The National Hockey League is one of the biggest leagues in the world and is the premier ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 active teams (25 from US and 7 from Canada). Each team has a designated home arena where they play their home games. Moreover, mascots of many teams are also seen at home arenas.
Presently, the league boasts of 32 arenas, with the iconic Madison Square Garden acting as the home of the New York Rangers, Wells Fargo Center of the Philadelphia Flyers and the Bridgestone Arena of the Nashville Predators among others. Together, these arenas provide a memorable experience with its state-of-art built and its pleasing amenities. Furthermore, many of these arenas have witnessed some of the most remarkable events in ice hockey history.
Most Expensive NHL Arenas
The Dallas Stars’ home arena, the American Airlines Center is considered as the most expensive arena of the NHL. The arena opened its doors on July 17, 2001, and the overall construction cost was 420 million that time. The amount is equal to $723 million in today’s dollars, making it the most expensive arena of NHL in the world. Following that, Crypto.com Arena formerly known as Staples Center, located in Los Angeles is the second most expensive arena of the league where Los Angeles Kings play their home games. The arena was established in 1995 with a construction cost of $375 million which is around $686 million in today’s dollars. Moreover, Prudential Center, the home of New Jersey Devils and the T-Mobile Arena of the Vegas Golden Knights had a construction cost of $375 million.
Notably, Madison Square Garden, the home of New York Rangers, is the oldest arena of the league which opened its doors in 1968 and has been in existence since 1879. Furthermore, it is the only arena whose name is not held by a corporate sponsor.
The below table explores NHL Teams with their construction cost and the year of opening:
| Team | Arena Name | Opened | Construction Cost (Millions) |
| Dallas Stars | American Airlines Center | 2001 | $420 (M) |
| Los Angeles Kings | Crypto.com | 1999 | $375 (M) |
| New Jersey Devils | Prudential Center | 2007 | $375 (M) |
| Vegas Golden Knights | T-Mobile Arena | 2016 | $375 (M) |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | PPG Paints Arena | 2010 | $321 (M) |
| Montreal Canadiens | Bell Centre | 1996 | $270 (M) |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | Scotiabank Arena | 1999 | $265 (M) |
| Washington Capitals | Capital One Arena | 1997 | $260 (M) |
| Philadelphia Flyers | Wells Fargo Center | 1996 | $210 (M) |
| Florida Panthers | Amerant Bank Arena | 1998 | $185 (M) |
| Arizona Coyotes | Mullet Arena | 2022 | $180 (M) |
| Chicago Blackhawks | United Center | 1994 | $175 (M) |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | Nationwide Arena | 2000 | $175 (M) |
| Ottawa Senators | Canadian Tire Centre | 1996 | $170 (M) |
| San Jose Sharks | SAP Center at San Jose | 1993 | $162.5 (M) |
| Vancouver Canucks | Rogers Arena | 1995 | $160 (M) |
| Colorado Avalanche | Ball Arena | 1999 | $160 (M) |
| Boston Bruins | TD Garden | 1995 | $160 (M) |
| Carolina Hurricanes | PNC Arena | 1999 | $158 (M) |
| Nashville Predators | Bridgestone Arena | 1996 | $144 (M) |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | Amalie Arena | 1996 | $139 (M) |
| St. Louis Blues | Enterprise Center | 1994 | $135 (M) |
| Winnipeg Jets | Canada Life Centre | 2004 | $133.5 (M) |
| Minnesota Wild | Xcel Energy Center | 2000 | $130 (M) |
| Buffalo Sabres | KeyBank Center | 1995 | $127.5 (M) |
| Anaheim Ducks | Honda Center | 1993 | $123 (M) |
| New York Rangers | Madison Square Garden | 1968 | $123 (M) |
| Calgary Flames | Scotiabank Saddledome | 1983 | $97.7 (M) |
| Seattle Kraken | Climate Pledge Arena | 2021 | $75.5 (M) |
| Detroit Red Wings | Little Caesars Arena | 2017 | $57 (M) |
| New York Islanders | UBS Arena | 2021 | $31 (M) |
| Edmonton Oilers | Rogers Place | 2016 | $17.3 (M) |
Note: An Utah based team was announced in April 2024, with the team commencing play in the upcoming 2024-25 NHL season. Moreover, the team will be located in Salt Lake City and will play its home games at the Delta Center which can hold 12,000 spectators.
FAQ's On NHL Arena
A. The Arizona Coyotes’ Arena, Mullet Arena, was the smallest arena of the NHL until recently with a seating capacity of 5,000. However, with their operations ceased, the Winnipeg Jets have the smallest with a seating capacity of 15,321 individuals ( Canada Life Centre).
A. Capacity wise, the Bell Centre is the biggest NHL arena. The home of Montreal Canadiens has the capacity to withhold 21,302 spectators.
A. Madison Square Garden, the home of the New York Rangers, is the oldest arena of the league as it opened its doors in 1879.
A. Winnipeg, the home of Winnipeg Jets is the smallest city with an NHL team and one of the smallest cities with a professional sports team in North America.
A. The Toronto Maple Leafs have the most expensive ticket prices, starting from around $96.
