NHL arenas by capacity, biggest to smallest
The biggest NHL arena is Bell Centre in Montreal, QC, with 20,962 seats for hockey games. The smallest is Canada Life Centre at 15,225. The average NHL arena holds 18,148. The oldest is Madison Square Garden (1968) and the newest UBS Arena (2021).

The six biggest NHL arenas

Photo: Fleurdelisé, 2008, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Alacoolwiki, 2015, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Michael Barera, 2025, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: AceYYC, 2020, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Gatorfan252525, 2024, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo: Phillyfan0419, 2007, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
All NHL arenas by capacity
| # | Stadium | NHL capacity | Location | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bell Centre | 20,962 (source) | Montreal, QC | 1996 |
| 2 | United Center | 19,717 (source) | Chicago, IL | 1994 |
| 3 | Little Caesars Arena | 19,515 (source) | Detroit, MI | 2017 |
| 4 | Scotiabank Saddledome | 19,289 (source) | Calgary, AB | 1983 |
| 5 | Amerant Bank Arena | 19,250 (source) | Sunrise, FL | 1998 |
| 6 | Xfinity Mobile Arena | 19,173 (source) | Philadelphia, PA | 1996 |
| 7 | Benchmark International Arena | 19,092 (source) | Tampa, FL | 1996 |
| 8 | KeyBank Center | 19,070 (source) | Buffalo, NY | 1996 |
| 9 | Rogers Arena | 18,871 (source) | Vancouver, BC | 1995 |
| 10 | Scotiabank Arena | 18,819 (source) | Toronto, ON | 1999 |
| 11 | Capital One Arena | 18,573 (source) | Washington, DC | 1997 |
| 12 | Lenovo Center | 18,547 (source) | Raleigh, NC | 1999 |
| 13 | American Airlines Center | 18,532 (source) | Dallas, TX | 2001 |
| 14 | Nationwide Arena | 18,500 (source) | Columbus, OH | 2000 |
| 15 | Rogers Place | 18,347 (source) | Edmonton, AB | 2016 |
| 16 | PPG Paints Arena | 18,187 (source) | Pittsburgh, PA | 2010 |
| 17 | Crypto.com Arena | 18,145 (source) | Los Angeles, CA | 1999 |
| 18 | Enterprise Center | 18,096 (source) | St. Louis, MO | 1994 |
| 19 | Madison Square Garden | 18,006 (source) | New York, NY | 1968 |
| 20 | Grand Casino Arena | 17,954 (source) | St. Paul, MN | 2000 |
| 21 | TD Garden | 17,850 (source) | Boston, MA | 1995 |
| 22 | Ball Arena | 17,809 (source) | Denver, CO | 1999 |
| 23 | T-Mobile Arena | 17,500 (source) | Las Vegas, NV | 2016 |
| 24 | SAP Center | 17,435 (source) | San Jose, CA | 1993 |
| 25 | UBS Arena | 17,255 (source) | Elmont, NY | 2021 |
| 26 | Honda Center | 17,174 (source) | Anaheim, CA | 1993 |
| 27 | Bridgestone Arena | 17,159 (source) | Nashville, TN | 1996 |
| 28 | Climate Pledge Arena | 17,151 (source) | Seattle, WA | 2021 |
| 29 | Canadian Tire Centre | 17,010 (source) | Ottawa, ON | 1996 |
| 30 | Prudential Center | 16,514 (source) | Newark, NJ | 2007 |
| 31 | Delta Center | 16,020 (source) | Salt Lake City, UT | 1991 |
| 32 | Canada Life Centre | 15,225 (source) | Winnipeg, MB | 2004 |
What is the oldest NHL arena?
Madison Square Garden, opened in 1968.
What is the average NHL arena capacity?
18,148 seats across all 32 NHL arenas.
Which NHL arenas also host the NBA?
11: United Center, Little Caesars Arena, Xfinity Mobile Arena, Scotiabank Arena, Capital One Arena, American Airlines Center, Crypto.com Arena, Madison Square Garden, TD Garden, Ball Arena, Delta Center. Capacity on this page is the figure for hockey games; the other layout holds a different number.
How this list is built
Capacity is each venue's official seating capacity for its main sport, taken from the team or venue's own page, or the stadium's Wikipedia infobox where the official page gives none. Each figure links to its source. Standing room, temporary seats and record crowds are not counted. Opening year is the year the current stadium first hosted its main tenant. Arenas set out different seat counts for basketball, hockey and concerts; this page uses the hockey figure. Figures are checked against the source each month; if you spot an outdated number, the source link beside it shows where it came from.
Free to use with a link to this page. Stadium photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited under each photo and on our photo credits page.