Beer Prices At NHL Stadiums

The National Hockey League is a serious draw in the US as well as Canada, taking in thousands and thousands of teeming fans every game and across each season.

Those fans are ready and bustling, waiting to cheer their puck right into their team’s goal.

We all know that drinking beer is an American pastime, so you can be sure that these arenas make a serious amount of money through their bars.

Some arenas hike the prices up, some fans think this is to stop fans getting too drunk, while others believe it’s just a ploy for your money.

Some of the answers in the article won’t make you happy,

If you are going to an NHL game for the first time, or to an arena you haven’t been to before.

Then you may be wondering how much your celebrations might put you back, we’re going to give you an idea in this article.

Read on to learn about the cost of beer at NHL games across the US and Canada.

Staples Center, Los Angeles Kings

In the Staples Center there are plenty of places to get beer. They usually have a cheaper option which is often a plastic bottle of Budweiser, most will settle for this. 

Expect to pay between $8-$9 for this bottle of bud.

Those who want to make a day out of the special event of hockey can pay between $10-$15 for a pint of craft beer as they are a quality product.

Yet, you will often get more beer for this price and also a higher alcohol content, so the call is yours to make.

The Bell Center / Montreal Candienes 

The Bell Center is a pretty popular NHL stadium in Canada, and perhaps the whole NHL.

Tickets to this stadium already cost a lot, so you may not be too glad to hear that this stadium is one of the highest in terms of beer prices.

The Bell Center, like the Staples Center, will often have a bottle of Bud Light that is pretty cheap, around C$8-C$9, and similarly serve some quality craft beers.

That are a little higher in price at around C$11- C$16. As with before, you probably get more value for the higher priced pints, you’ll always be upset with that plastic bottle of bud.

The Ball Arena / Colorado Kings

While the Bell Center may have the title of the highest beer price, you will be glad to know that the Colorado Kings share the home of the cheapest beer prices of any US or Canadian NHL stadium.

Beer is totally reasonably priced in this Denver stadium, some more domestic beers bottled in plastic bottles are around $6-$7 at specific stands.

Prices can reach a height of around $11 – $12 for the higher quality draught IPAs and other draught beverages.

Honda Center / Anaheim Ducks

The Honda Center is a great NHL stadium which can host many people, as well as other sports teams, but is home to the Anaheim Ducks during the NHL season.

There is much to do at the Honda Center and the stadium is full of different restaurants and bars you can peruse before the game starts.

Prices are always subject to change depending on where you are in the stadium.

But on average beer isn’t too expensive here and the center falls somewhere in the middle ground of pricing.

Beer costs around $9 for domestic brands of plastic bottled beer, but other places, especially the restaurants.

Can offer craft beer and ale for a higher price of around $12-$15 depending on what you get and where you buy it.

American Airlines Center / Dallas Stars

Another great American arena for NHL is the American Airlines Center in Dallas.

This stadium is great, it’s big like everything is the Lone Star state. This stadium is also home to the Dallas Stars, a rising NHL team that many Texans love to see.

There are loads of great bars in the American Airlines Center which offer different things, such as a Jack Daniel’s Bar.

But we are interested in the variety of taprooms the stadium has to offer. Everything is bigger in Texas, but at the American Airlines Center the prices remain reasonable for beer. 

You could expect to pay between $8-$10 for domestic brands of common beers, while the more craft-centric beers are worth more money.

But also offer some great value, easily over $10 for a pint of beer, depending on what you get.

Capital One Center / Washington Capitals

Now to the Midwest where we can find the Capital One Center, a truly outstanding stadium.

That welcomes all of those near the capital of our great country the chance to see the Washington Capitals play.

But what if you want a nice cold brew while you watch, well it certainly isn’t the cheapest but you may enjoy some of the fun unique features they offer.

There are numerous tap rooms and bars in the arena, but one super cool draw is the 21-tap self pour system where you can serve your own drinks!

In general the beers are as low as about $10 for some cheaper brands, the more expensive craft beers can be around $14-$16.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, beer prices are often high during hockey games. As mentioned, some believe this could be to deter fans from drinking too much and encouraging bad behavior.

They often want to keep these arenas quite clean and open to those who aren’t necessarily the biggest sports fans.

Of course, these prices are subject to great change, they hike prices up for different reasons, and the price at a hockey game may be different than non-season prices

Moreover, the high prices can really help support your teams with money, although we wish somewhere more open and accessible to the everyman.

Who may not have $10 to splash out on a beer and just wants something cheap to celebrate with and give those nervous hands something to hold onto as the game ensues.

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Andrew Carr

Hi, I’m Andrew Carr and I find beer fascinating. Not just drinking it (although that is a plus!) but everything about it. There is so much to learn - the fermenting process, the best glasses for each type, recipes to make at home… The list goes on!

I have been making my own beer for almost a decade now and I pride myself on my home setup. I’ve made sours, pale IPAs, stouts - you name it, I’ve probably made it in the comfort of my own home.

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