Val d’Or Foreurs
Rink: Centre Agnico Eagle
Capacity: 3,500
Built: 1949
League: QMJHL
City: Val d’Or, Quebec
Home Of: Val d’Or Foreurs
Games Attended: 1
Only Game: November 6, 2021 vs Rouyn Noranda
Unique Arena: #54
QMJHL Arena: #10
As long of a drive as it felt getting to Rouyn-Noranda, the one hour twenty-minute drive further east to Val d’Or made it feel even more remote. Like its cousin in nearby Rouyn-Noranda, it’s a 70-year-old building with a recent renovation in the past decade that has certainly extended its life. It sits not far from the downtown area, but unlike RN it has plenty of parking around it with sports fields around as well. Other than the front façade seen above, the renovation didn’t make the outside of the building look much different than it did before. It looks like an old arena that could be seen anywhere in small town Canada and doesn’t scream major junior.
Like Rouyn Noranda the seats are done in team colours which look spectacular. There is a small tight concourse around the top of the seats, yet it didn’t feel like it was hard to get around at intermission with a building that was probably three quarters full. The suites that run around the top of the bowl on three sides give the rink a more intimate feel as well, with even more people on top of the action.
The photo above is the view from about two thirds of the way up the large section of seats in the end that was added in the renovation to expand capacity. It really reminds me of Peterborough. and while sitting behind the net isn’t my favourite view it would be a spot I wouldn’t mind sitting in Val d’Or.
My only real complaint about the rink in Val d’Or is the netting in the ends which is white and honestly is a tad harder to see through for me, and as you can see it doesn’t make for a great rink photo. But that is just me being nit-picky. The seating is very steep, so while there aren’t many rows, there aren’t many bad views here and there are no support columns in the way like many rinks of the time had. On top of that, the first row of seats doesn’t start until the top of the boards. Sitting in row 1 means your feet are on top of the dasher. Looking down onto a puck battle along the boards inches from you is pretty surreal.
I hate to keep comparing Val d’Or and Rouyn-Noranda, but it’s hard to avoid with both teams being close to each other yet being so isolated from the rest of the league. Both cities have similar sized rinks built in the same era that have had recent renovations to extend the rink’s life but not to take away from the old barn charm at all. Much like RN, I cannot recommend this trip enough to fans of the CHL. It has a great atmosphere and it’s a great little barn. Go there.
