 |  |  |  |  |  |
The 'Burgh is a regular and familiar stop for the Ultimate Sports Road Trip. Being just a
three hour plus drive from Buffalo, it is then surprising that we have made but two trips to
see the Penguins play... the first "official" visit was in 2000, and that was amidst an electric
scene as the Penguins were fighting hard in the playoffs, but by 2004 things had changed
drastically. The team has sold off its veterans for prospects, attendance has fallen off
substantially, and the clamor for a new arena to keep this franchise financially viable is
growing louder.
"Pittsburgh Civic Arena" opened in the mid 60s and is the only home the Penguins have
ever had. It was designed and engineeered as a retractable roof dome, but the hydraulic
jacks never worked properly and the roof has remained closed ever since. The entire
mechanism is affixed to the arched silver roof outside and makes for some garish
architecture, but otherwise the building itself is unique for its silver dome, and is certainly
a distinctive part of Pittsburgh's downtown buildings.
Getting to the venue
The arena is located in the center of downtown on Chatham Square. When arriving into the
downtown area via I-279, signs will direct you off the interstate and through the city streets
and right to the arena. A light rail train station is nearby, and parking is ample, with surface
lots at the arena and parking garages in the downtown core. Parking at the arena runs $12,
but event parking nearby can be found for $5-$8. Meters aren't monitored evenings and
weekends, so if you are lucky enough to snag a spot on the street, then parking is free!
Outside the venue
Chatham Square is on the doorstep of the arena, and the topography here is such that the
building itself is built into a hill. When you stand at the door of Mellon Arena and look out,
you enjoy a stunning view of the Pittsburgh skyline - tall gleaming skyscrapers with bank
and financial service corporate logos dotting the tops. For the most part, downtown is
pretty clean and safe, and there are restaurants and clubs to be found within walking
distance. But the two best places in Pittsburgh to go for food, nightlife and action are the
Strip District, about a mile east of downtown via Liberty Street, or Station Square, on the
south shore across the river from downtown.
The concourses
The concourses are a bit tighter than what we usually see. The arena's lower level features
Pen Station, the team's merchandise store and an interactive game area called the Power
Play Zone. This sits amidst an overwhelming amount of temporary merchandise and
concession stands. Ramps and stairs take spectators to the upper levels of the arena, and
one has to climb three flights of stairs to get to the upper balconies high above the goals.
Architecture and seating bowl
This venue is totally different than anything we have seen in the NHL. The large domed
ceiling is emblazoned with four gigantic ad murals plastered right on the ceiling, one of
course being Mellon Bank. The arena was remodeled for club seating, and the center ice
lower seats have access to a special club area aptly named the Igloo Club. In each end
zone are two large balconies, which were added after the building was opened. The center
ice scoreboard is a four sided jumbotron and along the press gondolas are synchronized
ad panels. Seats in the end zones which are tucked under the balconies offer an
obstructed view of the seating bowl, although the ice surface is *barely* completely visible.
Concessions
This is where Mellon Arena earns major deductions. The food selection, quality and prices
here are appalling. Nothing but ballpark dreck... tiny "super" dogs for $3.75, slice of pizza
$5, beer, pop, nachos, popcorn and that's it. A major disappointment. To add to this, you go
to Pittsburgh's peer sports venues and the food selection there are amazing. Our advice is
to plan an early dinner before the hockey game or otherwise sneak in a sandwich.
Interestingly, there are point of sale merchandise kiosks everywhere in the building. The
main team store is called "Pen Station", but if that's too crowded, then plan on finding your
souvenir item at just about every section. Perhaps the Penguins should consolidate their
merchandise stands and install some italian sausage grills.
Premium seating
"The Igloo Club" is actually to premium lounges straddling the lower sidelines, and
ticketholders in the lower sideline seats have access to their own private lounge and bar
area. The seating areas are separated from the general seating areas and also have wider
padded seats. There are also a number of skybox suites high above the seating bowl.
Banners/retired numbers
Several banners of significance hang from the underside of the Mellon. High above center
ice is a banner of the Pens only retired number. Michel Briere's #21 was retired after he
was tragically killed in a car accident. Banners for the Pens Division and Conference titles
hang in one corner while another group of banners of their Stanley Cup Championship
seasons stand across from them.
Above each sideline just below the suites is where you will find the Pens "Ring of Honor".
Along one sideline is a pictoral mural of Penguin greats while the other has the names of
the honorees.
Hat tricks, assists, penalties...
Hat trick....on our official visit, the karma strikes as the Pens take a commanding series lead
on the Washington Capitals and win 4-3 on a late goal by Jeri Slegr. Damn were good!!!
Then again....
Penalty... errr assist??? on our return visit, we saw our Sabres battle to 2-2 draw with the
Pans. Only the third time we have witnesses a draw in an arena outside our own in Buffalo.
Regardless, the karma didn't come through for our Sabres as they blew a two goal lead and
in the process a desperately needed point in their playoff push.
Assist... Worth mentioning that game day staff here is pretty friendly without being
overbearing. Ushers checked our tickets but once upon arrival, and we were able to
maneuver around the building and take photos without any hassles.
Troughs in the restrooms.....is this a Penalty, Assist , Hat Trick???? Not sure, but it's worth
mentioning.
Hat Trick....on our return visit, we made a visit to the Primanti Bros Deli in the popular Strip
District. Their sandwiches are still amongst the top the heap for cool ballpark concessions
to be found anywhere on the continent.
Assist... in the concourses, a Pittsburgh sports Hall of Fame exhibit with bronze plaques,
and along one sideline corridor are large casual photos of current Penguin players.
Assist... Four massive, and we mean massive painted advertisements dominate the domed
ceiling in the seating bowl. This whole look is unique among NHL venues, or any hockey
rink for that matter.
Hat trick... Penguins announce major ticket price reductions for the 2004-05 season... if
there is a season. Placards were on each seat with the new price.
Summary
The Igloo has some positives, most notably that it has great atmosphere, and a charged fan
base that is in place even for a totally meaningless late season game(for the Pens anyway)
during a season that was lost prior to the new year. It's a characteristic that many of the
newer and showier venues don't have. On the other hand this place is still sorely lacking
in what has become standard in most arenas....nicer sightlines, wider concourses, and a
wider selection of delicacies (start with Primanti's, Quaker Steak and Lube and Benkovitz
Seafood and work from there!) to name a few.
But despite the dumpiness of this place, Mellon Arena is a throwback to a different time in
the NHL, and for all "ooh ahh" showplaces we have seen in recent years, there is an
atmosphere here, something that is an intangible but something that can't be replicated
with bricks and mortar. This is a great sports town, and one can "feel" the excitement and
enthusiasm of the fans just by stepping onto the arena grounds. A private consortium has
pitched the city to build a privately funded arena for the city. If and when that day comes,
the loss of this venue as one of the NHL's last old school arenas will, in a way, be a sad one.
SCORING:
Architecture 8
Concessions 1.5
Scoreboard 2
Ushers 7
Fan Support 7
Location 8
Banners/history 8
Entertainment 5
Concourses/fan comfort 3
Bonus: Ads on ceiling 2
Total 51.5
| Mellon Arena |
#38
Mellon
Arena
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania
April 17,
2000
Washington
Capitals at
Pittsburgh
Penguins
(Stanley Cup
Playoffs)
Return visit
March 27,
2004
Buffalo
Sabres
at
Pittsburgh
Penguins
Mellon
Arena
Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania
April 17,
2000
Washington
Capitals at
Pittsburgh
Penguins
(Stanley Cup
Playoffs)
Return visit
March 27,
2004
Buffalo
Sabres
at
Pittsburgh
Penguins
