“We’re the Devils! The Devillllllllls!” – David Puddy, Seinfeld

Arena: Prudential Center (2007)

Location: Downtown Newark, NJ

Game Attended: October 2, 2015 vs. Philadelphia (Pre-Season)

Game Result: 3-2 Devils Shootout Win Because the Flyers Can’t Win a Shootout

Seat Location: Upstairs Corner; see below photo.

Overall Impression: Impressive Building in a Crummy Neighborhood

Growing up near Trenton, NJ, it was easy for us to drive fifteen minutes, hop on a train, and be in New York City in 90 minutes or so. And as I grew older, my parents started to take me to New York every now and then. And from the mid-2000’s on, we always passed by this colossal new arena being built in Downtown Newark, New Jersey. Once the arena opened, we kept saying, “We need to go see a game there.” But it took nearly 8 years from the arena’s completion date to attend my first game at The Rock (with best friend and huge Devils fan Craig), and after some reflection, it did not disappoint.

The building, anyway. In fact, I remember it being a shrine to the State of New Jersey. But in a good way, not the “swamps and oil refineries” way or the “Italian guys in tank tops getting their GTL on” or even the “crazy mean attitude” way. The Devils have done a nice job using the concourses in Prudential Center to honor some aspects of jersey culture. For instance, there are two main concession areas (one on each level) themed after Jersey Shore boardwalks, complete down to the faux wood panel flooring. And a jersey from every high school hockey team in the state hangs in the lower level concourse, which I found to be an impressive and colorful tribute to the young hockey players of the Garden State.

Overall, the building is an impressive and state-of-the-art facility, something Devils fans can and should be proud of. The concourse is wide-open with atrium-style entrances and tall ceilings that are welcoming and visually impressive. It’s clean, it’s professionally managed, and there’s plenty to look at while walking around before the game or during intermission. As for the game itself, I feel like it’s tough to accurately assess the passion of the fans during a rainy preseason game where maybe half the building was full. But from my experience watching the Devils in the playoffs (especially during their 2012 Finals run), the fans get LOUD! Would love to return to another game and see the fans at 100% action. Oh, and there’s this gem of a chant when the Devils score a goal. The inner Philly fan in me smiled when I heard this!

My only concern would be the neighborhood. Newark doesn’t exactly have a sparkling reputation as the cleanest or safest city in the world, and on a rainy night, I wasn’t about to go exploring. But it’s nice that Penn Station is just a few blocks away, and there are plenty of police/security before and after the games to make sure fans get to their cars or trains safely. And upon some Google Maps research, I discovered Dinosaur BBQ is right across the street. Y’all, Dinosaur has some of the best BBQ and ribs in the Northeast; it’s a famous and extremely popular hangout in downtown Syracuse. HIGHLY recommend!

So in the grand scheme of things, I’d say Prudential Center is a fantastic venue in a less than fantastic neighborhood. It would seem that the majority of people show up for the game and leave after the game instead of spending an entire day/evening in the city. And Newark will always be overshadowed by its neighbor to the east across the Hudson. But, for a budget friendly alternative to Madison Square Garden, The Rock is an arena sure to impress.

Building: 4 / 5

Atmosphere: 3 / 5

Neighborhood: 1.5 / 5

Overall: 3 / 5