[ericmacm]

Hamilton didn't care when it was the Oilers affiliate or Habs affiliate. I'm sure the Isles affiliate will be different!

I love to see that Hamilton is getting an AHL team again but I am also somewhat skeptical about how well it is going to be supported, given Hamilton’s history with the AHL and OHL Bulldogs.

Maybe it will be different this time, but who knows. The Bridgeport Islanders had better attendance than the OHL Bulldogs, and about the same as the AHL Bulldogs. I guess we will just have to wait and see how this is going to pan out.

 

[Chris R.]

I saw a comment on Reddit I thought was pretty funny, the arena the AHL team will be playing in has a higher capacity than their NHL counterparts.

That being said I suspect they will only be using the lower bowl for most games with a far lower capacity to make it seem more full. I don't know if Hamilton is ready to support an AHL team, but I'm hoping TD Coliseum does more work to market the games and team than FOC did (none).

 

[BCTed]

I saw a comment on Reddit I thought was pretty funny, the arena the AHL team will be playing in has a higher capacity than their NHL counterparts.

That being said I suspect they will only be using the lower bowl for most games with a far lower capacity to make it seem more full. I don't know if Hamilton is ready to support an AHL team, but I'm hoping TD Coliseum does more work to market the games and team than FOC did (none).

Not very important, but I don't think the comment about seating capacity is technically true. The often-mentioned 18,000 capacity at TD Coliseum is for concerts with a 360 degree stage, which includes a lot of floor seating. The seating capacity for the PWHL game was about 16,500 based on what I could tell from the configuration on Ticketmaster, which is down from the 17,300 or so pre-reno. The NHL Islanders' home arena seats just under 17,300.

 

[HamiltonPlanning]

I feel like the reduction in capacity for sporting events post renovation is because the lower bowl on the north stands gets cut about halfway down for these suites and what look to be folding chairs:

If the former configuration was still there, the number would have been close to 17,300 for sporting events.

 

[BCTed]

I feel like the reduction in capacity for sporting events post renovation is because the lower bowl on the north stands gets cut about halfway down for these suites and what look to be folding chairs:
View attachment 723448
I feel if the former configuration was still there, the number would have been close to 17,300 for sporting events.

Agreed. They also took up some space with the suites that are between the lower and upper levels on the other side.

What I am not sure of is whether or not the new regular seats are narrower than their predecessors. (They are not all the same seats, even within the regular parts of the bowl.) They certainly feel narrower overall. They also feel cheaper/flimsier.

 

[Civdis]

So as promised here is my assessment of the renovated TD Coliseum. First impressions were less than stellar as I found the Bay Street entrance a little crammed and underwhelming.

We were sitting on the lower level south side so were directed to the new lower concourse area. Things didn't get a lot better as I found the public areas dark and a bit dingy.

The signage and wayfinding was definitely done on the cheap.

Now we get to the seats. I found them on the cheap side and weirdly high, like shorter people could not get their legs on the floor.

I know I am sounding a little negative here, but I will have some positives in my next post.

 

[Civdis]

On a more positive note, I like the seating bowl changes, additions of boxes, premium seating areas etc etc but still found the arena so dark with all of the black everywhere including the new seats. I suppose it makes sense as the arena has been positioned more as a concert venue.

My overall take is that I was underwhelmed. In some ways, I like the old arena better, more colour, brighter etc etc. I wanted to be impressed I really did, but I came away thinking that although I am glad we have a 2nd major arena venue for concerts, there is no way this could ever be turned into a legitimate NHL arena. It was built at different time.

 

[Civdis]

One last thing on a more positive note, I was really impressed with the downtown transformation happening. Lots of nice new developments, some great restaurants and people walking the streets. Last weekend I was in Buffalo for the Leaf game and their downtown was dead. Hamilton is definitely on the rise! Love the new Mac Residence! Rise Hammer Rise!

 

[innsertnamehere]

I think where people go wrong here is expecting it to be on the same level as Scotiabank Place. It's not that and never will be that - it's a secondary arena in a secondary city at the end of the day.

 

[Civdis]

I think where people go wrong here is expecting it to be on the same level as Scotiabank Place. It's not that and never will be that - it's a secondary arena in a secondary city at the end of the day.

Completely agree, and that was my takeaway. Still a great facility to have. Not totally sure we got $300M worth though.

 

[berklon]

The

On a more positive note, I like the seating bowl changes, additions of boxes, premium seating areas etc etc but still found the arena so dark with all of the black everywhere including the new seats. I suppose it makes sense as the arena has been positioned more as a concert venue.

That's definitely the reason for the darker aesthetics - because concerts were the priority.
However, I think they need to re-think the colour scheme of the concourse. It looks/sounds like it needs to have some lighter colour(s) on the walls (at least). It doesn't have to be white, but something brighter (or less dark) than black. I think being "blacked out" every where in the arena is overkill. The concourse is a place to take a break from the concert/event - and that also means a break from the aesthetic.

Luckily, it's doesn't cost that much money or time to repaint the concourse. Hopefully they address this.

 

[BCTed]

I think where people go wrong here is expecting it to be on the same level as Scotiabank Place. It's not that and never will be that - it's a secondary arena in a secondary city at the end of the day.

I agree with most of Civdis' comments.

TD Coliseum might not be expected to be on the same level as Scotiabank Arena, but there is something about the reno that has it feeling much smaller and less comfortable than before. The dark/dingy concourses are a big part of it. I think the way the concessions are laid out is also a factor. I was hoping that the new street level concourse would be much roomier than it is --- it does not feel like it was originally built to be a concourse. The upper level concourse just has a weird, much more desolate/depressing feel than it did when it was orange and had more food concessions, even when there are a lot of people there.

The signage and wayfinding in the concourses and within the bowl is not good.

Even Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga, which seats something over 5000 people, has a better professional arena feel in the comfortable light-coloured concourse than does the new TD.

TD overall has much more of a budget feel than I had expected. Crappy entrance, cheap signage, cheap seats, cheap scoreboard, cheap-looking concessions, darkness. The only parts that look decent to me are the new lounges and loge areas and suites.

 

[Civdis]

The


That's definitely the reason for the darker aesthetics - because concerts were the priority.
However, I think they need to re-think the colour scheme of the concourse. It looks/sounds like it needs to have some lighter colour(s) on the walls (at least). It doesn't have to be white, but something brighter (or less dark) than black. I think being "blacked out" every where in the arena is overkill. The concourse is a place to take a break from the concert/event - and that also means a break from the aesthetic.

Luckily, it's doesn't cost that much money or time to repaint the concourse. Hopefully they address this.

You make a great point!

 

[Chris R.]

I think where people go wrong here is expecting it to be on the same level as Scotiabank Place. It's not that and never will be that - it's a secondary arena in a secondary city at the end of the day.

My wife attended a Raptors game a week or two ago with her brother at Scotiabank arena, and she said it wasn't really that great either. I think people may not recall what other arenas are like as well nor recall just how bad it was at FOC.

Completely agree, and that was my takeaway. Still a great facility to have. Not totally sure we got $300M worth though.

We didn't pay a dime, so "we" didn't get anything really. HUPEG and attendees got a reno. I've said the same thing earlier, but the arena required substantial updates under the hood. They installed a fully new HVAC system for the arena, replaced literally every single kitchen and all ventilation, repainted and repaired the entire exterior, installed all new lighting, and upgrades the escalators which from my recollection from reading staff reports were essentially all at the end of their life.

 

[BCTed]

My wife attended a Raptors game a week or two ago with her brother at Scotiabank arena, and she said it wasn't really that great either. I think people may not recall what other arenas are like as well nor recall just how bad it was at FOC.

We didn't pay a dime, so "we" didn't get anything really. HUPEG and attendees got a reno. I've said the same thing earlier, but the arena required substantial updates under the hood. They installed a fully new HVAC system for the arena, replaced literally every single kitchen and all ventilation, repainted and repaired the entire exterior, installed all new lighting, and upgrades the escalators which from my recollection from reading staff reports were essentially all at the end of their life.

It is great that TD received all of the under-the-hood updates and the overall reno. And it is great that it is booking lots of big top-tier acts, and I hope it continues. And I am really glad that Hamilton has a functional NHL-capacity arena. And I still hold out prayers that the city can one day somehow get a team (which would need an altogether new arena).

But I do hate to say that TD simply does not compare with Scotiabank. Since the Christmas holidays, I have attended a Raptors game and a Leafs game at Scotiabank, as well as the TD Coliseum PWHL game and a Rock game at TD. These events were all very recent, so my memory is fresh and I have actively compared the two arenas. Scotia is far from perfect, but it beats TD handily in pretty much every respect --- I will spare you the rundown. [Scotia is well into its own $350 million renovation and they are working on the 300 level right now, so there is a bit of temporary messiness there.]

I was crazy excited for the renos, but I have to say that TD had a more pleasant feel when it was Copps/FOC, at least to me (I also went to two of the Rock's final games before the arena shut down for renos), so I do hold out some hope that the atmosphere/feel can be improved with some paint and some other cosmetic or other minor alterations.