2. Meadowlands Racetrack
East Rutherford, NJ
Meadowlands Racetrack brings some insane logistical issues for the NHL, but the optics of the location make it very cool for a possible outdoor sport beyond what it’s used for today. The racetrack is primarily used for horseracing, which is what makes it unique. The seating is mainly grandstands, which would look so cool in a hockey atmosphere. Imagine hockey fans banging on glass up and down the grandstands. It would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This would also bring a unique experience in that it would have a lot of standing room seats and those grandstands would give groups of fans a chance to knock something off their bucket list they didn’t even know they needed. It’s like having multiple suites in place. So you have the ultimate camaraderie with those fans who are together on the concourse.
The capacity would be an issue, as this is only good for around 10,000 fans. Even stretching that with a hockey arena and maybe letting fans stand down and around the glass, it can be stretched to 12-14,000. However, the league could charge an astronomical price for this since most of the tickets are for essentially suites.
A suite at the Prudential Center can cost as much as $14,000. We’re not saying every one of those goes for that, but asking $10,000 per suite is not out of the question. Then, letting the concourse tickets go to people who didn’t have that kind of money would make for a fantastic time for all involved. It might not be the right venue because of the way the field is set up for racing, but if it is possible,