Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre

The centre hires unprofessional security company — Limited Edition Protection and Security Inc. to look after events. A few words that consistently came out from a security supervisor’s mouth were: Throw you out! Stupid pig! Have you arrested! Stupid idiot!
If you want to have fun there, my suggestion is: don’t go.

As a concert venue this place is pretty brutal. Disorganized and the process needs re working. Line up to have security check your bag, line up to scan your ticket, line up to have someone sharpie your ticket, then line up again to have someone put a wrist band on you. No staff mentioning this to you, so you probably already lined up to get into your general admission section before they told you about the stupid wrist band program. Small vanue for a show, the acoustics are bad, but when it’s a little ice rink that must be expected ;)

I came here for a concert a few years ago… actually a lot of years ago to see Heaven and Hell with Dio. This place is terrible for sound for a show. I cannot understand why they even had a show here. I also saw the Offspring here (yes I am dating myself). I am so glad that this got abandoned for rock shows a year later.

4 stars for being new, great ice, nice, spacious, warm locker rooms, for once lol. The old one was freezing! convenient cubby holes above each stall too.
But 3 stars for not having automated doors, try lugging your hockey gear and sticks, while pushing hard through 2 sets of doors to get to changing rooms #8 and higher.
And the parkade is insane; the old lot had plenty but with the new construction (about 5 years guessing during the Winter Olympics) a block away, now you have to walk across the street in the rain!
Plus you still have to take the elevator down to the rink level/​dressing rooms… well, there’s the stairs.
I’ve seen the occasion Canuck players here, more or less watching their kids play.
But the ice’s great, gorgeous score clock, and new seats too.

It’s a beautiful part of Vancouver to be in but it’s not worth it.
I play hockey here sometimes and I definitely prefer the other rinks (Richmond Ice, The Oval, 8 Rinks). There is simply no free parking. That’s kind of a big deal considering it’s the only place I know that requires pay parking to play hockey. it’s not cheap either, 6 bucks to park for 2 hours.
Inside the arena, the rinks are pretty spread out and it’s not intuitively set up. You just need to know where you’re going or could spend 5 – 10 minutes finding the right room/​rink.
The changing rooms are nice and big and the ice is good though (Olympic size).
Oh, i should mention, the guys that sharpen skates do not know how to do goalie skates (twice it was done wrong, 2^nd time i got a refund tho).

Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre is home to one of the best quality ice rinks in the Greater Vancouver area. It’s an excellent quality rink for ice hockey, recreational skating, and even figure skating. The rink itself was built for the 2010 Winter Olympics and it has been used for OIympic hockey and practice for the Vancouver Canucks.
The rental of the entire rink is quite reasonable and it starts at $ 185 per hour. Although I’ve never skated at Rogers Arena, skating at this rink is supposed to be the closest thing.

Headed out to watch some Olympic Ice Hockey last night. The might of the Czech Republic taking on the underdog Latvia. The venue was managed very well with lines moving quickly. Much better than my experience of slow moving lines at BC place. The concession lines were quick too which is always vital when you are trying not to miss a second of the action. The smaller venue means that even in the nosebleeds you are not too far from the ice. It also adds to the atmosphere.
On the downside I had to sit on a metal bench seat which was ice cold and uncomfortable but hey as a result I was on the edge of my seat the whole game! The technology is also a little dated and this is obviously not a first class pro sports venue. In saying that I loved my night out, maybe becuase the tickets were free, and thought they ran the event well.
Oh and Latvia nearly pulled off a massive upset and had almost the whole crowd behind them chanting Latvia, Latvia, Latvia. Edgars Masalskis the Latvian Goalie managed what seemed like 7 saves in 7 seconds and instantly the whole crowd was right behind him.