Ranking the Biggest & Smallest NHL Arenas

NHL arenas are all very different shapes and sizes. No two barns look the same, sound the same, or feel the same when you are inside. 

Below is a ranking of the biggest and smallest NHL arenas based on their maximum capacity.

Biggest NHL Arena: Bell Centre, Montreal (Capacity: 21,105)

It makes sense that the NHL’s most successful franchise, the Montreal Canadiens, plays inside the biggest arena in the league.

The Bell Centre opened in 1996 to mixed feelings. The Montreal Forum was home to some of the best NHL teams in the league’s history, including three dynasties. The Canadiens perennially were listed at the top of the NHL odds to win the Stanley Cup in those days.

And while it was impossible to replace the aura and charm of the old Forum, Bell Centre now feels like home for Habs fans, and a lot of that has to do with its large capacity.

With over 21,000 fans packing the barn for every home game, Bell Centre gets as loud as any building in the NHL. 

Perhaps the best part of the Montreal hockey experience comes before the game during the bilingual singing of the Canadian national anthem.

The atmosphere inside the Bell Centre is one reason why it is a bucket-list item for hockey fans from every generation.  

Only one other professional hockey arena – SKA Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia – can seat more fans than Bell Centre.  

Smallest NHL Arena: Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg (15,321)

The Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg is the smallest arena in the NHL. Just over 15,000 fans can fit inside the barn for a hockey game. 

It makes perfect sense that the Jets would play in the league’s most intimate arena. Winnipeg is Canada’s seventh-largest city and boasts a population of 758,000, making it the smallest market in the NHL.

But just because it is the smallest arena doesn’t mean it can’t be intimidating. 

The intimate nature of the Canada Life Centre, which opened in 2004 (seven years before the Jets returned to the NHL), can make it seem like the fans are right on top of the action. That kind of environment can swing momentum and change the hockey odds of a game in the blink of an eye.

Winnipeg fans are also famous for their “White Outs” during the playoffs. Fans are encouraged to wear white for those home games, which creates an almost surreal atmosphere.

Ranking the Biggest & Smallest NHL Arenas