Bell center seating

[talkinghead]

Hi everyone. I'm sorry if this has been asked repeatedly but I can't find an answer via a search of this forum. I'd like to hit a Canadiens game the next time I'm in Montreal and I've never been to the Bell Center. I would appreciate some thoughts on the sight lines--what seats are the best combination of value and view.

I've seen pictures and it looks like the sides are fairly steep. I've read people saying that the club section, Desjardins, is good but perhaps not worth the extra money. How are the 300-level seats, the "white" seats? Or should I splurge for the premium red seats--are they considerably better than the seats higher up? And, forgive me, I haven't seen a hockey game in a while; do I want to be closer to center ice or does that not matter as much?

I'm not against putting down the money for a really good seat, if it's worth it. I know that's subjective but maybe there's a consensus that the 300-levels are just fine, or that it's much easier to follow the puck in the 100s. How about a "white-center first row"? That looks promising....???

Also, sorry to ask an even more naive question, but if the game begins at 7:00, what time can I expect it to end? I need to set up some entertainment for after the game!

Merci Beaucoup!

 

[Doc Holliday]

The first row of the whites isn't bad if you're sitting in the middle of the ice. Personally, i prefer getting one of the premium red tickets and sit on the sides. Rows higher than 10 are perfect....i find it hard to follow the game if you sit too low to the ice.....hard to see what's going on in the corners on your side.

Avoid the end sections of the rink since you'll constantly be facing a black mesh net when watching the game, which i've found to be terribly annoying. One guy i know doesn't mind them, but he's always hammered out of his mind when he goes to the games.

Show up at the game sometimes after 6pm due to lineups and security checks. You also can catch the pre-game warmup if you go to the game at around this time. You also avoid the lineups for beer and hotdogs.

 

[Robert 21]

if the game begins at 7:00, what time can I expect it to end? I need to set up some entertainment for after the game!
Merci Beaucoup!

When I did a Google Search - NHL Game Time -
Hockey is a fast paced game while the play is going. So why does the average NHL game last two hours and twenty minutes. -

I would say more towards the 3 hour mark (depends upon the stop in play/commercials, etc.).

Enjoy!

 

[talkinghead]

Thanks to both of you--very, very helpful. I will splurge for a good view and then settle in for a long if fast-paced ride. (Now that I think of it, that's pretty much how I hope to describe my post-game rendezvous with one of Montreal's wonderful escorts....)

 

[Doc Holliday]

When I did a Google Search -
Hockey is a fast paced game while the play is going. So why does the average NHL game last two hours and twenty minutes. -

They play three hockey periods, which are 20 minutes each. Then you have two 15-minute intermissions between the periods. You also have several stoppages in play during the game. You also have a 5-minute overtime period if the game ends tied in regulation. If no winner is determined during overtime, they go to a shootout.

But the big reason why games last longer than they should....in any sport, for the matter....is advertising. People complain that a MLB game is too long and the league has tried to tamper with the game in various ways in order to make the games shorter. They've barely had any improvement. If they'd really want to speed up the games, they'd get rid of advertising, which would never happen.

If the advertisers would have it their way, a MLB game would last 4+ hours, an NFL game would last 5+ hours, and so on. It's no different in hockey. A game on HNIC will usually last longer than a game played in the middle of the week.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Nah! .