Chicago Blackhawks
Rink: United Center
Capacity: 19,717
Built: 1994
League: NHL
City: Chicago, Illinois
Home Of: Chicago Blackhawks
Games Attended: 1
Only Game: April 14, 2024 vs Carolina
Unique Arena: #90
NHL Arena: #11
The United Center is a very large, imposing building just to the west of downtown Chicago. Despite being as close to downtown as it is, the arena is surrounded by parking lots, which gives it somewhat of a suburban vibe. These days many large rinks are built deep into the ground, so that sometimes only the top half or top three quarters are visible. While there is a bit of the United Center built into the ground, it’s not too deep and hence you get a giant-looking building from the outside.
The United Center isn’t going to win any beauty contests, but to me it’s still cool-looking as it reminds me of a proper Original Six building or coliseum from back in the day. The east side of the building has a newer addition on it, with a more modern looking foyer and gathering area with bars and a team store before entering the building proper.
Compared to newer buildings in the NHL, the bowl in Chicago is nothing too special. In fact, the bowl reminded me a lot of the one in Ottawa. The building feels massive despite none of the bowls being particularly huge. The sightlines are all pretty good, and there’s enough concourses that things don’t feel too backed up when navigating the building. What sets Chicago apart from the similar rink in Ottawa is many little things. Chicago is an Original Six franchise, and being able to draw on a rich history helps a lot. Production and promos are top notch, banners in the rafters are all hand-sewn and old-school which is awesome. The crowd is pretty great too, and while I am not a big anthem guy, standing there as they went loud and nuts through the entire US anthem was pretty cool. The place just has an awesome vibe to it that’s hard to describe.
One more good thing about the bowl that can be seen in this picture is that the press box is set at the back of the upper bowl. While I can imagine press has better views in the NHL in other rinks, the fact that they aren’t hanging from the roof in a catwalk means even the seats in the last row have unobstructed views here, which is always a plus for me. The concourses in Chicago I found pretty awesome as well. While not as modern and well thought-out as a newer rink like Detroit, there are some little things that make it great. First of all, it’s packed with the history of the Blackhawks and Bulls. There are red lighting accents and art deco signage. Again, typing this all out doesn’t make it seem that different from other arenas, but the vibe of it was just awesome and I loved it.
The game I attended in Chicago was the final game of a pretty poor season. While the Blackhawks have already nailed down a generational talent in Connor Bedard, the rest of the team still needs lots of work. Despite the long frustrating season, there is hope in Chicago that a new generation of great teams is coming soon. I am sure the crowd wasn’t at its best for the game I was at, but they still were loud and very into the game with most seats filled. Chicago, while not exactly around the corner from me, isn’t too awfully far and I hope one day down the road to experience a game there again. I loved every second of my experience there the first time.
