Saginaw Spirit
Rink: Dow Event Center
Capacity: 5,497
Built: 1972
League: OHL
City: Saginaw, Michigan
Home Of: Saginaw Spirit
Games Attended: 11
First Game: January 22, 2009 vs Brampton
Most Recent Game: June 2, 2024 vs London
Unique Arena: #21
OHL Arena: #17
The Dow Event Center (or Wendler Arena) was built in the 1970s and has gone through many renovations over the years. For example, the main atrium which is in the foreground of the photo above was built in 2002 during the renovations in anticipation of the Sprit’s arrival from North Bay. Attached to the arena is also a nice theater space as well; it’s a bit spartan but I’m sure it gets the job done (this isn’t a theatre review page).
The neighborhood isn’t exactly in the best shape, with lots of run-down old buildings and not many options for pre-game or post-game spots. But the city seems to be giving it a go, as just across the street from the area sits a new open air concert space which was used very well during the 2024 Memorial Cup. The rink is also within spitting distance of I-675, which offers good access to nearby I-75 for an easy in and out.
As you pass through the atrium, you pass the Blue Line Club, which is a big open VIP room with a bar and a big screen that fans like to congregate in. For regular Spirit games this area is open to all fans and a good spot to meet up. You can enter the arena concourse through the atrium or Blue Line Club. It’s a wide spartan concourse with flights of stairs that lead you up to the midway point of the seating bowl.
The seats in Saginaw are top tier levels of comfy; they are basically movie theater seats though they are starting to get pretty old and worn out. The rink is designed kind of like a mini Joe Louis Arena, even though the Joe was actually built after this place was. The quickest way around the rink is the mid-level in bowl concourse. The concourse that is under the seats only goes in a U shape, so you can’t cross at the Zamboni end of the ice. At the opposite end in one of the corners the Spirit players cross to their dressing room so that can cause back up as well.
While the seats in Saginaw themselves are very comfy they are at a bit of a shallower angle; not terrible like in Plymouth but enough that you feel a bit further from the ice. During one trip in 2019 it had been raining all day and the roof was leaking over many of the seats including the ones I had purchased for that nights game. Thankfully the Spirit were quick to accommodate us with a new dry spot, and thanks to the team hosting the 2024 Memorial Cup the building saw many improvements that eliminated stuff like the leaky roof.
Saginaw got themselves a new HD videoboard very similar to the new one in Barrie in the last couple years. Saginaw was actually one of the first OHL buildings to get a videoboard, but the one they installed in 2002 was pretty awful by today’s standards. It’s good to see they got a new one.
The arena also built a whole new set of suites around the top of the building in anticipation of hosting the 2024 Memorial Cup.
The Dow still has the soul and feel of an old building but the renovations have definitely extended its life for many more years. Shout out to Saginaw for doing such a great job hosting the tournament as well. The Dow is a fun place to watch an OHL game.
Games Attended
January 22, 2009: Brampton 3 – Saginaw 0
November 17, 2012: Brampton 4 – Saginaw 1
January 31, 2016: Guelph 4 – Saginaw 2
April 18, 2019: Saginaw 7 – Guelph 2
April 29, 2019: Guelph 3 – Saginaw 2
May 26, 2024: Saginaw 4 – Drummondville 3
May 27, 2024: London 5 – Moose Jaw 4
May 28, 2024: Moose Jaw 5 – Drummondville 3
May 29, 2024: London 4 – Saginaw 2
May 31, 2024: Saginaw 7 – Moose Jaw 1
June 2, 2024: Saginaw 4 – London 3