Ranking NHL Dressing Rooms
My perfect dressing room would consist of these things: circular, logo on the ceiling, close to the parking lot or private entry way, have high quality showers, cold tubs, eating space with private chefs where you'd add a top restaurant to feed the players and customers of that restaurant so food doesn't go to waste, a practice facility built into the arena with windows so natural light brings positivity into practices while also making it easy for new and traded players so they don't struggle with knowing a city they barely know whereas they don't need to worry about car-pooling, enough room for all players which includes five-ten empty stalls for call-ups, an off-ice practice facility, art of the teams' history which reminds them why they're there and makes them think that they should try to make history to have art added; for me I'd add all the names of the players who played for the organization whereas the names would be bigger or smaller depending on what they did to show appreciation for their services, nice storage lockers, and last but not least a beautiful tunnel going towards the ice. The reason I like a circular dressing room is it shows that all players on that team matter rather than stalls for players who are friends with one another which I think wares down the team.
But some teams do and don't have this. And this is where teams rank amongst their dressing rooms, and some I deem should and shouldn't be changed. But this is all after the Coyotes had the worst one ever, you see why they're in Utah.
32. San Jose Sharks - This dressing room is old fashioned, and I think the Sharks are in need of a change. My biggest issue is between some of the stalls are pillars which I don't like considering you can't see all the players which makes for communication problems. It's also quite small for an NHL dressing room, and before they return to success, as I know they will, they need to work on building a nicer dressing room. And I think the Sharks can be a top-tier NHL organization, but lots of work needs to be done there and a nicer dressing room would make things more appealing. San Jose was ranked as an undesirable place to play, but I think soon they will be but I think making it a place players more than want to be is their next step. But another issue I have here, is what one of the best part of playing for the Sharks is the going out of the Shark head as Metallica is playing Seek and Destroy, but the players go a long ways to that every single game. That Shark head should be next to the Sharks bench.
31. Vegas Golden Knights - The only thing good about their dressing room is the logo is on the ceiling, and I think all teams need to look towards doing that so no player ever accidentally steps on a logo. But because this is a team people want to play for, they need a bigger, more rounded and decorative room. One that reminds players why they're there rather than just somewhere boring. The inside pretty much looks like someone with poor interior design taste. It also lacks cushions for the players as I think they should be treated best to be given somewhere comfortable to sit. But that dressing room when I saw it for the first time looked like that team was going to suck, let alone being the affiliate of the Chicago Wolves considering they didn't own an affiliate. But if they're going to be a place to be, make it more of a place to be please because a practice facility shouldn't have a nicer dressing room than the one at their home rink where away teams come to practice on game days. But there are AHL and CHL teams with way nicer dressing rooms than this one!
30. Calgary Flames - I'd give them a lower ranking, but the reason I excuse them is because they're building a brand new arena across from the Saddledome. After the flood in 2013, the dressing room was renovated, but it's small and boring. It's what you'd have in the 2000s. In fact, Edmonton had a nicer dressing room at Rexall Place.
29. Anaheim Ducks - Their room is small and square, almost like San Jose's. Now, the owners announced Honda Center is getting a face-lift which I love, and I hope one thing they do is renovate their dressing room.
28. Toronto Maple Leafs - I think this is a team that can use a facelift in their dressing room as it's way too small for a team with such rich history. I think the room needs to be a lot bigger and not so much narrow or boring.
27. Ottawa Senators - I think it'll never get renovated, but it's so small. You'd think it'd be bigger and more appealing, but it looks like a really large closet.
26. Washington Capitals - Considering you have the best goal-scorer in NHL history, you'd think they'd have a better dressing room considering they're a more respectable franchise. But what I see in that dressing room is either superstars who sold out, weren't known like Olaf Kolzig -- he was one of the best in the league if you ask me, or players who were just happy to be there. It's like Winnipeg's, only smaller and less attractive. Does it need to be renovated? Well, considering they have a rich owner the least he could do is make the dressing room a lot nicer and more attractive. Not boring and small with a tiny ceiling. But it has been unveiled they have a brand new room coming soon, which is great news.
25. Chicago Blackhawks - A square room, a nice touch is the logo being lit by the emergency light, but logos in the middle of the floor which is a huge no-no. Also, the carpeting looks like it's from the day United Center opened its doors.
24. Nashville Predators - I find it's too closed in and small, but I like the LED fixtures behind the stalls and the logo on the ceiling in a good shape,
23. Dallas Stars - The upside is it's big, but it's one of those rooms that aren't unique or boring, but it's one that you can't go wrong with. Just a square-shape. I also like how they have their history on the walls above the stalls.
22. Carolina Hurricanes - The upside is how close all the other things are, but I think this room needs to have less of a hallway and keep it personal. I think they should go towards the looks of the Bruins or Avalanche dressing room look, but honestly it's not the best or worst. But the problem for me is how their logo is in the middle of the dressing room.
21. Florida Panthers - I find the dressing room is boring, but at least there's a good amount of room and the paint job is colourful which makes it not depressing.
19. Minnesota Wild - I think having a nicer dressing room in a practice facility is wrong, and the Wild are rumoured to eventually renovate their dressing room but it has a similar look to the Leafs dressing room, and it is rumoured to look like the diagonal and rounded shape which I think considering they did the best they could isn't too bad.
18. Boston Bruins - I love how they fixed their room making every player present. But it has too much of a dark theme and small for an NHL dressing room. Had they not of renovated I would've put them lower.
17. New Jersey Devils - The team has a square dressing room that's quite roomy, but considering it was built just before the teams went to the rounded layout, it's not bad, but it doesn't show much to me. But I'm not a fan of a logo on the floor and something square, but not saying it's bad but you'd expect much more out of this.
16. Los Angeles Kings - This is a case of a practice facility shouldn't have a nicer dressing room than their home rink. Also, the walk from the dressing room to the ice is quite a ways away. It got renovated as the logo is on the ceiling which I like, but it still has that boring square shape. This is one dressing room that needs a make-over.
15. Tampa Bay Lightning - It's one dressing room that did their best, but my big take away here is how low the ceiling is and the logo in the middle of the room. But everything else is incredible, the sizing and the room between all the players, a little too much if you ask me. But it's also close to the tunnel which is a good thing.
14. St. Louis Blues - They renovated it, but what I love is how big the room is with extra stalls and the logo in the ceiling. There's nothing bad about this room, as the facilities are intact and the walk to the ice from the room is a good distance away.
13. Utah Mammoth - Considering they're a brand new team, this dressing room is incredible as I love the ice-blue circular lighting that goes around along with the logo in the ceiling. Utah hit it out of the park with this one. I can't say any bad things because I know they did their best.
12. New York Rangers - They have a gorgeous dressing room with the ceiling resembling the roof of Madison Square Garden, perfectly round, and doing this in an old arena isn't always easy. But they put the logo in the middle of the room, which is forgivable here given they wanted to do what Pittsburgh did with an iconic roof, but I think in this case what I'd do is put in on the door, but also there's barriers between the players which maybe something the players want with the Rangers, but I think in a team environment it should be known they're in there for the same reason with the same goals where as a team nobody gets left behind.
11. Colorado Avalanche - They renovated their dressing room which I'm glad, but what I had mixed views on was making sure nobody sat in Joe Sakic's stall. Now, I think doing that was over the top, but no team should ever do that. They made what I find to be a dressing room just right and not overboard
10. Detroit Red Wings - They recently got a new arena with all the bells and whistles which in my opinion that not only did the Red Wings deserve, but the Pistons too, except this isn't about basketball. But they have one of the best arenas in the NHL, but what makes it related to their dressing room is they decided to keep it original six themed while also modern with a built-in practice rink which lacks windows, if anything that's all the arena truly needs left. This is the only acceptable square-shaped dressing room because, like I said, original six themed while also including the logo on the ceiling. I also like how they adopted the Oilers' tunnel where you can see the players going onto the ice or the families saying hello to the players before the game. Also a very good size.
9. Montreal Canadiens - I love how they share Montreal's history, but if I am being honest they need to put the Habs logo in the ceiling and remove the carpet. But I think it's great because it's the perfect distance between the players, which is why I ranked the ones like it closer to the Montreal Canadiens dressing room. I know I mentioned I dislike how the players are seperated, but what I like is the only players that have their own dedicated spot are the goaltenders.
8. New York Islanders - UBS Arena was a recent addition to the league, and I think they did well with their dressing room. What I love about it is they made it large, but they put the logo on the floor! I like the LED across the dressing room walls, and a designated spot for the goalies.
7. Philadelphia Flyers - I very much disliked the old one, but they really cooked with this one. It's sad how Philadelphia is building a new rink, because this dressing room is a jewel and has everything you'd want in an NHL dressing room. But because they're getting a new rink, it could work for if they were to bring AHL to Philadelphia. Also, when the Flyers move downtown they better make the nicest dressing room in the NHL. Because, Philadelphia is a place lots of players want to play and they better make more of a reason to try ending up there.
6. Columbus Blue Jackets - Now, what gives this arena a higher ranking is the practice facility built inside their arena. I think they can fix their room and give it a better look, but they did renovate it recently and added scoreboard-like screens in the middle which is an overrated touch given the screens take up so much room, but at least the logo is in the bottom.
5. Buffalo Sabres - I think they have one of the nicest rooms in the entire league. I love how they have a circular room and history shown everywhere letting their own players what it means to be a Buffalo Sabre. Now, they're in an old and outdated arena, and players aren't typically interested in playing for the Sabres given they've been unsuccessful over the past ten years. As you enter you got the names of the players who wore the Sabres jersey with pride, going far back as Gilbert Perreault. I think if you've read this article so far, you know at this point I hate seeing logos on the floor because that's punishing your own organization, but the Sabres did it best while also having the logo on the ceiling with such incredible lighting.
4. Pittsburgh Penguins - Their ceiling represents the old Igloo known as Mellon Arena, where all their history began and lets the players know who played under that igloo and when they are going from that dressing room and onto the ice, their job is to carry on that legacy. Also circular naturally when they built Consol Energy Center, except they didn't need to put the Penguins logo in the middle of the room as it's in the ceiling. Also quite clean with your typical slogans while being very roomy between all the players. This is why it's one of the best in the NHL, and the organization is showing the respect to their history to the players when they walk in.
3. Vancouver Canucks - Now, this is the team that invented circular dressing rooms which makes it not just one of the best but also a classic. Lots of detail had been put in and has had touch-ups over the years, but it's the one dressing room in the league that has aged beautifully. What they had which was also unique is how when you go onto the ice, it lets the players know what it means to be a Canuck, with the jerseys of Stan Smyl, Trevor Linden, but they got a rank down as they're doing what most teams are doing now with the fancy presidents clubs where you see the players walk in and out of the room from or to the ice. I think not all of it should be exposed, and they would've been at two had it not been for that unless they build a new arena and added both.
2. Seattle Kraken - With a newish arena with an old roof that has seen lots of Seattle's history in sports and entertainment, they made sure they had the perfect dressing room. And what is so perfect is how everything is so close while also open and private, how it's large enough for players that are called up, cushions on the seats, and the tunnel that lights up as the players go onto the ice. I mean, who wouldn't want to play for the Seattle Kraken? I know I would.
1. Edmonton Oilers - I think this is by far the nicest dressing room in the NHL. Round, logo on the ceiling, lights within the logo, enough room for everybody, but let alone all those nice decorations it's in the best location for the players being close to the parking, weight room, and also what makes it nice is the Oilers practice facility is built into their arena. This is why more players need to consider Edmonton.
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