March 10, 2017
Utica Memorial Auditorium (Capacity: 3,870)
Utica, NY
Utica Comets vs Bridgeport Sound Tigers
Final Score: 2 – 1
* The arena was renamed to Adirondack Bank Center
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A blast of arctic air and wind made this a rough journey to spend outside, but it did not stop me from taking in some hockey in the Mohawk Valley. Located in Central New York with a population of 62,000, Utica is a typical Rust Belt city: A former manufacturing hub that fell on hard times in the mid 20th Century as economic and social struggles followed. The area has become a center for refugees and their influence has helped improve Utica thanks to their strong work ethic and creation of diverse, small businesses. Hockey in various minor-league forms has been periodic through the years and after a brief AHL stint from 1987-1993, it was assumed high-level hockey would never return. However, in 2013, the Peoria franchise moved to Utica and in their 2nd season, the team reached the Calder Cup Finals. Games are played in the Utica Memorial Auditorium and this relic built in 1960 was spruced up before the AHL returned. The arena also hosts Utica College (DIII Hockey). As an affiliate of Vancouver, one might wonder how long the Comets will stay as the league has undergone a mass exodus to the West Coast. I sincerely hope they stay put as The Aud offers a great experience that has been enhanced by recent upgrades.
Prestige Ranking: 4 out of 5
Location
Nearby surroundings are quite dismal around the arena and while Utica does not offer much to a visitor, there are a few spots for a pre-game meal or post-event drink. While Genesee Street has some options, Varick Street is really the go-to area. This tree-lined road offers several great establishments, plus it is also the home of the family-owned Matt Brewing Company, best known for producing Saranac Beer. Check out a tour and enjoy the samples.
Location Ranking: 3.5 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
Utica is about an hour east of Syracuse and it’s positioning near the New York State Thruway (I-90) makes it easily accessible for most. The Aud is on the northern edge of downtown and though the splitting of Genesee Street threw me for a bit of a loop, the arena is not difficult to find. There are three gravel lots available to the public and the small operation extends to the end-of-game departure, which is a bit chaotic on Whitesboro Street.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 6.5 out of 8
Exterior
Originally dubbed “The Big Cake” upon debut, the circular Aud features shiny, silver panels that follow the round shape of the building. This recently replaced prior brickwork and it gives the arena a terrific, modern appearance. Underneath the metallic cake are windows that look into the concourse and two entranceways, one of them includes a long overhang to the parking lot that has been in place since the arena’s opening. It is a nice little touch for those leaving the arena in the usually harsh Utica weather. A marquee greets visitors along the passing road and perhaps the best part of the renovation is the LED lighting that is beamed onto the building at night. Colors are based on who is playing inside and when it is the Comets, the Green/Blue change to flashing red when Utica scores a goal. Awesome!
Exterior Ranking: 8 out of 10
Concourse
The concourse looks excellent as well with black walls and a sleek ceiling to match the outside. Memorabilia is abundant and perhaps the best visuals are at the concession stands, where a collage of old photographs from the city, arena and past teams are prominently displayed. Space is on the tight side during busy times as the concourse only goes around three-fourths of the building and expect to wait a bit for food or the bathroom. The visuals made me not mind the tight-ness so much. There is enough space for a bar (One 9 Five 9) and also a couple of lounges/bars can be found in other spaces, however these are only open to season-ticket holders. You would think they would open one of these to the public.
Concourse Ranking: 3 out of 5
Food
Food options have become enhanced since the renovation as various sandwiches, subs and wraps are available. Haddock is offered too, which is a good idea since I was there on a Friday Night during Lent. The stand specializing in Barbeque is Kookie’s Q and it is the best of the bunch. The “Cheesy Q” sounded intriguing as it featured pulled pork topped with onion rings and Mac & Cheese. Notable food omissions include Burgers and Pizza. For beer, look no further than the “Utica Club” stand, where the nostalgic brew is offered, along with other Saranac products.
Food Ranking: 6 out of 8
Interior
My first thought walking into this very cool arena was Madison Square Garden. The reason being the exposed, pre-stressed cable system for the roof as this “spokes-on-a-wheel” presentation reminded me of the roof at MSG. The seating set-up features about six rows of blue seats with a walkway dividing the 200-level seats further back. These red and blue seating sections are on a bell curve as the most rows can be found towards center ice. I enjoy the uniqueness aspect of this unusual design, however it does put upper seats farther from the ice than you would expect for a <4,000-seat arena. Additionally, there are a handful of rows with poor ice views. At the south end, the arena walls abruptly stop and a stage fills the area (similar to nearby Syracuse). A lounge near this stage is the closest thing resembling a luxury suite and that is perfectly fine in my eyes. Interior arena walls are painted Blue and Green for the team and affiliate, though there is an abundance of large advertisements on those walls. I certainly enjoy walking into an arena that does not resemble a place I have already been to.
Interior Ranking: 9 out of 14
Scoreboard
Those sitting at center ice have an odd orientation as both the center of the cable-wire web and the scoreboard sit over the blue line. The digital board is basic, except for the circular graphics display at the top. Near the stage-end, each corner has a large video screen. What it lacks in clarity is made up for in size, though it can be tough to see the puck in replays.
Scoreboard Ranking: 2.5 out of 4
Displays
Every arena should take note of this concourse as it epitomizes how a city’s facility should be decorated. In addition to the aforementioned amazing mural displays at each stand that feature old pictures of the city, arena and hockey teams, there are other things that stand out. This is a “Memorial” Auditorium and the opening entrance makes that unmistakable with pictures and inscriptions all in front of an American Flag background. Nearby memorial plaques compliment the area nicely. Towards the entrance to Section 101, old newspapers framed on the walls are certainly worth a look. Inside the rink, a pair of banners from the 2014-2015 season hang near the scoreboard, while a Utica College Frozen Four banner is a bit more hidden in the corner. The Blue and Green walls are unfortunately masked by some monster advertisements and this overshadows the honored players in this area, which feature a name, number and photo.
Displays Ranking: 5.5 out of 6
Cost
Parking was $5 and tickets are $18 – $28, however that comes with a $4.50 – $6 online fee. Comparatively, this is a very common price with the several other regional AHL teams, though the $28 in the 100 section peaks higher. No menu item exceeds $8 and no price is overly crazy (a hot dog is $4, specialty sandwich at $8 and fries $4). The place to get a beer is the Utica Club stand, where they were only $5.
Cost Ranking: 7 out of 8
Fan Support
Season Ticket Holders make up a good percentage of the crowd and that can make individual tickets tough to find. It also means that like everywhere else, stats are inflated as the numbers say Utica has a long sellout streak. On the night, I attended, The Aud was about 70% full. Now none of that should deter from what is a great fan base in this small city that takes special pride in their lone professional team. Little things add up like the signs on store-fronts and a large group of fans welcoming back the team bus after clinching the conference. The concourses were packed with people wearing Comets gear and much of the conversation revolved around Utica hockey. Come playoff-time, the building is full and that was even the case for a mid-week First Round game last year.
Fan Support Ranking: 6 out of 8
Atmosphere
Utica has gained a reputation as one of the loudest arenas in the league with a vocal crowd that gives a distinct advantage. Knowing the local support and reputation of The Aud, I expected more from the crowd during my game. They started out very quiet and barely even acknowledged an impending Power Play at the beginning of the game. Aside from a sporadic “Let’s Go Comets” cheer, I was increasingly disappointed until they started to turn it on late in the third period. The first “U-TI-CA” chant came with about a minute left and the fans made some decent noise as the Comets hung on for a win. Each goal brings most people to their feet as they produce a nice pop. They have their own post-goal tradition including a song and periodic “wooo” calls around the building. The team does employee cheerleaders, who are stationed near each opening to the seating bowl. Overall, this is a solid AHL atmosphere, but one that did not live up to the hype coming in.
Atmosphere Ranking: 9.5 out of 14
Other Stuff
Spending the night in Utica gave me a chance to try some food unique to the city. For dinner at Delmonico’s, I enjoyed a main course of Chicken Riggies while also contemplating an appetizer of Utica Greens. Then, I wanted to try a place that reflects the refugee culture of the city and the largest of this group are the Bosnians. With several options to choose from, I went with Tarik’s Bakery, where I had an excellent lunch featuring Burek and then a dessert called Kanafeh……The Aud is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark thanks to the innovative roof design……While Utica has team colors obtained from their Vancouver affiliate, the nickname “Comets” is nothing new to the area as several former franchises used the name.
Game
Utica controlled the run of play for much of this game, but it took a while for them to convert as former NHLer Jaroslav Halak was excellent in net for Bridgeport. Curtis Valk put the Comets on the board late in the second and then Michael Carcone added an insurance goal from a nifty side net pass in the third. Bridgeport cut the deficit to one halfway through the third, but Utica hung on at the end to win 2-1.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
