Saginaw's Dow Event Center is home to the OHL's youngest team, but the fact that the fans are league neophytes is part of the charm of the building. Saginaw lays out the welcome mat for visitors like no other building in the league, and the experience of attending a road game in Saginaw is so terrific that I personally haven't missed a Knights game there since the 2003-04 season. The building itself is an older arena that has been recently renovated, and it has enough old-school charm and atmosphere to go around as well as new facilities. Apart from a few small gaps in the record, Saginaw could easily be the league's best.
SCORE: 640/700
Architecture: Grade B
Saginaw's arena shows its middle age with its functional, brown-brick design, but it also has a new glass atrium which is very attractive. It's not quite beautiful, but the institutional quality of the old design meshes well with the new design to create a thoroughly attractive building.
Interior Layout and Design: Grade A+
Saginaw's interior design is among the best in the league. A wide under-concourse stretches in a "U"-shape around the outside of the building, plus there is also another walkway located halfway up the seating area that allows a fan to walk 360 degrees around the building without missing a second of the game. It's a great design and well-executed.
Seating: Grade A+
The OHL's most comfortable seats! Saginaw's chairs are all movie-theatre quality with full padding and huge legroom.
Scoreboard: Grade A
A full video board sits above centre ice in Saginaw, and it is used well by the team, without interrupting the play. Moreover, since most Spirit games aren't broadcast on local TV, it means that the team essentially films its own games. The sound system is good and well-used. The only flaw is the lack of standard numbers on the board - the time clock has to be digitally superimposed directly onto the picture! There are two large boards in either corner of the building to serve the function of posting penalties and such, but it's a somewhat confusing layout and is far from perfect. If the scoreboard had standard numbers, it would be another Saginaw A+, but the omission drops the grade slightly.
Arena Employees: Grade C
The biggest black mark against the Dow Event Center are the people working there. Those employed directly by the team are perfectly fine, which saves the team from a "D", but those employed by the building - the ushers and ticket-sellers and such - seem to know little about hockey and be indifferent to the building in which they work. My first visit, we encountered an usher who thought we were from London, England! The employees are nice enough, but their appalling lack of knowledge about the place they work and the hockey team within make for the only real stain on Saginaw's otherwise flawless performance.
Facilities: Grade B
Facilities in Saginaw show their age somewhat; there are lineups for the washrooms and the building is clean, but not as clean as it could be. There is parking on-site, but it is across the street in a municipally-owned garage and costs $5 a pop. Typical of buildings of its age, the Dow's facilities are perfectly average without being outstanding.
Atmosphere: Grade A+
Unlike the reserved Canadian fans who make up most of the league, Saginaw's fans have no problem whatsoever with making noise, heckling, and showing support. The building is loud and has a great gameday atmosphere; one of fun and hospitality. The fans in Saginaw truly roll out the red carpet for visitors. There is no intimidation whatsoever and yet the building rocks with cheering for the home team. Saginaw is the best in the league at combining atmosphere with hospitality, and rises high in the rankings due to their wonderful fans and attractive building.
