Playing at home has a ton of advantages for any athlete. The opportunity to sleep in your own bed before a big game might be the biggest and most appreciated aspect of this. The familiarity of the drive to work, obviously friends and family nearby to lend support and encouragement, stopping at the familiar coffee shop or restaurant along the way. Driving you car to the arena, parking in your parking place, possibly messing with a teammate’s wildly over-compensatory exotic sports car.
Greeting the building security, making small talk with the staff and crew that are always happy to see you. Knowing the way to the locker room, taking in the familiar and sometimes unpleasant smells that come from the underbelly an the arena. Understanding and appreciating that around 20,000 people will be filing in above you just to see you succeed.
It can be infectious to be an athlete at the highest level. Sometimes it is hard to stop for a moment and smell the roses, so to speak. The blood, sweat and tears that it took to get to this place aren’t looked back on enough. The ride to the show was long, brutal, unforgiving and never guaranteed. Once you arrive, it’s over before you know it. Too many athletes lack the self-awareness to savor these moments and appreciate that what they do is live the dream of millions that will never get any closer than their television set.
Hitting the ice, court or field is where the perspective hits. For most of us, the view is always from the stands. Front row seats don’t do justice to the view from the playing surface. In the NHL the arenas display banners that honor the achievements of the teams that played before you. It provides a glimpse of the legacy for the logo on your chest. The expectations from the fans is that you and your teammates will put another banner in the rafters before the season ends. Anything less will be a disappointment.
The crowd cannot win a game no matter what they believe, and what players and coaches might allude to. Of course the team thrives on the noise generated in their arena. The adrenaline rush that comes from a collective roar is legitimate. A big hit, a nice move a great save, and of course a goal raise the decibel level beyond a healthy level for human ears(God help any service dogs in attendance). The players in turn can feed off of that. It’s a primal reaction, not unlike classical conditioning that would make Pavlov proud. I hit, you cheer. I score, you roar. I dangle, you say “Ooooooooooh”. I suck, you boo. I ring a bell, you go eat dog food. Simple enough.
There are different degrees on fan-dom in the NHL. The “Original Six” (New York Rangers, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Montreal, Toronto) fan bases believe that they are the best, the loudest and the most well informed in hockey. Add pretentious to the list of adjectives if you happen to root for a team outside of that six. There is nothing worse than a snooty fan. Really? You are better at rooting for your team than I am? Stop it. Go away!
The playoffs bring about the best, and worst, in all NHL fans. Everyone of the 16 teams believe they have a chance. They will cheer their hearts out until the final horn in the deciding game blows. Here are the top five arenas/home ice advantages in the NHL.
5. San Jose—HP Pavilion—17-2-5 Regular season record
The Sharks have built a winning culture in San Jose and you wouldn’t know their hockey fans are from California by talking to them. One of the best and loudest barns in the NHL. They don’t have the tradition, but they literally ring the noise. Plus they still have the coolest entrance in the NHL.
4. Minnesota---Xcel Energy Center---14-8-2 regular season record
Minnesota fans have a dusting of entitlement, and have determined that Minnesota is, in fact, the “State of Hockey”. That being said, the Excel Center is loud and always supercharged for every home game. The fans love their team, and the Wild
3. Toronto---Air Canada Centre---13-9-2 regular season record
I still can’t believe that Toronto lost both games at home in this playoff season. After almost 10 years of watching, the Leafs couldn’t win a single game for some of the best fans in hockey?! They won in Boston to take home ice from the Bruins, then handed it right back in Game 3. Their arena was rocking for Game 3 and 4, but as I mentioned earlier, fans win zero games. That’s up to the guys on skates.
2. Montreal---Bell Centre---14-7-3 regular season record
Even in the Canadiens new arena, there are still ghosts of the Montreal legends. A fluky bounce here and a goofy carom there. Physics might say otherwise, but don’t tell a Montreal fan. The Bell Centre rocks with chants and cheers before during and sometimes after the game. Arguably the best building to watch a game in, and one of the best home ice advantages in hockey.
1.Chicago-United Center---18-3-3 regular season record
With respect to the Canadian arenas, the “Madhouse on Madison” has the most distinct home ice advantage in the NHL. It is the loudest, and the fans almost feel like they are hovering over the ice. The “Chelsea Dagger” song can literally make you want to hurl yourself in front of a Zamboni if you are an opponent or opposing fan. The Hawks have the talent and the best home ice in the playoffs. Let’s see how far that can take them.