Toronto and New York seem to have this problem during the regular season as well. But come playoff time those buildings are crazy.
Although every building is like this many times during the regular season, maybe except a few places like Montreal Winnipeg etc. It shouldn't be a knock against any team or fanbase.
Its become a "place to be seen" for the cities rich. The rink is mostly filled with extremely wealthy casual fans, or people getting tickets as corporate handouts. Its just become too expensive for your average hardcore hockey fans to get into games in Vancouver.
Edit: That being said I still try and get to a few games per year and I have been told numerous times to "keep it down", from people in my section. And its rarely ever profanity either
That is absolutely pathetic. Keep it down? I would lose it if someone told me that at a hockey game, and probably get thrown out
Also, on the SNet feed, they dial the crowd noise down to nothing on their broadcasts. I've really noticed that with the free Centre Ice preview that's been going on this year.
On HNIC, Rogers Arena always sounds a lot louder.
You can really notice during the anthem when you can't hear the crowd singing.
In my experience at Rogers Arena - the lower bowl demographic tends to be older and more reserved than the upper bowl. Call this corporate, yuppie, elitist or whatever inferiority complex moniker you choose - but there is going to be a difference in behaviour between younger and older fans at just about every hockey arena in the continent. Upper bowl ain't cheap anymore either, so the suggestion that the only "true fans" are those who bring lunch buckets to work, and can't afford lower bowl tickets is preposterous.
Funny this thread comes up, I was there last night as a fan of the road team, and I certainly noted being beaked at less than normal. It isn't really a measure of how loud the arena is, but as recently as 2010 I could not get out of there without an ear full, which is of course part of the fun.
The game was particularly boring, though. The Canucks fans in my section (granted, it was lower bowl) seemed more interested in updating face book to let everyone know where they were rather than watching the game. Based on the price of Canucks tickets, even up at the back wall in the 300s, it seems being at the game is more of a status thing. At a rink where you're paying 10 bucks to get a ticket with a soda, I don't think as many people are worried about letting face book know what they're up to.
Would tend to agree that TV mutes the crowd noise a bit. The last game I was at was HNIC against the Habs, and even though the Canucks played awful, the crowd was great. A lot of that was the back and forth between the two teams fans though. Definitely a few fights in the building that night.
Second to last visit was game seven against Chicago two years ago. Not sure 18, 000 people could be quieter after Toews scored to tie it in the dying minutes. And then obviously the roof was blown off when Burrows won it.
I'm probably not the best judge, since I would rather spend an extra few bucks to go see the big matchups/playoff games than to go see Columbus or something on a Tuesday night.
On a side note, I seem to notice more fights in the lower bowl than the upper bowl. I'm wondering if it has something to do with a hipster type telling a rowdy fan to keep it down.
It's probably been said, but weeknight games are tough.
Most of the people on HF are college kids judging by the posts, but the people that go to games are the ones that have jobs, and a lot have young kids.
Waking up at 6 every day, working your 8-10 hours, coming home, cooking dinners, getting the kids to bed, getting yourself to bed; You're just totally wiped. I go to quite a few games (I'm don't live in Van by the way.) And I'm exhausted, and the arenas are so quiet because everyone there is in the same situation.
On the weekends, everyone is drinking the heroin beer and they get a little more fun.
I would have to agree with the OP - I've been to two games at Rogers, and it was disconcerting just how silent it was, seemed like a lot of people in the crowd only payed attention occasionally.
In fact, the few games I've been to at Anaheim were louder.
