It’s almost the offseason, which means one thing: you’ve got a ton of free time on your hands! It might be a bit warmer than usual, so why not take the opportunity and hit the ice with your buddies?
It’s not unusual to have more than a couple of hours per day of sunlight, so you can play hockey outdoors without worrying about the cold. Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to play hockey during the day: there are plenty of indoor opportunities as well, like ice hockey rinks. If you’re looking for some competitive fun, then these days of waiting are the best chance you’ll get at it.
Now, you may be wondering how many hockey rinks are in Toronto and what are their hours of operation. Let’s examine.
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Hockey Rinks In Toronto
Toronto is home to some of the greatest sports facilities in the world. From football to basketball, baseball, and even hockey, the city is covered in sporting venues. There are actually 16 public hockey rinks in Toronto, but that doesn’t mean the city doesn’t offer any private opportunities as well.
It’s not unusual for sports fans to head to Toronto to see their favorite teams play. It’s one of the great American sports cities, after all. Not only do they have an abundance of sports facilities, but many of their venues are state-of-the-art as well.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors are the city’s two professional sports teams. Their stadiums, the Air Canada Centre and the Rogers Centre, are located in the downtown area and are some of the most well-known venues in the league. Since its inception in 2007, the Toronto Blue Jays have also played in a dome-style stadium that was built specifically for them in the city: the Rogers Centre. All of these venues offer year-round outdoor and indoor sports opportunities.
How Many Seasons Do The Toronto Maple Leafs Play?
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been around for almost a century and one of the most popular sports franchises in the NHL. The team originally started out as the Toronto Arenas, which only played a handful of games before officially changing its name to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since then, the team has gone on to win five Stanley Cups and ten consecutive championships (including this year).
This year will mark the 100th anniversary of the Toronto Maple Leafs and they’ve planned some special events to celebrate it. The team will play 18 games this season, including four in California (one of them being a preseason game). Unfortunately, the Leafs will be on the road for the other 14 games, so you won’t be able to see them play at the ACC or the Rogers Centre.
How Many Rinks Are There In The ACC (Air Canada Centre)?
The Air Canada Centre is the home of the Toronto Maple Leafs and also one of the most stunning sports venues I’ve ever been to. When the team plays at home, it often draws very large crowds—especially during the holidays. It’s not uncommon for there to be 15,000 guests in the building on a game day. The capacity of the ACC is 20,000, so you’ll definitely want to get a good seat if you come to a game!
The arena is actually two hockey rinks (one for each team) that are connected by a pedestrian bridge. If you look from the street, the place seems like an ordinary sports arena. Upon closer inspection, you’ll see that the outside of the rink is covered in solar panels that provide all the energy for the arena lights.
Even those who aren’t familiar with hockey will know what the Air Canada Centre is. The design of the building is so stunning that it’s difficult to forget about when you’re there. Unfortunately, the building is also quite old and needs some TLC (tender, loving care). The roof leaks and the windows aren’t working properly (they don’t allow enough sunlight to enter the building). There’s lots of potential for this arena, but first, they need to fix some of the minor maintenance issues so that it can continue functioning as one of the top venues in North America.
How Is Public Transport To The Toronto Raptors Basketball Games?
It’s not quite the same as having a car, but public transport to the Toronto Raptors games is still relatively easy. The team plays 45% of its home games during a season at the Air Canada Centre (which is within walking distance of almost 90% of the population).
It’s not quite as easy to get to the other 55% of the games though, as these are held at the smaller venues across North America. Most venues are about 30 minutes away by car, or a couple of hours on public transport. You’ll have to decide whether or not it’s worth the effort to get to these games: they can be quite fun!
What Is The Capacity Of The Rogers Centre?
The Rogers Centre is another gorgeous sports arena located in Toronto. It’s the home of the Toronto Raptors (formerly known as the Toronto Raptors), who are a professional basketball team. The capacity of the arena is 20,000, so it would only make sense that it is composed of two hockey rinks (one for each team).
The place is named after the billionaire entrepreneur Rogers, who donated a large sum of money to build and outfit the arena. It was officially opened in 1999 and has been instrumental in the growth of professional basketball in Canada. The Raptors have gone on to win two NBA championships and three NBA playoff titles at the arena.
The facility is also home to the Toronto Argonauts (a Canadian Football League team), the Junior B Ice Dogs (an independent junior ice hockey team), the Toronto Highlanders (a semi-professional soccer team), and the Toronto Bandits (a semi-professional indoor soccer team). All of these teams use the Rogers Centre as their home arena.
Which Of The Following Are The Hottest Hockey Markets In North America?
We now arrive at the fun part: what are the hockey markets in North America like right now? Let’s take a quick look at the most populated regions and see how many full rinks they have available.
As we’ve established above, the Toronto Maple Leafs have an abundance of rinks available, so it’s no surprise that there are a lot of people catching the hockey bug there. The team has sold out its games for the next two seasons already, so there’s no doubt that they appeal to the masses.
The next most populated area is actually in southern California, where the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks play. It’s not quite the same as being in Toronto, but it’s pretty close. There are a lot of people going to the games and following the sport, especially since the two teams are generally highly favored to win the Stanley Cup this year.
The other popular southern California city is also home to one of the league’s most prestigious sporting arenas as well as a baseball diamond. The Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Dodgers have both recently sold out their stadiums, so it seems like the masses are still going to games there.
The least populated area of North America is actually the territory of the Yukon, with only one rink in Dawson City. It’s quite a distance to travel, especially when you consider that the closest major city is Whitehorse, which is quite a ways from the Yukon capital. Maybe fewer people are seeing the benefits of outdoor hockey in the great white north.
Where Do The San Jose Sharks Play?
The San Jose Sharks are another highly regarded professional hockey team, who play in the NHL. This year will mark the tenth anniversary of the Sharks, who changed their name to the San Jose Sharks in 2007. The team is owned by Silicon Valley billionaire Joe Thomas, who also owns the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team. The Sharks will play all of their home games at the brand new SAP Center this year, which has a capacity of 18,000. It’s quite a difference from the 10,000-seat stadium they played in during the first half of the season.
Before the new arena was opened, the Sharks played the majority of their home games at the Shark Tank, which has a capacity of 6,000. The team has sold out all of their games there and it seems like the general public is taking notice of the sport as well.