
Capacity: 6,287
Team: Newfoundland Growlers
Affiliate: Toronto Maple Leafs
Bottom line: Located at the starting point of the Trans-Canada Highway, Mile One Centre has seen multiple hockey franchises come and go since opening nearly two decades ago, with the ECHL-expansion Growlers arriving in 2018.
Nite Cap’s Sports Bar & Grill overlooks the action on the ice and features a full bar and restaurant table service.
The venue also gets high marks from fans for its superior sight lines.
14. Rushmore Plaza Civic Center
Location: Rapid City, South Dakota
Year opened: 1977
Capacity: 5,119
Team: Rapid City Crush
Affiliate: Arizona Coyotes
Bottom line: The complex’s ice arena, which was completed in 2008, features club seating with large cushioned seats, a full-service bar and a concession stand.
There are also 13 luxury suites that can accommodate up to 30 people and offer amenities such as private entrances and restrooms and a special dining menu.
With one level of U-shaped seating, the arena provides one of the more intimate spectator experiences in minor league hockey.
10. Huntington Center
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Year opened: 2009
Capacity: 8,300 (including standing room)
Team: Toledo Walleye
Affiliate: Detroit Red Wings
Bottom line: Built for $105 million, the Huntington Center boasts the distinction of being the first new LEED sports arena in the United States.
It includes a 900-square-foot “green” wall that uses plant life to help shade and cool the arena’s glass-enclosed main entrance. It also makes use of a light-colored roof membrane to reflect heat and sunlight.
Fan amenities include 20 private suites, 750 prestige club seats and a club-level lounge.
9. Silverstein Eye Centers Arena
Location: Independence, Missouri
Year opened: 2009
Capacity: 5,800
Team: Kansas City Mavericks
Affiliate: Calgary Flames
Bottom line: Only a decade old, Silverstein Eye Centers Arena features a 360-degree LED ribbon scoreboard, 200 VIP-style loge seats, 29 luxury suites and four full-service concession stands.
All foods are prepared fresh on-site, with nothing pre-wrapped. The Craft Corner offers a wide variety of craft beers, and the KC Bier-Biergarten features local beers and hot Bavarian pretzels and bratwursts.
8. Amway Center
Location: Orlando, Florida
Year opened: 2010
Capacity: 17,353
Team: Orlando Solar Bears
Affiliate: Tampa Bay Lightning
Bottom line: One of many arenas built by the prestigious architecture firm Populous, the massive Amway Center cost $480 million and is also home to the NBA’s Orlando Magic.
Among its more unique features is an art collection featuring more than 340 works, including about 200 museum-quality photographs. Its high-tech, center-hung scoreboard is one of the most impressive in all of sports, boasting 18 displays.
Amenities include an assortment of restaurants, lounges and bars, and luxury suites and other premium seating options.
7. BOK Center
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Year opened: 2008
Capacity: 17,096
Team: Tulsa Oilers
Affiliate: St. Louis Blues
Bottom line: Built at a cost of $196 million, the BOK Center features an iconic design that incorporates Native American, art deco and contemporary themes.
Among its features are a 103-foot-long glass facade, 33,000 stainless steel panels and grand staircases. Its 50,000-pound hanging scoreboard is considered among the most advanced in the country.
The arena offers 11 fixed concession areas, 13 bar locations and three levels of premium seating.
6. Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza
Location: Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Year opened: 1999
Capacity: 8,300
Team: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Affiliate: Pittsburgh Penguins
Bottom line: Known as one of the top small arenas in the nation, Mohegan Sun has long been a fan favorite. The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins set an American Hockey League record for most sellouts in a season and put together a streak of 90 consecutive sellouts from 2002 to 2004.
Concessions include the “sticky pig” featuring pulled pork on a doughnut shell, topped with an onion ring, and a craft vodka bar.
The arena offers standard suites accommodating as many as 17 guests and party suites that can hold up to 43 fans.
5. Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Year opened: 1994
Capacity: 18,926
Team: Cleveland Monsters
Affiliate: Columbus Blue Jackets
Bottom line: Also home to the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse underwent a major renovation in 2018 that expanded the concourses and removed three levels of seating.
The main scoreboard, nicknamed “Humongotron,” is one of the largest in professional sports, featuring four large high-definition video screens and sabers that can shoot fire.
The 75-person Fahrenheit Restaurant is open to the public before each game, and the arena’s concessions are organized into separate “neighborhoods” each with its own theme.
Fans also can choose from five bars and lounges.
4. Wings Event Center
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Year opened: 1974
Capacity: 5,113
Team: Kalamazoo Wings
Affiliate: Vancouver Canucks
Bottom line: The Wings Event Center plays host to one of the most iconic events in minor league hockey, the “Green Ice Game” played each St. Patrick’s Day. Other promotions include “Marvel Night” where the Wings dress as Spiderman.
The arena features four full-service concourse cafes with three specialty bars and five private event spaces that can accommodate up to 400 guests.
The team’s three-pack ticket deal comes with one Red Level ticket to each game, a $5 concessions voucher, an autographed hockey puck and an exclusive locker-room tour, among other goodies, all for only $49.
3. Van Andel Arena
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan
Year opened: 1996
Capacity: 11,000
Team: Grand Rapids Griffins
Affiliate: Detroit Red Wings
Bottom line: Known as the “Freezer on Fulton” for its street location, Van Andel Arena features 1,800 club seats, 1,300 retractable seats and 44 luxury suites.
The Intermission Restaurant & Bar opens two hours before games and features a wide variety of entrees, shareables, flatbreads and handheld sandwiches.
One of the Griffins’ popular promotions is D-Zone 4-Packs on Friday nights featuring $2 beers and hot dogs delivered right to your seats.
And every time the Griffins win at home on Wednesdays, every fan in attendance receives a free ticket to the next Wednesday home game.
1. Giant Center
Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania
Year opened: 2002
Capacity: 10,500
Team: Hershey Bears
Affiliate: Washington Capitals
Bottom line: Giant Center is home to one of the most storied franchises in professional hockey, the Hershey Bears, who were founded in 1938 and are the longest continuously operating club in the American Hockey League.
With 688 club seats featuring exclusive access to the Bud Light Champions Club and 40 luxury suites, the Giant Center has drawn more fans than any other arena in the AHL since 2006.
As you’d expect from the nation’s chocolate capital, Giant Center more than holds its own when it comes to food, with 12 distinct concession areas, including Center Ice with Yuengling beer-battered fish and the Cross Check Cafe with made-to-order Deitz & Watson deli sandwiches.
And, of course, sweet treats featuring Hershey’s chocolate.
