Vancouver’s Rogers Arena ranked 25th out of all NHL arenas

Despite the competitive pricing on its beverages, Rogers Arena might have been dragged down by other metrics

Published May 15, 2023 • 2 minute read

Vancouver’s Rogers Arena ranked 25th out of the 32 arenas in the NHL, according to a sports betting website. Photo by Francis Georgian /PNG

Hockey fans in Vancouver are less likely than other NHL fans to get a great game-day experience, according to a new ranking that placed Rogers Arena in the bottom quarter of all the league’s arenas.

Vancouver ranked 25th out of 32 arenas based on four factors that are supposed to evaluate the fan experience while attending a game, including accessibility, affordability and convenience.

The ranking by CanadaSportsBetting rated arenas on: the average price of an ounce of beer; proximity to public transit; proximity to an external restaurant; and availability of dedicated on-site parking.

Denver’s Ball Arena, home of the Colorado Avalanche, topped the list with nearly 36 points out of 40, thanks to its below-average beer price of 78 cents US per ounce and location that’s a minute walk from the nearest bus station and restaurant.

Second place is the Detroit Red Wing’s Little Caesar’s Arena and the Columbus Blue Jacket’s home base, Nationwide Arena.

The Montreal Canadiens’ Bell Centre ranked highest out of all Canadian teams and eighth-best overall, with 27.74 points. Hot on its heels is Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, at ninth, with 26.56 points.

Rogers Arena was just shy of 20 points.

It appeared to do well on the price of beer, with 64 cents US per ounce, well below the average cost of 84 cents.

The price of a cold brew at the Vancouver arena is less expensive than Edmonton’s Rogers Place (75 cents) and Toronto’s arena (85 cents) and is on par with Montreal’s Bell Centre (63 cents). The cheapest place for a beer among the NHL’s Canadian teams? Calgary’s Scotiabank Saddledome, where beer is poured for a mere 44 cents US per ounce.

Despite the competitive pricing on its beverages, Rogers Arena might have been dragged down by other metrics.

The sports betting site said the arena was a six-minute walk away from the nearest public transportation based on Google, although locals know it could be a shorter trek to Stadium-Chinatown SkyTrain depending on which gate you enter.

Rogers Arena was also eight minutes away from the nearest external restaurant, said the rankings. That’s farther than the average, but nowhere near the 28th-placed Canadian Tire Centre arena in Ottawa, which the report says is a 27-minute walk away from the nearest eatery.

This is CanadaSportsBetting’s complete rankings:

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