Amalie Arena named 13th best venue for NHL fans

By the Tampa Bay Lightning’s lofty standards, the 2022-23 season could be considered a disappointment, with the team losing in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

But the organization can take solace in the fact that its home, Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa, has been ranked as one of the better venues for hockey fans in a study conducted by CanadaSportsBetting.com.

The company, according to a news release, evaluated all 32 current NHL arenas using four key metrics: average price per ounce of beer, walking distance from each arena to the closest public transportation, walking distance to the nearest external restaurant and the availability of dedicated parking. The research concluded Amalie Arena is the 13th-best facility to watch a hockey game, ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights’ T-Mobile Arena and behind the Edmonton Oilers’ Rogers Place.

Beer sold at Amalie Arena costs 70 cents per ounce, below the league average of 84 cents per ounce. But the facility ranks poorly in terms of proximity to public transportation and restaurants. The transportation side is not surprise, given the region's struggles there come up on other reports. 

Denver’s Ball Arena, home of the Colorado Avalanche, is ranked No. 1, followed by the Detroit Red Wings’ Little Caesars Arena at No. 2 and the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Nationwide Arena at No. 3. The top 5 is rounded out by the Washington Capitals’ Capital One Arena and the Boston Bruins’ TD Garden.

The New York Islanders’ UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on Long Island — a $1.5 billion facility built that opened in 2021 — finished dead last in the rankings. The Bolts can also be proud that their arena topped that of their in-state rivals, the Florida Panthers, whose FLA Live Arena in Sunrise is ranked No, 24.

Best and Worst NHL Arenas for Hockey Fans

1. Ball Arena, Denver (Colorado Avalanche)
2. Little Caesars Arena, Detroit (Detroit Red Wings)
3. Nationwide Arena, Columbus, Ohio (Columbus Blue Jackets)
4. Capital One Arena, Washington, D.C. (Washington Capitals)
5. TD Garden, Boston (Boston Bruins)
6. PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh Penguins)
7. SAP Center, San Jose, California (San Jose Sharks)
8. Bell Centre, Montreal (Montreal Canadiens)
9. Scotiabank Arena, Toronto (Toronto Maple Leafs)
10. Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota (Minnesota Wild)
11. Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Winnipeg Jets)
12. Rogers Place, Edmonton, Alberta (Edmonton Oilers)
13. Amalie Arena, Tampa (Tampa Bay Lightning)
14. T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada (Vegas Golden Knights)
15. American Airlines Center, Dallas (Dallas Stars)
16. PNC Arena, Raleigh, North Carolina (Carolina Hurricanes)
17. Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles (Los Angeles Kings)
18. Enterprise Center, St. Louis (St. Louis Blues)
19. Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta (Calgary Flames)
20. United Center, Chicago (Chicago Blackhawks)
21. KeyBank Center, Buffalo, New York (Buffalo Sabres)
22. Bridgestone Arena, Nashville (Nashville Predators)
23. Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey (New Jersey Devils)
24. FLA Live Arena, Sunrise (Florida Panthers)
25. Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia (Vancouver Canucks)
26. Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle (Seattle Kraken)
27. Madison Square Garden, New York City (New York Rangers)
28. Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, Ontario (Ottawa Senators)
29. Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia (Philadelphia Flyers)
30. Mullett Arena, Tempe, Arizona (Arizona Coyotes)
31. Honda Center, Anaheim, California (Anaheim Ducks)
32. UBS Arena, Elmont, New York (New York Islanders)

Source: CanadaSportsBetting.com