If you’re a hockey fan living in Houston, then where do you go to watch the game?
Hockey is a very popular sport in Canada and the United States, and there are many rinks located in and around the city of Houston where you can see the game action. Thanks to the NHL’s Houston Expansion Team, which will begin play next year, there will be even more options for fans of the game in the city.
Here’s a list of the top places to watch hockey in Houston:
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BB&T Center
The BB&T Center is the home of the Southern Texas’ Lightning and the San Antonio Rampage, two of the NHL’s newest teams. The stadium opened in 2017 and is located in downtown San Antonio. It has a capacity of 19,000 spectators and features amazing views of the city. The center is also known for its Legends Wall, which is made up of the retired numbers of famous players such as Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe. One of the biggest draws of the arena is that it is easily accessible from the Houston airport. It’s only a 20-minute drive and is within walking distance to the downtown area.
TD Ameritrade Center
The TD Ameritrade Center is the home of the Arizona Coyotes and the Nashville Predators, two of the NHL’s most popular teams. It is the latest and the largest sports and entertainment arena to be built in Nashville, Tennessee, and it opened its doors in 2017. The $275 million dollar arena is a joint venture between the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD) and the NashVegas Hockey Club. The venue offers world-class amenities for fans, including a spectacular view of the city, lots of parking spaces, and a tram system that will take you directly to your seat. The building is easily accessible from I-65, making it a quick and easy journey from the Houston area. With over 21,000 seats, there’s plenty of room for everyone.
George R. Brown Convention Center
The George R. Brown Convention Center is one of the biggest convention centers in the United States. It is located in Downtown Houston and has a capacity of up to 17,000 people. It was built in 2007 and is named after the late George R. Brown, a philanthropist and major investor in the city. The convention center is a multipurpose venue that hosts trade shows, concerts, comedy shows, and other types of social gatherings. It also has an ice rink inside, which is open to the public. The center is connected to the larger Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) complex by an indoor walkway, making it a popular choice for spectators attending rodeos at the nearby Astrodome. Rodeos are held there annually and are attended by thousands of people.
Astro
Located in the heart of the city and only a few minutes’ drive from the George R. Brown Convention Center, the Astrodome is the ultimate destination for any sports fan. It has an incredible indoor-outdoor seating arrangement and is open all year round. The $220 million dollar stadium opened in 1964 and is best known for hosting the 1964, 1967, and 1969 World’s Fairs, which were designated as International Expositions. It has a capacity of up to 68,000 people and has hosted various famous sporting events, including the Houston Independent School District’s football games, the Cotton Bowl, and the NFL Draft. It is also the home of the Houston Astros and the Dynamo soccer team. In 2019, the stadium will undergo a complete renovation project that will allow it to host exhibitions and international soccer matches, among other things.
University of Houston
The UH campus is less than an hour’s drive from downtown Houston and has a great tradition of producing excellent hockey players. The school’s arena, the Robertson Stadium, is named after the school’s founder, Dr. George P. Robertson, and the facility opened in 1960. It has a capacity of 8,500 spectators and is fully equipped for hockey. The Houstonian Club Ice House is another great spot to catch a game, with a capacity of 1,500 spectators. The university also operates the UH Men’s Ice Hockey Club, which serves as the city’s premiere amateur hockey team. As a collegiate esports and gaming school, UH also offers opportunities to its students to get involved in the esports scene.
Corkscrews Ice House
The Corkscrews Ice House is an independent hockey venue located in Houston’s Museum District. It was established in 2009 and is owned by the Houston Rockets and the NHL’s Houston Oilers organization. The venue is named after the iconic Houston bar, the Corkscrews, and the building itself was originally the Jones Coliseum, which was built in 1959. The venue has a capacity of 2,200 spectators and is one of the oldest and most historic rinks in the city. It is also the former home of the hockey club, the Houston Knights, who played in the International Hockey League from 1939 to 1942 and in the old West Central Hockey League from 1942 to 1948. In 1942, the team finished first in the West Central League and went on to win the Championship. In 2019, the venue will serve as the home of the Rockets’ top development affiliate, the AA Corpus Christi Bayfish, who will play in the Federal Hockey League.
Reliant Stadium
Another option for spectators is Reliant Stadium, which is located in downtown Houston and is the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans and MLS’s Houston Dynamo. It has a capacity of 68,500 people and hosted the 2000 Republican National Convention, as well as the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo. The venue also has a 25,000-square-foot convention center, which is available for rent.
Toyota Stadium
The last option on our list is Toyota Stadium, which is the home of the NFL’s Houston Texans and the University of Houston’s soccer team. It opened in 2010 and is named after the Texas car company, Toyota. Located in the city’s southwest side, the venue has a capacity of 71,000 people and features an amazing view of the Texas coastline. The stadium’s front office is accessible by car, pedestrian, or bike and has a direct connection to the light rail system.
As you can see, there are a lot of great places to watch hockey in Houston. The list includes five stadiums and one convention center, making it the largest and most diverse selection of venues for an outdoor sports fan in the city. If you’re unable to make it to one of the major sporting events that takes place at the other venues, then you can still catch a game at any of the smaller rinks in the area. For more information on all of the Houston venues, visit thetickets.com.