Changes to Prudential Center

[DevsMan84]

Starting this only because if I put this into the Rock sub-forum, it will just get lost into that abyss.

 

Major changes are coming to the Rock next year.  The club seats are getting cut down, the lounges for the club seats are getting complete makeovers and the Goal Bar is being completely re-done into mini-suites.

 

Club Seats: These are being restricted now to all of sections 8 & 19 and only the first few rows of sections 7, 9, 18 and 20.  They are the only ones who will have access to the Fire and Ice Lounges and they are bringing back free unlimited food and soft drinks.  The just-released seating chart shows this and the grey seats in sections 7, 9, 18 and 20 will not have access to the clubs, but instead will be given "15-minute" cards.  Basically its good for unlimited food on the concourses but are restricted to use them only once every 15 minutes.  Still not a bad deal IMO.

 

Goal Bar: Apparently this is being converted into mini-suites where the owners of them will have access to all events at the Rock, even non-Devils events.  Not entirely sure on any other specifics with that and the Goal Bar will now be known as the "Bud Light Premium Lounge."  For those of you who didn't have a seat there but liked to go the bar before and after games, that is no longer allowed.  Instead they are going to move the "everyone" bar to another "under-utilized" location within the Rock.  Was not told where at this point.

 

Fire and Ice Lounges: These are being completely re-vamped and below are the renders of what they will look like.  Gone are the Fire and Ice motifs so I doubt they will keep their current names.  Looks A LOT more modern and overall better than the current set up, which had grown long in the tooth much quicker than expected and never looked quite as good as the renders that were shown when the Rock was being built. 

 

 

New Fire Lounge:

 

 

New Ice Lounge:

 

[DevilMinder]

Both bars needed remodelling they were already dingy looking and had weird nooks and crannies

[Satans Hockey]

I get why they have the lounges but I wish these things didn't exist especially to keep people in their seats during the games to actually watch the game. Blah blah back in my day blah blah blah

[DevsMan84]

I get why they have the lounges but I wish these things didn't exist especially to keep people in their seats during the games to actually watch the game. Blah blah back in my day blah blah blah

 

Agreed somewhat.  I mean they are damned if they do, damned if they don't.  Clubs have always looked empty even during sellouts because people are busy stuffing their faces in the lounges or sitting at the bar for whatever reason.  However, the new arena needed something like this as all modern arenas have these and to not have them would be one less draw for the mostly corporate customers who buy these seats.

 

The one thing is that the Devils are cutting down dramatically on who gets access to these lounges as per the seating chart.  The new ownership has said from just about day 1 that the clubs were way too big and that if they built the arena, it wouldn't be nearly that size.  Now that they are going from 6 full sections to 2 full sections and a few rows of 4 other sections, that will make the arena look a little more full when presented on TV broadcasts.

[DevsMan84]

Both bars needed remodelling they were already dingy looking and had weird nooks and crannies

 

Either the arena has taken a lot of beating in the last 8 years or it just wasn't kept up well.  I think both are to blame here.  The lounges just looked outdated and has for at least a couple of years.  Plus they always seemed to have never been completely finished.  While the renderings of the remodeled lounges look a little generic, they at least look modern and better than what we have now.

[Colin226]

On the seating chart, it's good to see them finally embracing the difference in demand between the shoot twice side and the defend twice side. Though I still wish 226 and 215 could get lumped in with the less-expensive corner sections just feet away from them.

[DevsMan84]

On the seating chart, it's good to see them finally embracing the difference in demand between the shoot twice side and the defend twice side. Though I still wish 226 and 215 could get lumped in with the less-expensive corner sections just feet away from them.

 

Noticed that too and it looks like they are going more and more towards the seating chart like they had when they opened the Rock.  For the first 2 or 3 seasons the upper level had different pricing for seemingly each section.  I found that to be much more logical than the entire upper level with the exception of the corners and the middle being one price.

 

Now if they just reduce the number of tiered pricing levels that would be even better.  Having I think as many as we had last year (I think it was like 6 or 7 tiers) is silly.  I would say 3-4 is more acceptable.

[StormJosh]

Based on the images from the fire lounge it appears Brodeur will be our starting goalie next season

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I started a thread a while back, asking if anyone thought the Fire and Ice Lounges were already becoming dated. They definitely were, and kind of looked a bit plastic/cheap from the get-go. The early renderings were a bit more impressive than the final products. Great idea to update and refresh them for sure.

[DJ Eco]

I get why they have the lounges but I wish these things didn't exist especially to keep people in their seats during the games to actually watch the game. Blah blah back in my day blah blah blah

 

I agree with you 100%. However, a modern arena in the metro NY area will not survive without these kinds of amenities unfortunately. I think the owners have done a perfect job balancing the "supply" with the "demand". Six total center ice sections with free food was always dampening the numbers and atmosphere down there at center ice. And then experimenting last year with no free food pushed some other fans away, I saw a number of people complaining. The setup they have now seems like the perfect compromise, and I hope we see that section more lively and populated next year, I can't imagine it not.

 

Also, those renders look very nice, they have good taste. I know some fans will ask, "Where's the red????" but as someone who works in design/construction, those mosaics, neutrals, dark stones, and woods will not be dated anytime soon. They're putting a considerable amount of work in this season but will probably not have to address the lounges for a long long time if built right; the design is solid.

Edited April 23, 2015 by DJ Eco

[NewarkDevil5]

Based on the images from the fire lounge it appears Brodeur will be our starting goalie next season

 

I was wondering if I was the only one who caught that... lol

[DJ Eco]

On the seating chart, it's good to see them finally embracing the difference in demand between the shoot twice side and the defend twice side. Though I still wish 226 and 215 could get lumped in with the less-expensive corner sections just feet away from them.

 

This is probably because of how awful our goal-scoring has been for years now, but I prefer the "opponents shoot twice", and not only because of the price point. Paying closer attention to Schneider's stellar play and our young D for 2/3 of the game has actually been a treat worth the price of admission. Watching the "Devils shoot twice" (or not shoot at all really haha) would be too frustrating for me.

Edited April 23, 2015 by DJ Eco

[Chuck the Duck]

The clubs definitely needed the upgrade.  The concepts were cool, but the finishes chosen as part of the construction weren't al that great.  Not bad, but nothing to wow you either.  The renderings look nice, but they are ust renderings.  Hopefully it is executed better than the original iteration. 

 

It makes sense to cut down the club sections, since the supply of seats waaayyyyy exceeded the demand.  However, the only way that these sections will fill up is if the price is substantially decreased in the grey sections. 

 

The only thing I'm skeptical about is the conversion of the goal bar to "mini suites."  I get why they are doing it, but they can't sell 1/2 of the suites they have now.  Why not convert some of those to mini-suites?  And this is assuming that there is an actual demand for these smaller suites (which I assume there would be based upon the amount of money they are going to sink into this renovation). 

[DevsMan84]

The clubs definitely needed the upgrade.  The concepts were cool, but the finishes chosen as part of the construction weren't al that great.  Not bad, but nothing to wow you either.  The renderings look nice, but they are ust renderings.  Hopefully it is executed better than the original iteration. 

 

It makes sense to cut down the club sections, since the supply of seats waaayyyyy exceeded the demand.  However, the only way that these sections will fill up is if the price is substantially decreased in the grey sections. 

 

The only thing I'm skeptical about is the conversion of the goal bar to "mini suites."  I get why they are doing it, but they can't sell 1/2 of the suites they have now.  Why not convert some of those to mini-suites?  And this is assuming that there is an actual demand for these smaller suites (which I assume there would be based upon the amount of money they are going to sink into this renovation). 

 

I have to say I too think they are taking a bit of a gamble with the mini suites.  Not exactly sure where they are heading with that.  I am wondering if they are angling those as kind of a between clubs and actual full suites.  You get the goal bar and all you can eat of the club seats, but you also get the privacy of the actual full on suites.  Plus since suites do not include food or drink (those you have to pay for separately), this might make the mini-suites attractive to some.

 

I can imagine this would all include a renovation of the Goal Bar itself.  Like the lounges it always seemed unfinished and had many underutilized spaces.

[DevsMan84]

I started a thread a while back, asking if anyone thought the Fire and Ice Lounges were already becoming dated. They definitely were, and kind of looked a bit plastic/cheap from the get-go. The early renderings were a bit more impressive than the final products. Great idea to update and refresh them for sure.

 

I remember that thread too and I think you posted it last off-season.  I think pretty much everyone agreed they needed to be refreshed and badly.  Hell even the colored tile they used to cover the columns inside looked cheap.  As DJ pointed out, the marble, the woods and the neutral colors and designs will hopefully keep these from getting out of style fast.  The silly blue for the ice lounge and red for the fire lounge seemingly got more and more cartoon-y looking every year.

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

I remember that thread too and I think you posted it last off-season.  I think pretty much everyone agreed they needed to be refreshed and badly.  Hell even the colored tile they used to cover the columns inside looked cheap.  As DJ pointed out, the marble, the woods and the neutral colors and designs will hopefully keep these from getting out of style fast.  The silly blue for the ice lounge and red for the fire lounge seemingly got more and more cartoon-y looking every year.

 

I think the materials were part of the problem.  The Ice Lounge looked especially cheap to me...and DM picked the perfect word with "dingy", because both lounges looked kind of dingy after a few years.  Not sure why. 

 

The new lounges seem to be going to more of a neutral classy look that will age better, and I can understand the logic behind that.  I don't think the plan was for the Fire and Ice Lounges to need complete overhauls so soon. 

Edited April 23, 2015 by Colorado Rockies 1976

[DJ Eco]

I don't think the mini-suites are much of a gamble. Or at least, in my head, I'm imagining those mini-suites as the smaller and cheaper alternative for the average fan who wants a suite for a game here and there.

 

I know a lot of people who want to get a suite for their birthday but it's just way too damn expensive, and most times you don't need all that room. I think a suite for 8-10 people max might catch on much better with the average fans and smaller businesses.

 

I know they've done much better selling suites/corporate plans so they must be anticipating the demand in a year or two for more suites, which is a good sign.

[DevsMan84]

I don't think the mini-suites are much of a gamble. Or at least, in my head, I'm imagining those mini-suites as the smaller and cheaper alternative for the average fan who wants a suite for a game here and there.

 

I know a lot of people who want to get a suite for their birthday but it's just way too damn expensive, and most times you don't need all that room. I think a suite for 8-10 people max might catch on much better with the average fans and smaller businesses.

 

I know they've done much better selling suites/corporate plans so they must be anticipating the demand in a year or two for more suites, which is a good sign.

 

I think it's still a gamble.  The Devils are saying things have gotten better with suite sales, but I still see a vast majority of them dark most nights.  Doesn't mean they weren't sold, but doesn't look good either.

 

Also not 100% sure these mini-suites will be a better pricing alternative than the regular suites.  This is mostly because 1) They haven't released the pricing for those (at least not publicly) and 2) Apparently these suites will not be sold on a per-game basis, but what you do is basically "buy" them outright for the entire season and that includes non-Devils events like concerts, the circus, etc.  There is no official word that I have heard regarding this, but that is what I am hearing through the grapevine.  If true, I doubt these will be really a cheap alternative.  I could imagine for birthday parties they will steer you to the new 15-minute seats or to the party area behind 225 that they are finally using.

[DevsMan84]

I think the materials were part of the problem.  The Ice Lounge looked especially cheap to me...and DM picked the perfect word with "dingy", because both lounges looked kind of dingy after a few years.  Not sure why. 

 

The new lounges seem to be going to more of a neutral classy look that will age better, and I can understand the logic behind that.  I don't think the plan was for the Fire and Ice Lounges to need complete overhauls so soon. 

 

I agree and I think both the former and current owners/management didn't think so either.  When the arena was built the concept of club seats were still somewhat new so I can imagine they were taking some shots in the dark here.  I really do think they thought if they build a crapload of them that they would be picked up because the arena was brand new.  Turns out they overestimated (they had and I think still have the largest # of club seats of any NHL arena) the demand and the arena happened to open up right when the recession hit.

 

Also we got to keep in mind while the arena was opened in 2007, it was being built from around 2004-2007 and therefore the concepts and plans for the amenities are from about 2002-2004 timeframe.  That's over a decade old and a lot has changed since so it makes sense.  That and in those years more teams have built club sections and I think designers/engineers/architects have better ideas at how to make these areas work and not drop off so fast.

[HellOnICE]

Again it's all a process. So we'll wait and see. I am happy they are investing in the building. You have to think the score and sound systems will be updated shortly.

[DevsMan84]

Again it's all a process. So we'll wait and see. I am happy they are investing in the building. You have to think the score and sound systems will be updated shortly.

 

From what I heard, when there was a meeting between management and fans a month or so ago this was brought up again.  They admitted that the sound system is antiquated by today's standards so I would believe that should be done soon.  They also mentioned that they think the center scoreboard is fine as-is, but it's something they will look into in a couple of years.

[DJ Eco]

I don't mind the scoreboard, but the sound should be first on their list, it was downright harmful to the ears.

[DevsMan84]

I don't mind the scoreboard, but the sound should be first on their list, it was downright harmful to the ears.

 

In the meeting they blamed the fact that the speakers were old (not sure if I buy that) and were of lower quality (that I do buy).  They said they want it to be loud, but not so that it hurts the ears.  They were def using the sound system this year to either drown out opposition fans or to create more of an "atmosphere" at games were the attendance was light.  Sounded like they were going to re-do the sound system this summer but again like anything no guarantees.

[Chuck the Duck]

In the meeting they blamed the fact that the speakers were old (not sure if I buy that) and were of lower quality (that I do buy).  They said they want it to be loud, but not so that it hurts the ears.  They were def using the sound system this year to either drown out opposition fans or to create more of an "atmosphere" at games were the attendance was light.  Sounded like they were going to re-do the sound system this summer but again like anything no guarantees.

 

Or to drown out our own fans.  Either way, the volume was ear splitting at times.  Not sure I buy it being the equipment as much as what they were trying to accomplish with it.

[rpaq88]

Or to drown out our own fans.  Either way, the volume was ear splitting at times.  Not sure I buy it being the equipment as much as what they were trying to accomplish with it.

Besides the horrible sound the timing is also bad which has nothing to do with the equipment.  I had season tickets until this past year and there were plenty of times (in past seasons) the crowd would start a "Marty" or other chant and they would blast the music and drown it out.  That is just clueless when the fans are actually cheering and you still blast the bad music.