Forever_Habs10 Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 The five greatest hockey buildings in the history of the NHL,According To Former NHL head coach and player Barry Melrose No. 5 St. Louis Arena, or the Checkerdome Most people do not think this would be on a list of the best buildings, but it was a unique building. It sat close to 20,000 people and when I was there it was full. I saw great crowds, loud crows. They were right on top of you. It was really an unbelievable building. I loved playing there. If you couldn't get jazzed about playing in St. Louis, oh boy, you had problems. Purina owned it at the time, so it looked like a checkerboard on the roof of the building. It was a real unique building. When you think of a building with 18-19,000 fans on the fifth floor, it is pretty fantastic. The thing that I love about MSG is it is always full. Even when the Rangers were terrible, the building was always packed to the rafters. On my list, that is the only building still being used as a matter of fact. No. 4 Madison Square Garden Any building that has the rink on the fifth floor has to be fantastic. New York is the greatest city in the world. MSG is as mentioned as the greatest sports building in the world. I don't have it as the best in the NHL, but that first time you play at MSG and you walk up that ramp when you get to the building and you start to think of all the great things that have happened in this building. All the great fights, all the great hockey games, all the great basketball games, the college basketball, the track and field events – it is pretty phenomenal When you think of a building with 18-19,000 fans on the fifth floor, it is pretty fantastic. The thing that I love about MSG is it is always full. Even when the Rangers were terrible, the building was always packed to the rafters. On my list, that is the only building still being used as a matter of fact. No. 3 Montreal Forum Not the Bell Centre, but the Forum – I was lucky enough to play in the Forum and I was lucky enough to coach in the Forum. I actually coached for the Stanley Cup in the Forum, which not a lot of people can say. I am a big history guy, and I love the tradition of our sport. No other building says that like the Montreal Forum. You walk around and you could be sitting in the same seat that Maurice Richard sat in, that Elmer Lach sat in, that Howie Morenz sat in. You think about what has happened in this building and how many Stanley Cups have been won in this building. The Montreal Forum was a cathedral, a church in Quebec and in the hockey world. ...In it's heyday, the Montreal Forum could hold up to 17,959 fans of the Canadiens or Maroons before it was closed in 1996. No. 2 Maple Leaf Gardens Obviously I think this will draw some ire in Montreal, but I have Maple Leaf Gardens higher. I grew up a Maple Leafs fan. I was watching Toronto winning Stanley Cups in the 1960s when they won three in a row. I was watching when they won in 1967. I was lucky enough to play for the Maple Leafs in the Gardens. I remember listening to the radio and Foster Hewitt and Hockey Night in Canada coming from Maple Leaf Gardens. When I got the chance to play there, I remember the first time seeing [Howard] Ballard's Box in the corner and the place where Foster Hewitt did all those games from the gondola. To be in the same dressing room as Syl Apps and King Clancy and all those other great Leafs players. Maple Leaf Gardens had hardly changed. The Montreal Forum was the same way. You couldn't change that much because there wasn't any room to make changes, so the building I was in in the 70s and 80s was basically the same building that was there in the 30s and 40s. It was basically the same building that all that great history had taken place in. If I grew up a Montreal fan, the Forum would probably be No. 2 on my list, but I grew up a Toronto fan and played for Toronto, so I always loved Maple Leaf Gardens. I think it was just a fantastic, fantastic building and I'm really glad they haven't been able to tear it down. No. 1 Chicago Stadium No. 1 on my list is the old Chicago Stadium. This building was tremendous. It sat 20,000 people and it was so unique. It had a small ice surface and the people were right on top of you. There was the great tradition of the people screaming in the anthem. The fact that you had to walk up the stairs from the dressing room to get to the ice was different. The color of the seats – the seats were all red. I just loved the old Chicago Stadium. I loved the excitement of the building, the intensity of the building, the look of the building. It was a beautiful building on the outside and a beautiful building on the inside. It was a great atmosphere for hockey. I know he said it and I've seen that he said it in print, but Wayne Gretzky said one of his most emotional nights in hockey was at the All-Star Game in Chicago in 1991 during the first Iraq war. The place was just crazy with emotion. He said his nerves were rattling, and he will always remember that as one of the greatest feelings he's ever had. I just want to be able to say it now that Chicago Stadium was just a special building. I've been to all of the old buildings – I've been to the Olympia and Boston Gardens and I've played in all of them. I've always thought that Chicago Stadium was the best building the NHL ever had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizardking89 Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 I'm probably a little biased (probably more than that ) when it comes to the Habs and the Forum but that was the greatest hockey building in the NHL bar none. I got goosebumps whenever I saw a game there, just the sense of history and awe when you looked up to the rafters and saw all those banners. The place was electric and had an energy all its own, During the playoffs the noise from the crowd in that place was like a 6th man on the ice for the Habs. If you could love a building I did with all my heart and cried when they closed it down. For all its modern amenities the Bell center is a great building to watch a game in but it isn't the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powerplay2009 Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 5. The Joe 4. Boston Gardens 3. MSG 2. Maple Leaf Gardens 1. The Forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forever_Habs10 Posted November 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 If you could love a building I did with all my heart and cried when they closed it down. Sad day for all habs fans....could not imagine what it must have felt....being at the closing of the forum,at the last game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MkGee Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 ya no doubt the forum takes it, wish the ghosts had of came with us though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs_Norway Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Hello! I dont think this question belongs here, but since i cant create a new one i will try it here: What are the holes in the boards for? Like the ones in the corner, that makes the puck bounce in on the ice towards the goal. Do they have a meaning? Thanks! Go Habs go! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forever_Habs10 Posted January 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 Hello! I dont think this question belongs here, but since i cant create a new one i will try it here: What are the holes in the boards for? Like the ones in the corner, that makes the puck bounce in on the ice towards the goal. Do they have a meaning? Thanks! Go Habs go! I will take a guess here....if your referring to the round holes like in the glass along the boards....their for the photographers to use for their cameras ......not sure if this is what your asking about....if not,I have no clue other wise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Habs_Norway Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 I will take a guess here....if your referring to the round holes like in the glass along the boards....their for the photographers to use for their cameras ......not sure if this is what your asking about....if not,I have no clue other wise. Thats what i meant Thank you. Been wondering if its just to bring the noise from the crowd more onto the ice, or what. But what you say sounds pretty logic. So thanks! And lets have a better night tonight.. shootouts.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forever_Habs10 Posted January 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 So thanks! And lets have a better night tonight.. shootouts.. Your welcome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan-Toews Posted January 23, 2012 Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Montreal Forum owns them all. No other arena haves more history, tradition in hockey and noise from the crowd than the forum. When you think of hockey, you think of the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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