How to go to an NHL game in every NHL city
How I did it: We tried to visit 4 new arenas each season. It was easier at first
because we were able to combine some arenas into one trip and/or we hit
closer cities first. We lost some time due to the strike/lockout and my
deployment to Iraq (fortunately, those overlapped quite a bit). All of
the games were either against the Capitals (my team) or Flyers
(husband's team), except for a game in Ottawa against the Islanders,
which just worked out too conveniently with other arenas to exclude.
Lessons & tips: Check the schedule as soon as it is published and decide which cities
you want to hit that season, and make your plans as far in advance as
possible. Try to buy tickets from the team/arena the day they first go
on sale; otherwise, you may need to buy tickets from
brokers/scalpers/resellers. Combine nearby arenas (like Toronto and
Buffalo) into one trip when possible. Don't forget to include time to
check out the local sights!
Resources: NHL.com, The Coolest Game on the Road (book), Ticketmaster.com,
StubHub.com, fan message boards
