Hiker

Took my wife to the New Years Eve game against the Kings. Great game. First time I ever saw a 9 minute penalty. But here's my opinions of the new arena

PRO:
-Great visuals on the new big screen TV's.
-Great open views of the ice while walking around the lower level.
-Good food
-Great wrap around the arena digital visuals.
-Free parking......although I always found free parking downtown.
-The new ship horn on every goal... I like it...some don't.

CONS:
-Location....sucks...sucks...sucks... Sports venue's need to be downtown, not in a corn field 20 miles outside a major city.
-Location....No bars or restaurants around for pre-game activities.
Future development will change that....hopefully????
-Location....1 hour drive from Gilbert...probably longer for weekday game with traffic.
-Music way toooooo loud...I don't mind loud music...but this is way too loud......why?
-Too many TV advertising ads now on the big screens. Now with the big screen TV's they play the same commercials you see at home on Ch 3. They replaced the funny videos they used to play during TV time outs with commercials.......It's commercial over-kill.
Give us a break....We want the howling video's back.
-Exiting the arena....don't park close to the arena..it will take you forever to get out..

Well.........there's my 3 cents... The new arena is better then AWA, but I sure miss it being downtown. Instead of the 10-15 games a year I used to go to...I might hit 2 now.... That's too bad.

American Caesar

I'm gonna try and answer these concerns.

Location:
It will always be that far away from Gilbert but eventually there will be bars and restaurants around the place for pre-game activities. When that happens who the heck cares about it being in the middle of a corn field (you sure it wasn't a cotton field)?

Loud Music:
It's the way the arena was built. Because of the sight lines in hockey the arena sends sound downward better then arenas built for basketball such as AWA. Basically, if you don't like the sound the place to sit is near the top.

Ads on the Big Screen:
Can you really complain about this since the team has been losing $20 million per season?

Exiting the Arena:
The key is to park as close to the exit as humanly possible. Enter the arena from Glendale going west (the north-eastern most part of the arena). Go in the first parking entrance and park in the h5 section of the as close to the exit as possible. You'll get out in 15 minutes at the most which around 10 minutes will be walking towards your car.

WizardOfAz

It is a far sight better than Portland, Oregon, which is what the next choice was after Scottsdale crapped the bed.

Cland

Cons:
Location does suck for east valley fans but there's nothing anyone could do about that. Once the whole westgate thing is completed there is going to be tons bars, restaurants, etc out there.

Music is ridiculously loud. I'm not complaining but I can see how others would.

I really didn't notice that much advertising.

I miss the howling videos too. I wish they would bring those back.

I hate the fact that they got rid of Zevon after goals. I like the horn, but I think they should play Zevon after the horn. The song they play now is embarrassing.

Parking is free but poorly coordinated.

Pros:
Open concourse is awesome.

Digital wrap -rounds are pretty nice but misused IMO.

Macho Nachos are a huge +.

Ascetically it is pretty nice too.

__________________
"Boy, oh boy. Budweiser. How can they make it so cheap and have it taste so good?"

Caray

SunCardfan

They could try turning down the music The music is way too loud! It sometimes sounds a little high pitched to me too and bothers my ears... and no I'm not some old guy who can't take loud noises!

American Caesar

Detroit's football and basketball arenas are not located in downtown. Only the Red Wings and the Tigers have their playing arenas in downtown Detroit.

KingLouieLouie

Ford Field (the Lions new stadium) is in downtown Detroit right across from Comerica Park (the Tigers new stadium)....

offset

when the awa was first built downtown it was in the middle of the slums, the only bars and restaraunts were 'scary'. given time downtown got transformed into what it is right now. give the glendale area a year or two and i am sure you won't be complaining about the lack of bars and restraunts right next to the arena. also, there are some nice bars and restraunts within 5 miles of the arena, you just have to know were to look.

__________________
"i'm crazy, i'm suppose to act this way"

- jeffrey goines

American Caesar

I thought they were still in the Silver Dome. Goes to show you how much news I read about sports teams that arent from Arizona.

football karma

Hey fellas --

long time Card board poster who took his son to his first hockey game last night --

Arena is definately top notch. Spacious concourse, plenty of concessions, great sightlines and view of the surface.

Agree that the music is too loud -- love the playlist however.

Getting in was a breeze -- getting out? Another story. You get the sense Glendale hasnt quite figured this drill out. Would agree to trade off a close parking spot for one closer to the exit -- you will walk much faster than the traffic moves.