April 17, 2002
Onondaga County War Memorial (Capacity: 6,230)
Syracuse, NY
Syracuse Crunch vs Philadelphia Phantoms
Final Score: 4 – 1
* The arena was re-visited for a game on March 11, 2017
** Onondaga County War Memorial was renamed Upstate Medical Arena
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Though the Crunch have only been around since 1994, Syracuse is no stranger to the AHL. They were the first city to take home the Calder Cup as the old Stars franchise in 1936. After that team was relocated, several brief stints in the AHL followed before the Crunch debuted and it’s safe to say they’ll be here for the long haul. Syracuse is the fifth largest city in New York with a population near 150,000 and it is located in the central part of the state. Of course, the “Salt City” is recognized for the substantial amount of snow the area annually receives. Onondaga County’s War Memorial Arena truly is a dedication to war veterans as the place does an excellent job honoring those that served. This building that opened in 1951 has some modern interior looks from a 1994 renovation; however, the place still retains an old-school, throwback arena charm. My first visit was very early in my journey (just the 9th stadium visit) and it was for Game 2 of a First Round playoff game with a local college friend. The return came on a snowy March day as I went back to see a more typical regular season atmosphere.
Prestige Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Location
There is not much that attracts visitors to Syracuse, the possible exception being the massive Carousel Center mall near Onondaga Lake. It’s more than a mall given the multiple entertainment options in the large building. Upstate Medical Arena sits right in the middle of downtown Syracuse, clustered with various buildings focused on government and business. Not having a single restaurant or bar nearby is a disappointment. The liveliest section of the city is about a ten-minute walk away and is known as Armory Square. This area does feature plenty of bars, shops and restaurants making for a nice place to get to know the city a bit. A trip to the Erie Canal Museum is worth a possible stop as well.
Location Ranking: 5.5 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
The two biggest highways in Upstate New York essentially connect in Syracuse. I-90 (the NY State Thruway) goes east to west, while I-81 runs north to south. The latter cuts the city in half as it goes right through downtown. That does mean easy access to the arena, via Exit 18 which goes into Harrison Street. Several parking lots nearby provide enough space for fans heading to the game, plus there is a garage or two in close proximity. Roads exiting after the event can get clogged up, but otherwise, overall traffic was not bad.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 7.5 out of 8
Exterior
The arena is part of the OnCenter Complex, a set of three buildings that each take up a city block. The War Memorial is the middle building, while on the left is the Convention Center and the right are the Civic Center Theatres. It is somewhat deceiving as you arrive on Harrison St. because the Convention Center seems like it is the arena since it is across from the main parking lots. Only when I saw everybody walking diagonally to the building next door, did I realize that was the War Memorial. The older looking building is comprised of light-colored brick and features plenty of nooks and crannies within the overall rectangular shape. If one stands far enough back, they can see the black shell of the arcing roof. Probably the most discernable feature on the building is the unique front entrance, which features an inscribing: “Sports Music Arts Science” in some bizarre font. Below that is a better look, with an overhang that includes an old-school sign displaying the event for the night.
Exterior Ranking: 4.5 out of 10
Concourse
Historic government building or state capitol is what comes to mind upon entering, as one entranceway is beautifully decorated with marble walls and American flags. Not quite the sports frame of mind, but again there is more to this place than just sports as plenty of War Memorial dedications surround the walkways. The arena actually features two concourses, which is surprising given the size of the facility. The lower promenade has more room than the upper concourse and both are dated with a claustrophobic feel in spots. At least there’s two concourses to spread people out. Leading to the rink are heavy, obtrusive doors, as opposed to the typical tunnel opening.
Concourse Ranking: 2.5 out of 5
Food
There were a few tables around to try and spice up the regular concession stand offerings, which were quite basic. These standards did feature poutine, an unusual addition, given that we are in the U.S. It wasn’t until the very last concession stand that I saw at the end of the building where something peeked my interest. Tacos, Beef on Weck and Salt Potatoes (a local specialty) were a welcome sight on the menu. Hard cider and a local beer or two gave Syracuse a solid alcohol offering.
Food Ranking: 5 out of 8
Interior
Though there are features to make this an old-school place, it’s hard to call it a barn as the inside is quite bright and vibrant. Enhancing that light is the white arched roof, which does not rise all that high above the arena. The blue and red seating bowl is shaped like a horseshoe and about a third of the way up from the glass is a gray partition that divides the seating, with separate entrances for both sections. More blue throughout the arena when I returned in 2017 more suits the team colors. The seats furthest back have a quirky obstruction from above with an overhanging set of boxes reserved for the press. This blocks the scoreboard and makes the section feel much darker compared to the rest of the arena. On the opposite end, right up towards the glass, seats are portable bleachers, again odd. Another unique spot is the stage behind one of the goals. This is used as a group outing area, which is fine for that purpose. Add up all these features and it leads to a somewhat peculiar arena. Despite some of the negative quirks, I’ll take this place over a run of the mill arena any day.
Interior Ranking: 5.5 out of 14
Scoreboard
A traditional, four-sided scoreboard is located over center ice with a video screen in the middle showing live game action. There was nothing special with the board as game info was on a black base and ads were at the top and bottom. Video screens at each corner of the arena towards the stage try to enhance the entertainment arrangements.
Scoreboard Ranking: 2.5 out of 4
Displays
It is clear from the get-go that Syracuse has not lost touch with the real purpose of the facility: a War Memorial. It is more than a name to the city as one entrance has a complete display of all Onondaga County veterans. Numerous other pieces throughout the concourse mark a way to honor those who have served the country, including a section on every war the U.S. has been in. Even inside the rink, a sign above the stage says, “In Memory of our Service Veterans”. Syracuse got it right by maintaining these displays. As for the sports memorabilia, they are displayed in the form of banners on one end. Certainly, got a sense of old and new as alongside a pretty cool Syracuse Stars 1936 Calder Cup banner was this season’s division championship. The lone retired number is for #14 John Badduke, an interesting choice given that he is a career enforcer and all around lunatic. I just can’t give a perfect 6 ranking because of the lack of Syracuse hockey displays. There is something for the Syracuse Nationals, NBA champs in the 1950s!
Displays Ranking: 5 out of 6
Cost
Prices have doubled in between visits as now most tickets are in the $20 – $25 range as of 2017. This is around the league average. Parking on the other hand, is above normal as $9 for this size of a city is too high…even if the arena is downtown. Concessions were fine.
Cost Ranking: 7 out of 8
Fan Support
An attendance of around 4,000 is ok for a Saturday Night and most of the side sections filled in well. Though the team ranks in the middle of the pack for AHL attendance, the 6,230 seat building is more than half full on several occasions. Syracuse University basketball may be a runaway #1 in this city, but the Crunch have a nice little niche of their own.
Fan Support Ranking: 5 out of 8
Atmosphere
The building was lively with general conversation through the game and it certainly becomes noisy when the crowd reacts to something. As a small arena, the roof and overhanging press box really kept the volume up through the game. About half of the fans stand when a goal is scored and my favorite part is the video shot of a guy fully dressed as a Hanson Brother high-fiving after goals. For the playoff game that I saw in 2002, the atmosphere was great (not close to a sellout though).
Atmosphere Ranking: 9 out of 14
Other Stuff
The Onondaga County War Memorial does not do well with outdoor temperature variations and on the mild spring day I went in May of 2002, it became very warm inside. I’m surprised the ice was not in worse shape. Shorts and a t-shirt were the proper attire……A public vote resulted in the nickname “Crunch”, though I’m not sure why, nor where, that abominable snowman logo came from……The NBA was in Syracuse for a good part of the 1950s and 60s, as the Nationals played in the arena……The War Memorial is on the National Register of Historic Places, in large part because of the roof.
Game (Initial Visit)
Syracuse took a 2-0 series lead over the Philadelphia Phantoms as they dominated Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. The Crunch were down a goal through two periods, but their goaltender J.F. Labbe made some spectacular saves to keep the team in it. In the third, four unanswered Syracuse goals led the team to a 4-1 victory. Labbe finished with 29 stops.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
