The Rangers pulled out an incredible win on Sunday afternoon against the New York Islanders in the second leg of the 2024 Stadium Series.. Down 4-1, the Rangers stormed back with goals from Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Artemi Panarin, winning in overtime, 6-5.
We all know what happened on the ice, but this piece will detail my personal experience and thoughts on the overall atmosphere and how everything surrounding the game was handled.
Taking A Calculated Risk
When the Rangers played in their first outdoor game in 2012, I was only 18 years old and just a few months removed from high school, coming from a home where my dad is an Islanders fan and not having a job for myself, I couldn’t make my way to Philadelphia.
In 2014, I was working in my first legitimate job but was only a part-time employee, so funds were limited. In 2018, I actually had enough money to purchase a ticket for the Winter Classic at Citi Field but decided against it since I suffer from chronic asthma, and sitting in one-degree weather is not ideal for someone like me.
Fast forward to this year and I finally have the funds to purchase a ticket and the stars seemed to align. The marketplace was fairly reasonable (relative to other outdoor events) and saw prices hover around $65 right up until the day of the event. (Probably due to MetLife having a capacity of 70k+).
I decided to take the dive and grab a ticket at the right time and planned my Sunday accordingly. My excitement was palpable and being that it was going to be a brisk one, I dressed accordingly. I layered thoroughly under my old Stadium Series Lundqvist jersey and wore my old Stadium Series hat along with my coat and Rangers-colored hockey gloves.
New Jersey Transit failed me once again, as my train was canceled with no prior notification, so off into an Uber I went. Surprisingly, getting to the stadium that day wasn’t difficult, traffic-wise. What helped to my benefit was the delay in the start time, so with the Uber ride shaving off about 30 extra minutes that I would have had taking the two trains, it ended up working out.
When I arrived at MetLife, the swaths of Ranger and Islander fans from their parking lot tailgates and made their way to the gates, which were obviously packed to the brim.
MetLife Is Cold In Many Ways
I’ve lived in New Jersey for most of my life and I had never gone to MetLife until this prior fall, where I lovingly made the trek out to the Meadowlands to see Aaron Rodgers for less than a minute (I’m a Jets fan and it’s a long story on why I hadn’t gone to a game until last year).
The one thing I notice about MetLife, and it seems to be the common theme amongst people talking about it, is that it has no personality. It’s an ugly, boring, and lifeless piece of concrete and steel. The seats are gray and slightly uncomfortable and the exterior reminds you of what the back of an air-conditioner would look like. I guess that’s to be expected of a place that houses two football teams, so it’s understandable to an extent.
The concourses were absolutely packed and getting to my seat was a trek, being that I was high up in the upper deck. When I got my ticket, I was expecting to feel as if I was a million miles away from the rink and could not see a thing but to my surprise, I was wrong.
Football stadiums tend to operate better for these types of outdoor hockey events due to everything being right in the middle and the sightlines at MetLife were pretty good. It took me a bit to get used to tracking the puck but after a few minutes, it became easier. Also, the larger numbers on the jerseys and helmets definitely paid off, and although design-wise, they look gaudy, help with seeing who is who on the ice.
An Auditory Experience
The weather might have been a factor but outside of the goal horn and song, the sound of the music, announcements, and overall audio aspect was less than stellar. It was hard to hear what the presenters were saying sometimes and couldn’t make out certain things due to everything just sounding mangled or faint at times.
I would assume that it sounded a lot better in the lower bowls, as it seems like a lot of the audio is concentrated there and travels around better. Kudos to my fellow Rangers fans though, as we made that place rock like no other. I’ve been to playoff baseball games with similar conditions and the pure elation and happiness after every goal, including the winner, echoed so loudly through the stadium, that it was hard to hear myself think.
The in-game presentations, anthems, hosts, and so forth were good and generally inviting. Nothing too out of the ordinary since it’s essentially a neutral site but just hard to hear at times.
Cold Didn’t Bother Me Anyway
Obviously, sitting higher up in an outdoor stadium will be colder than down below, but the wind was not a huge factor, which led me to unbutton my coat a bit and still feel comfortable. Sitting outside in 30-degree weather is certainly an experience and I give credit to those who purchased beverages or food in the middle of it.
Although I, and numerous others, were able to do it, could say that this is not for everyone. Hockey arenas are already generally cold inside, and having the outdoor elements add to an already cold atmosphere, is not for all.
Speaking of elements, as I mentioned before, the wind wasn’t much of a factor as well as the sun. I can’t speak for those on the other side from where I was sitting, as the sun was behind me and didn’t impair any of my views.
Heading Out
After the win, the walk down out of MetLife was crowded, which is to be expected with 79 thousand and change packed into a stadium. Before exiting, during the second intermission, I attempted to use the Men’s room but was so tightly packed in the concourses that I almost ended up not going, I found a less packed area where I was able to find an easy line. Hockey crowds are different than football crowds, so I didn’t anticipate the building was ready for something like this.
Of course, the NJ Transit train area is jam-packed and the parking lots were also overstuffed, so getting out was a pain. That being said, even if the Rangers had lost, the trip was 100 percent worth my time and energy. In my experience, the sightlines were good, the ticket was affordable, and as long as you dress warm (or relative to whatever weather condition is presented), heading to an outdoor hockey game is a fantastic experience.
Obviously, the Rangers winning the way they did, it added to the allure of the event and spectacle itself. I didn’t have a hard time tracking the puck from my seat and sans the bad audio, turned out to be an experience of a lifetime. The massive roar of the crowd, especially after the Panarin overtime goal, sends chills down my spine and it’ll go down as one of the best games I’ve ever attended in person.
So, if the Rangers end up with another Stadium Series game or a Winter Classic, my suggestion is that, if you are able, you should go for it and try it out. These games are a dime-a-dozen and if you are able to do it, it is worth the time and effort.
For me, I had already missed a bunch prior and not knowing when the NHL will to have another event here, I couldn’t justify not doing it and since it was within my means, I had to seize the opportunity, to which now I have no regrets. The Rangers, Islanders, MetLife, and the NHL put on a good show for the fans, and being a part of it certainly emphasizes the draw of these outdoor games the league hosts.
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