BCTed said:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/71...nsion-womens-hockey-detroit-chicago-hamilton/

Maybe there is still a chance for a PWHL team...
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Hamilton is good for logistics. Teams from the west can fly in and play Hamilton, then play Toronto, maybe even hop to Montreal, and then fly back out west, getting in what will probably be a lot of their quota to play their eastern counterparts over only one week.

I'm assuming they are going to divide up east vs. west in the next expansion round.
 
Civdis said:
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.

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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.
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My take is that they're 1 full renovation behind. This is the renovation that should have happened in the early 2000s, but instead of skipping ahead to a modern one, they went with the early 2000s one anyway.

The biggest issues imo are:

1. The main entrance/foyer should have been a complete new addition as high as the arena roof and built out to the corner.

You want a large welcoming space that's well lit and and has lots of windows for a public building like this.

2. They shoehorned the new lower concourse in. Going to the south side feels like you're walking through some utility corridor. They didn't remove any of those walls, so if you're walking 2 or more abreast, your group has go sort of pause and break up into single file to get into the new concourse area. Very weird for an arena holding 18000. Concourses should be wide open spaces with little obstructions to the flow of crowds.

3. The dark paint with no accenting. I do think this may have been done with intention that once a main sports tenant was brought in, they would program these Concourses a bit more in that teams colours. (So if they do call the team the Tigers, all they have to do is add gold to the black walls.
 
Wonder how much SGA will contribute in capital build for a fabulous foyer named after his child. That rework or perhaps add could really give the York Bay corner a signature entrance. Could we get a glowing crystal (ala ROM)
 
KingJames said:
Wonder how much SGA will contribute in capital build for a fabulous foyer named after his child. That rework or perhaps add could really give the York Bay corner a signature entrance. Could we get a glowing crystal (ala ROM)
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I assume that they are just carving out an existing area of the building. The renovation is complete.
 
Yorken Bay said:
My take is that they're 1 full renovation behind. This is the renovation that should have happened in the early 2000s, but instead of skipping ahead to a modern one, they went with the early 2000s one anyway.

The biggest issues imo are:

1. The main entrance/foyer should have been a complete new addition as high as the arena roof and built out to the corner.

You want a large welcoming space that's well lit and and has lots of windows for a public building like this.

2. They shoehorned the new lower concourse in. Going to the south side feels like you're walking through some utility corridor. They didn't remove any of those walls, so if you're walking 2 or more abreast, your group has go sort of pause and break up into single file to get into the new concourse area. Very weird for an arena holding 18000. Concourses should be wide open spaces with little obstructions to the flow of crowds.

3. The dark paint with no accenting. I do think this may have been done with intention that once a main sports tenant was brought in, they would program these Concourses a bit more in that teams colours. (So if they do call the team the Tigers, all they have to do is add gold to the black walls.
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It is too dark/unwelcoming and tight. Hopefully they decide to brighten up the place, but short of actually expanding outward, there is only so much they can do with the available space. That said, I do feel like maybe it can be further optimized somehow.
 
Yorken Bay said:
My take is that they're 1 full renovation behind. This is the renovation that should have happened in the early 2000s, but instead of skipping ahead to a modern one, they went with the early 2000s one anyway.

The biggest issues imo are:

1. The main entrance/foyer should have been a complete new addition as high as the arena roof and built out to the corner.

You want a large welcoming space that's well lit and and has lots of windows for a public building like this.

2. They shoehorned the new lower concourse in. Going to the south side feels like you're walking through some utility corridor. They didn't remove any of those walls, so if you're walking 2 or more abreast, your group has go sort of pause and break up into single file to get into the new concourse area. Very weird for an arena holding 18000. Concourses should be wide open spaces with little obstructions to the flow of crowds.

3. The dark paint with no accenting. I do think this may have been done with intention that once a main sports tenant was brought in, they would program these Concourses a bit more in that teams colours. (So if they do call the team the Tigers, all they have to do is add gold to the black walls.
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All great points, but I just don't think there was the budget for a big splashy foyer. As someone else noted, much of the budget was used for updating infrastructure and back of house renovations. It is a solid 2nd tier facility for the GTHA, much needed.
 
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