Gale Centre - Niagara Falls Canucks
- Dave Cottenie
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
E.S. Fox Pad @ Gale Centre
5152 Thorold Stone Road
Niagara Falls, ON L2E 0A2
Year Opened: 2010
Capacity: 2,170
The Canucks of Ontario
The Niagara Falls Canucks entered the OJHL in 2023 in what was a classic, yet not common way. Founded in 1971, the Canucks began their existence as a Junior B team in the Niagara District Junior B Hockey League. Not to be confused with the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL, the Niagara Falls Canucks headed to the Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League after the folding of the NDJHL. In 2007 a reorganization of Junior Hockey in Ontario saw the GHJHL merge with two other leagues to form the current Junior B league, the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The entry of the Canucks to the Junior A, Ontario Junior Hockey League came in 2023 when the team advanced with the Leamington Flyers. The 2025-26 season is the third season the Canucks are members of the OJHL. The Canucks are owned by former NHL goaltender and Niagara Falls native Frank Pietrangelo, who also acts as the Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations. Pietrangelo is among the Canucks alumni, which also includes Gilbert Dionne and Kevin Dallman.
For the majority of their existence, the Canucks played in the Niagara Falls Memorial Arena. The Memorial Arena was also home to the OHL’s Niagara Falls Flyers and Niagara Falls Thunder. In 2011, the Canucks moved to the brand new, multi-ice surface Gale Centre. Named after Bob Gale, a former Niagara Falls Police Officer, member of the Police Board and many other Municipal Boards, the Gale Centre is the hub for all levels of hockey in the city. The Canucks play in the spectator rink, sponsored by E.S. Fox, the founder of Fox Limited, a major Canadian, multi-trade contractor and fabricator.
Food & Beverage 3
The E.S. Fox Pad has two concession stands, one on the upper level and one at ice level. There is also a concession in the atrium of the Gale Centre. Run by Break-A-Way Niagara, the concession options include pizza, burgers, hot dogs, fries, sausage, poutine, onion rings, popcorn, nachos and other snacks. Fountain Coca-Cola products are available for soft drinks as well as water, coffee, tea and Biosteel. Gale Centre does offer alcoholic beverages, which can be brought into the seating area. There is a small selection of macro brews as well as some hard seltzers.
Atmosphere 4
The Gale Centre has a fairly bland, light coloured exterior that is not unattractive. The main entry is from the north. There are two main entry points from the north side, one which leads to the box office and E.S. Fox Pad for commercial hockey games on the northeast side and another for the main Gale Centre atrium from the northwest side. To the northeast of the building is a large, ironworks statue of a hockey player, which is a unique feature.
Although entry to the Canucks game is from the Box Office entry, a walk through the Gale Centre atrium is worth a few minutes, even though fans will have to head back outside to get to the box office after. The atrium features entry to the other three ice pads and is large and brightly lit. Some items of note include the three framed, autographed Toronto Maple Leafs jerseys and accompanying photos signifying the Toronto Maple Leafs training camp which has been held at the Gale Centre for a number of years. There is also a Ron McLean autographed, Hometown Hockey framed jersey from when Niagara Falls was featured on the show. A trophy case houses pictures and sticks from the classic Niagara Falls Flyers teams of the seventies. Also worth a look is the Niagara Falls Sports Wall of Fame, which includes enshrined members Frank Pietrangelo, Steve Ludzik, Jarrod Skalde and former Toronto Raptors Head Coach and Canadian National Basketball team member and coach, Jay Triano. A number of local teams are also enshrined on the opposite side of the atrium.
Entry to the Niagara Falls Canucks game must be done through the exterior Box Office doors. After ascending the stairs to the E.S. Fox Pad fans are brought into the main arena and seating bowl. The ice surface is east-west oriented with a horseshoe seating bowl configuration. A running track surrounds the seating bowl and doubles as standing room. The west side of the rink is open and has a high-top seating area near the concession stand. Above centre ice is a low profile, simple, hockey score clock and the best spot to get a picture of the centre ice logo is from the north. At the east end of the arena are a huge number of championship banners from the Canucks’ Junior B days, with the 1996 and 1998 Sutherland Cup Championship banners in the centre of the bunch. The Canucks have 12 League Championships to boast of. The press box on the south side is named after Steve Ludzik. To the right of the press box are banners honouring the 1965 and 1968 Memorial Cups won by the Niagara Falls Flyers. The seating bowl consists of 10 rows of modern, plastic arena seats. A unique feature of the arena are the two rows of pink seats, which split the blue ones.
The gameday production at a Canucks game is fairly simple. The speaker system in the arena is solid and there are a ton of acoustic panels that hang from the low profile ceiling, which must help with the acoustics of the arena. Announcements are clear and easy to understand. Promotions are simple and include lucky programs, chuck-a-puck and 50/50 draw. The mascot, Justin Beaver, takes part in some ceremonies and the t-shirt toss. The game also begins with minor hockey players skating the flags on the ice.
Neighbourhood 4
Gale Centre is located in the Clifton neighbourhood of Niagara Falls, which is north of the tourist area. There are a number of spots for pre or post game food and drink that are a very short drive away. Some options include Hi-Lite Restaurant, Taps Brewhouse, Basell’s and Fork You. There are plenty more options closer to the Horseshoe Falls in the main tourist area. The Gale Centre is also home of the Junior C Niagara RiverHawks. There are also a number of other hockey options in the Niagara Region with the Niagara IceDogs of the OHL the most prolific. As far as other tourist options, Niagara Falls is one of the top tourist destinations in the country. A trip to Niagara Falls without taking a peak at the famous Horseshoe Falls is a waste. Great Wolf Lodge is minutes from the Gale Centre and Clifton Hill is an interesting spot to stop. There are, of course, a number of other tourist options that have to do with The Falls themselves including the Maid of The Mist and Journey Behind the Falls. The Niagara Region is also famous for various wineries, many of which offer tours. For fans wishing to stay in the area, there are a ton of options. The Super 8 and Town Place Marriott are the closest to Gale Centre. Niagara Falls is also well known for B&Bs.
Fans 3
Assessing fans in the OJHL can be difficult as finding attendance statistics can be challenging. In the 2024-25 season, the Niagara Falls Canucks averaged 340 fans per game. The game that was reviewed was the home opener for the 2025-26 season, which welcomed over 300 fans. The Canucks probably rank in the 2nd tier in the OJHL for attendance, below the top teams, but still in the top third. Fans in attendance are pretty laid back and not over the top or very loud.
Access 4
The Gale Centre is located in the Clifton neighbourhood of Niagara Falls. It is north of the main tourist area, so tourist traffic should not be an issue. It is located 1 km north of Highway 420 and 3.5 km east of the Queen Elizabeth Way, the main arteries into the city. Although fans will not have to traverse through the city, traffic on the QEW can be a real issue, especially earlier in the season. Fans coming from the United States will need to think about which border crossing to use. Although the Rainbow Bridge is the closest and crosses at Niagara Falls, it is often the slowest. Crossing at Lewiston, New York or Buffalo are better options. There is plenty of parking at Gale Centre. For fans wishing to take public transit, there are bus stops west of Gale Centre, on Stanley Avenue. Fans should consult the Niagara Transit website for fares, schedules and maps. The Via Rail and GO Transit stations are also just minutes from Gale Centre.
Entry into Gale Centre can be a bit confusing. Fans going to the Canucks game will have to enter through the Box Office doors and not the main Gale Centre entry. Getting around the arena is not that difficult, although there is a staircase from the box office to the entry to the E.S. Fox Pad. The washroom facilities are good for this facility.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets for the Niagara Falls Canucks are purchased at the door with either card or cash. Adult tickets are $15 with discounts for students and seniors. Children five and under are free and Niagara Falls minor hockey players with their jerseys are also free. Parking is free at Gale Centre and the concession prices are decent. The on-ice product is solid and the Gale Centre is a comfortable facility. Overall, the Canucks offer a good experience for a reasonable price.
Extras 3
An extra mark for the Gale Centre hosting the annual OJHL Governor’s Showcase, a full league slate of games using all of the ice surfaces designed for scouts to have an easy mechanism to see the full slate of league talent.
An extra mark for the Gale Centre hosting Toronto Maple Leafs Training Camp for three years.
An extra mark for the nod to the Niagara Falls Flyers of what is now the OHL, two-time Memorial Cup Champions.
Final Thoughts
Taking in a Niagara Falls Canucks game offers fans the opportunity to take in some solid Junior Hockey at a modern, comfortable facility in the Gale Centre, in one of the top tourist destinations in Canada. It is well worth the trip to Niagara and Canuck country.
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