I've been to a lot of bad Hockey venues over the years. Places where they'll sell you a ticket to a seat that's strategically behind an iron beam casually blocking your view. I'm originally from Pennsylvania...home of the movie Slapshot... and used to places that offer the absolute minimum required to pull off a show.
I got off the freeway and couldn't help but notice the abundance of parking. I decided to park at the Honda Center. It was expensive... $25 to park there. Which I don't feel was worth it. And here's why. If I had parked at one of the many off venue parking locations (which are directly across the street) I would have to walk a little further. But I'm sure I would have been able to leave faster. The traffic leaving the Honda Center parking was bad. It probably took me an hour to get out of the parking lot. Sure, it was great just getting out of the car and being right there when I arrived. But I know I could have parked off site for $5 and probably gotten home in 20 minutes from another lot. Since it was my first time there I can't complain. I'll have to get used to the parking and scout some places out.
Once inside the Honda Center I felt like I was in a hotel. Everything looked new, polished, and I couldn't see any of the typical messes you usually see at a hockey game. Like nachos dumped everywhere, beer cups littering the floor, or walking over some crunchy popcorn. It was so clean looking, I was afraid I'd mess it up just by walking to my seat. I didn't have anything from the concessions stands. I was pretty low on cash after paying for parking. I just decided to watch the game without eating anything.
The game was great. I loved the arrangement of the seating. Absolutely no one was in my view during the gameplay. I was only 5 rows up from the Ice. You could see all the hits, the goalie making saves, and I actually heard a puck "whoooshh" through the air right before it cracked off the glass directly in front of me. My entire section flinched when the puck hit. The only thing I didn't like about the seating is that is was cramped. I'm a husky 5'11'' 225. And I fit in the seat. But my knees were slammed up against the seat in front of me. I couldn't get my arms up on the arm wrest to help relax a little. I would have been elbowing the people sitting next to me. The only good part about the chair is that it was cushioned and not hard plastic.
After moving to California I've been desperately trying to get my friends interested in Hockey. But most people here in Sol Cal don't even know what it is. So I wasn't expecting to find REAL FANS when I got to the game. I gotta give it to them. The Ducks fans had some great team spirit. There's one player on the Ducks, think his name is Parros or something. And he sports a mean mullet and a huge mustache. There was this one teenaged girl dressed up like him. Had a big mullet wig and the obviously fake mustache. When I first saw her I couldn't figure out why she was dressed up. But then I saw Parros skate out on the ice I busted out laughing when I made the connection. The fans were polite and tolerant of the visiting crowd. I wasn't heckled or threatened like I have been at other places back east. (Ugh.... Devils and Philly games were always interesting) I have to say I gained a lot of respect for the Ducks and their fans. I mean, I'll always be a Pens fan at heart. But I'm a resident here now. And I would love to go and take part of that tiny fire they are stoking over there at the Pond and keeping hockey alive in Southren California. I think I'll be buying a Parros jersey in the near future.... uh... minus the mullet and mustache.