Van Andel Arena ranks No. 1 for minor league hockey

Van Andel Arena ranks No. 1 for minor league hockey

The Grand Rapids Griffins Star Wars game night benefits its Youth Foundation. Photo via fb.com

Van Andel Arena is considered the “best” place to watch a minor league hockey game.

Van Andel Arena appears in the ranking “Best Stadium Experience by League for 2014” by Stadium Journey, ranking No. 1 in the category best of minor league/junior hockey.

The arena is the home of the Grand Rapids Griffins, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.

Van Andel Arena rating

Stadium Journey co-founder Paul Swaney says in a review that Van Andel Arena is “a perfect place to see AHL hockey.”

The metric Stadium Journey uses for rating venues is called FANFARE and includes food and beverage, atmosphere, neighborhood, fans, access, return on investment and extras.

Van Andel Arena scores a 4.3 out of 5 on the FANFARE scale.

The review gives the arena a perfect score in neighborhood and access, citing the Arena District bars and nearby museums as places to visit before or after a game. The arena receives four stars in other categories.

The review was conducted prior to the most recent season, so attendance numbers are not up to date, and the atmosphere rating is missing the recent addition of a large HD video board.

“I had heard good things about the hockey experience when going to a game at Van Andel Arena, and it is certainly true that this is a great place to see minor league hockey,” Swaney concludes in his final thoughts section. “Consider looking over the schedule to find a weekend where the Griffs play on both Friday and Saturday and take the time to enjoy the city. You'll have a fantastic time!”