logo
The LeafsNation has no direct affiliation to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, NHL, or NHLPA
Scotiabank Arena placed 28th on The Athletic’s overall NHL arena rankings
alt
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
Jan 30, 2026, 12:00 ESTUpdated: Jan 30, 2026, 11:35 EST
Comments
In a recent article written by The Athletic’s James Mirtle, which ranked all 32 arenas in the National Hockey League, the Toronto Maple Leafs finished 28th. The Athletic called for their subscribers to weigh in on their first-ever NHL arena survey. 
The survey saw thousands of responses from all the markets across the NHL, with 30 percent of the responses coming from fans who were season ticket holders in either partial or full capacity. The arenas were broken into four separate categories: location, amenities, atmosphere and affordability. The fan score, coming from the four factors, accounted for 80 percent of the overall score, while the beat writers for The Athletic who cover each team took the final 20 percent. 
Scotiabank Arena was ranked 13th overall by the beat writers, while fans had a very different opinion, ranking the home of the Maple Leafs 30th overall. The overall final score amounted to 5.8 out of 10, only beating Rogers Arena, home of the Vancouver Canucks, Crypto.com Arena, home of the Los Angeles Kings, KeyBank Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres and Canadian Tire Centre, home of the Ottawa Senators. It’s somewhat of an indictment against the Maple Leafs’ corporate crowd that occupy the lower bowl. 
Opened in 1999, with a capacity of 18,800, Scotiabank Arena is located in Toronto’s downtown core, which helped earn a location score of 9.1, good for the fifth highest in the rankings. The amenities scored 7.2, 22nd overall amongst all teams. A long-time critique of Scotiabank Arena has been the vibe at the arena and the cost to go, both of which were reflected in the rankings, with the home of the Maple Leafs ranking 32nd in both atmosphere and affordability. Atmosphere was given a 4.2 rating, while affordability totalled 1.5. 
The beat writer score for Scotiabank Arena ranked the arena at 13th. Here’s what Mirtle wrote: 
As someone who has attended many, many games here as a media member since 2004, I am not surprised the Leafs are this low. In fact, I wondered if they might challenge for last place.
Not because Scotiabank Arena isn’t a perfectly fine modern arena, with some great food options and gathering areas. But because ticket prices in Toronto are as outrageous as they get in the NHL and, on many nights, it can be a very corporate crowd and fans sit on their hands.
Toronto was voted last in both atmosphere and affordability, and it was not particularly close with second-last Vancouver.
While the Leafs have been a good regular-season team for nearly a decade and Scotiabank Arena is in a terrific location, right next to the main transit hub in one of North America’s largest metro areas, the fact that they haven’t had playoff success and the building itself and the area around it has been under construction in recent years haven’t helped, either.
The fans’ vote, which placed them at 30th, only ahead of the Sabres and Senators home arenas, had a much different view on the home of their favourite team. 
“The place feels stale. Overpriced. Enjoy going to other arenas to watch the team. Many are more enjoyable and less expensive.”
 “Possibly the worst game ops in the NHL. Dead crowd on most nights made worse by extreme loud music that prevents any potential atmosphere from developing. No longer a knowledgeable hockey crowd. Entire empty rows of last-row standing room tickets are unsold this season for most games because prices are way too high. Bizarre lower-bowl crowd that leaves early no matter what the score is.”
 “Platinum seat ghosts are well-documented. As a diehard Leafs fan, when I have managed to score tickets in the 100s. I receive eye-rolls, ’embarrassed-for-you’ and annoyed glances from the suits in response to my normal fan behaviors.”
The Maple Leafs have compiled a home record of 16-9-6 during the 2025-26 season and won’t return home to Scotiabank Arena till February 28, when they host the Ottawa Senators. 
The top five of the 2026 overall rankings was the Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens, T-Mobile Arena, home of the Vegas Golden Knights, Benchmark International Arena, where the Tampa Bay Lightning call home, Bridgestone Arena, where the Nashville Predators play their home games and Little Caesars Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings.
What do you make of the poll? 

PRESENTED BY OFF THE ROSTER

Introducing Off The Roster—Toronto Sports, Unfiltered! Toronto sports fans, your new favourite conversation has arrived. Hosted by Cabbie Richards, Lindsay Dunn, and Dan Riccio, Off The Roster dives into the city’s legendary plays, brutal trades, OG jerseys, celebrity tweets, and everything in between. Raw, fun, and totally unfiltered, this is Toronto sports like you’ve never heard it before. Tune in live every weekday morning on the Nation Network YouTube channel, or catch episodes wherever you stream podcasts. Proudly brought to you by our founding partner, PROLINE. Off The Roster—the new sound in the 6ix.
News
MORE NEWS. IN YOUR INBOX.
CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Breaking News