Photo of a Colorado Avalanche game versus the San Jose Sharks. 

Image Credit: Matt Boulton (CC BY-SA 2.0)

See how much money it cost to build your favorite NHL team's home arena. 

 

1. American Airlines Center - $420 (M)

2. Staples Center - $375 (M)

3. Prudential Center - $375 (M)

4. PPG Paints Arena - $321 (M)

5. Bell Centre - $270 (M)

6. Air Canada Centre - $265 (M)

7. Capital One Arena - $260 (M)

8. Wells Fargo Center - $210 (M)

9. BB&T Center - $185 (M)

10. Gila River Arena - $180 (M)

11. United Center - $175 (M)

12. Nationwide Arena - $175 (M)

13. Canadian Tire Centre - $170 (M)

14. SAP Center at San Jose - $162.5 (M)

15. Rogers Arena - $160 (M)

16. Pepsi Center - $160 (M)

17. TD Garden - $160 (M)

18. PNC Arena - $158 (M)

19. Bridgestone Arena - $144 (M)

20. Amalie Arena - $139 (M)

21. Scottrade Center - $135 (M)

22. Bell MTS Place - $133.5 (M)

23. Xcel Energy Center - $130 (M)

24. KeyBank Center - $127.5 (M)

25. Honda Center - $123 (M)

26. Madison Square Garden - $123 (M)

27. Scotiabank Saddledome - $97.7 (M)

28. Joe Louis Arena - $57 (M)

29. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - $31 (M)

30. Rexall Place - $17.3 (M)

 

Summary

Of the 30 NHL arenas listed, it's important to note that some of the venues were constructed with Canadian dollars. I didn't convert those costs into what they would cost in American dollars. It's obvious that the older NHL arenas such as Nassau Coliseum (New York Islanders) and Joe Louis Arena (Detroit Red Wings) had meager construction costs only because they were built many years ago.

Why did the American Airlines Center, home of the Dallas Stars, cost so much to build? The surrounding plaza is complete with retail, restaurant and office spaces. Implementing businesses into a sports complex is a bright idea. It encourages a corporate presence and also encourages many of the businesses to attend games after work with clients and guests.

After the second phase of renovations to Madison Square Garden is completed this Summer, their ownership will have spent more than $850 million dollars on the arena's face lift. While the renovation costs seem outrageous, Madison Square Garden is the oldest NHL arena and the ownership group has no intentions of constructing a new arena for the New York Rangers and New York Knicks.

Of the 30 NHL arenas listed, the Staples Center is the only venue that is home to three professional sports franchises; the Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. Additionally, 10 of 30 NHL arenas also share their home with an NBA team.

 

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