40. Sadlon Arena - Barrie - OHL
Located in suburban big box hell, but surprisingly not a terrible location with lots of restaurants and parking nearby. The problem here is getting in and out as Mapleview Drive gets insanely backed up even on non game days. One of the good examples of building a rink on the edge of town and the neighbourhood building up around it. The sightlines are fantastic with steeper than usual seats. Ice level suites are certainly a different touch. The concourse is way too narrow in some places and it's tough to get around sometimes. Barrie used to have a reputation of being a library but I've always found the atmosphere here to be better than most arenas.
39. Slush Puppie Place - Kingston - OHL
A newer building that still feels a bit fresh out of the package, but which is also a bit dull and spartan. Could use some more of that Fronts black and yellow, as even the walls and seats are a plain grey. I understand going for the limestone look but it's just very drab, especially when there are smaller crowds which unfortunately is more often than not. Otherwise it's a fine, serviceable clone. Multiple staff in my last visit there were a bit short with us however.
38. Scotiabank Saddledome - Calgary - WHL
Obviously an NHL rink that's much too big for the WHL. However it's cool to explore areas you'd never be allowed in for a Flames game unless you've got the expensive tickets. There's more Hitmen branding around the rink than I expected, but it's obvious the Hitmen aren't the main tenant here. It's a super unique building but that comes across better for Flames games than Hitmen games.
37. Save on Foods Memorial Centre - Victoria - WHL
The arena that finished off my journey to all 60. This rink is a better version of what they have in Kelowna. It has the exact same layout except with about 1,000 extra seats. The crowds and atmosphere however are a tad worse. Even the scoreboards are a similar layout, except Victoria's actually feels like it's from this century. A nice downtown location and the team treated me like gold, nothing bad to say here.
36. Colisée Desjardins - Victoriaville - QMJHL
This is a very intimate rink with lots of newer upgrades. It feels like a better version of Flint except the seats are the absolute tightest in the CHL bar none. Sitting here was uncomfortable and if I go again I'll be getting a standing room spot. The atmosphere lacked a tad by Q standards but yet I really want to go back. Put Flint's comfortable as hell seats in this building and I would've shot it much further up the rankings.
35. Scotiabank Centre - Halifax - QMJHL
This rink should be much higher on the list if they literally didn't have thousands of seats that have obstructed views along the sides. The atmosphere is fantastic and the good seats offer great views of the ice. The game day ops are on a pro level and this team and setup wouldn't feel out of place at the AHL level. It would be much higher up if about 30-40% of the seats didn't have obstructed views.
34. Centre Georges-Vézina - Chicoutimi - QMJHL
One of the oldest barns in the CHL and it very much feels like it. The seats are a bit cramped for my taste, but not small on a Victoriaville level. The good seats have fantastic views, but there are some bad ones that either have support columns obstructing the view or corner seats that feel a bit far from the Olympic-sized ice. This feels like the QMJHL's answer to Sudbury Arena.
33. Centre Marcel Dionne - Drummondville - QMJHL
An arena that feels way older than it is. Incredible views of the ice with very steep seats which are still all wooden two-man benches. It can be very tough to get around even without a full house. Concessions and modern amenities lack a bit with just one big canteen area at one end of the rink. The atmosphere here is terrific though and it's worth your time checking this place out.
32. Dow Event Center - Saginaw - OHL
The rink has gotten much better with the Memorial Cup upgrades. The seats are all old yet very padded and comfortable. Some seats feel a bit far from the ice but the views are mostly good. The atmosphere has been hit and miss in my games over the years, sometimes it's rocking, sometimes it's a library. The rink feels a bit bigger than it actually is. The concourse feels a bit 1970's still, but it's wide and easy to get around.
31. GFL Memorial Gardens – Sault Ste Marie - OHL
The epitome of a clone rink. Doesn't do anything amazing but doesn't do anything bad either. All the red for the Hounds is fantastic and lots of history on display is a plus. Good downtown location near hotels, restaurants and the mall. The atmosphere here is better than most places.
30. Centre Sportif Alcoa - Baie Comeau - QMJHL
Atmosphere is king here. Even with smaller crowds the place rocks with noise. It has an odd layout with a three grandstand setup, but most of the seats are on one side of the rink, like Cape Breton but with no corner seats. The steep seats give off great views even from the back row of the large section of seats. The roof slopes down from the top of the big side so the entire rink feels very intimate. It feels like a much older barn than it is.
29. Avenir Centre - Moncton - QMJHL
If you're just talking about the building, it would arguably be the best in the CHL. It has very steep and comfortable seating and a wide concourse with quick grab and go concessions like you see in NHL buildings. The atmosphere unfortunately is a total dud. The rink is much too big for the crowds Moncton gets, but if we were just ranking the buildings themselves and not adding in the actual experience, then Moncton would easily be number 1 on this list.
28. Rogers Place - Edmonton - WHL
Comparing this rink to the rest of the CHL just isn't fair for obvious reasons. Its ranking here is as a junior experience, which was better than I was expecting with a crowd of 5,000 in an NHL sized rink. Everything is pro all the way and it's a nice chance to sit in seats you just can't afford in the McDavid Oilers era.
27. Peterborough Memorial Centre - Peterborough - OHL
A small band box barn. Peterborough has an odd layout with a big chunk of the seating all in one end, but it's a rink I love going back to over and over. The city's sports hall of fame just off the concourse is among the best I've ever seen. Just standing in this place at ice level you really feel the history of the place. It's a pretty pure form of watching junior hockey in Canada, even if the atmosphere isn't always the most rowdy.
26. Toyota Center - Tri-City - WHL
Despite being only four years older than Kamloops, it feels like a much older mini coliseum. The rink feels like it was built with hockey as the top priority, and the sightlines are all fantastic. The concourse is a bit tight but has most of the concessions one could want. There is a lounge upstairs that all fans have access to, though it's segregated from the bowl itself so you can't see the game from there. For a very small crowd on a rare Monday night game the atmosphere was pretty decent.
25. Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre - Owen Sound - OHL
A rink many might think should go much lower, but which I love going back to. The Bayshore is an absolute tiny barn that's extremely intimate with great views of the ice that are all on top of the action. I don't talk food too much, but it has the best fries around. The fans here are some of the nicest I've ever come across as well. Getting to Owen Sound in the middle of winter might be one of the most treacherous trips in the OHL, but going for a game in the fall makes for a lovely drive.
24. Sandman Centre - Kamloops - WHL
An early 90's version of a clone. The sightlines are all good, but they're especially good from the balconies that run down the sides. The atmosphere was fantastic for my trip there, though it was for a Memorial Cup. It was also great being there for games in the summer with Riverside park nearby, though summer games are obviously a rarity. Parking in the area is a bit scarce.
23. TD Station - Saint John - QMJHL
Harbour Station has a fantastic maritime setting and is among the best rinks in the Q for amenities, comfort and sight lines. Unfortunately in recent years the crowds have dwindled and the atmosphere was fairly dead for my visit. The promotional team does an exceptional job. If this rink had big crowds and a good atmosphere it would easily rank top 10 on my list.
22. Langley Events Centre - Vancouver - WHL
This is one of the better new clone rinks out there. The exterior architecture is fantastic and screams BC. The atmosphere was decent but not fantastic. It has all the new amenities one could want, with exceptional options at the concessions and a good A/V production. A clone in the suburbs doesn't exactly have the charm of the Pacific Coliseum, but it's likely a much better option for the Giants in the long run.
21. Brandt Centre - Regina - WHL
This arena is larger than your average CHL rink. It looks old and run down from the outside, but feels much newer and well maintained on the inside. The seats are all comfortable and have great views of the ice. Getting around at intermissions is a bit tough with big crowds, but unfortunately that isn't much of an issue these days as more recently the Pats play to small crowds and little to no atmosphere. My only games here were for the 2018 Memorial Cup and the atmosphere for the Pats games were pretty good with a full house.