Herb Brooks Arena - ECAC Hockey Tournament
- Sean MacDonald
- Apr 2
- 8 min read
Photos by Sean MacDonald, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29
Herb Brooks Arena 2634 Main St Lake Placid, NY 12946
Year Opened: 1979 Capacity: 7,700
Home of the Miracle on Ice
The Miracle on Ice needs no introduction to hockey fans. Those who were watching back in 1980 will never forget Al Michaels’ immortal words “Do you believe in miracles?!” as the amateur USA Olympic hockey team defeated the USSR 4-3. Two days later, the Americans beat Finland to clinch an improbable gold medal, a feat not duplicated until this year in Milan.
What many fans might not know is that the arena where this historic game took place still stands and can still be visited even though it does not host a professional or college team regularly. Every March, ECAC Hockey holds its women’s and men’s tournaments at Herb Brooks Arena, offering traveling fans a chance to witness meaningful games at American hockey’s most historic venue.
The arena opened in 1979 and was called the Olympic Center Ice Rink until 2002, when Verizon somehow got the naming rights. After coach Herb Brooks passed away in 2003, the venue was renamed in his honor in 2005. The conference first held its tournament here in 1993 and has left and returned on two occasions, the most recent being in 2022. This year, Stadium Journey made a visit to the men’s championship game to experience the rink 45 years after The Miracle.
Food & Beverage 4
Above the main entrance to the building and before entering the rink proper, there is a large lobby with several tables available to all fans. Here is where you will find Roamers Cafe, a cashless concession with a good selection of eats. Most appealing might be the Mac & Cheese with Bacon for $13, the same price as chicken tenders with fries or a chef’s salad.
Families can avail themselves of a chicken tenders bucket with fries for $45, while a hot dog bucket with fries is $35. A single hot dog is $5, as is popcorn and king-sized candy. A pretzel with cheese is $7, and a veggie hummus wrap is surprisingly $15.
A variety of beer is available with 16-ounce cans of Labatt Blue and Blue Light going for $8, while local craft options are a dollar more. Most intriguing is that the soft drinks are neither Coke nor Pepsi, instead Adirondack supplies the soda, with cans of cola, diet, or zero sugar $3.
Inside the arena itself, a few smaller concessions can be found around the concourse, including Miracle Eats, where a sausage with peppers and onion is $12, the same as a cheese pizza. If you want pepperoni, add $2 to your bill.
Note that this pricing is specific to the ECAC tournaments, which are over for 2026. Next year, you can expect to pay a bit more and there is no guarantee that the offerings will be the same.
Atmosphere 5
The arena is inside the Olympic Center and you will use the Miracle Plaza entrance, where you go through security. To the right is an impressive museum that is worth the $15 admission price as it contains memorabilia from the two Olympiads here in Lake Placid. To the left are two displays that celebrate the 1980 win over the Soviets.
To get to the arena itself, go upstairs to the lobby, where you will have your ticket scanned (this means that anyone can enter the building and enjoy the concessions without a ticket).
Inside the arena is a single asymmetrical concourse between two levels of seating. On one side and behind the nets it is open and there are drink rails where many fans stand to watch the game, but along the other side, there are walls that prevent you from seeing the action as you walk around. Along the open side around center ice are a few restaurant-style tables (with tablecloths) that probably are not available to the public.
The lower bowl is typical for modern hockey rinks with red seats all around, except, of course, for the Zamboni entrance. For an older rink, there is a surprisingly large amount of leg room between the seats, which obviously have been replaced since 1980. In some photos, you will notice the space between the first row of seats and the boards; this is due to the larger ice surface used in international hockey. Avoid the lower rows if you can for this reason.
The upper deck consists of six rows of wooden benches; though most of these sections were closed. Each member of the 1980 gold medal team is commemorated with a banner above here. If all sections are open, capacity is 7,700.
There are also temporary features for the ECAC tournament, including sweaters for all 12 schools along with their tournament title years.
The ECAC consists of six Ivy League schools (all but Columbia and Penn), five other schools in New York (Clarkson, Colgate, RPI, St. Lawrence, Union), and Quinnipiac. The eight schools who did not make the trip to Lake Placid had banners atop the four-sided scoreboard. It was cool to see the seamlessly integrated displays of the past and the present, a rather unique mix in the sporting world.
There was an in-game host who kept fans entertained during the rare breaks in the action and the intermissions. Even though this was a neutral site game, there were still messages encouraging fans to “Make Some Noise!”, which many did. Of course, it is really the aura of this rink that makes the atmosphere most enjoyable.
Neighborhood 5
Lake Placid is a small resort town with a lot of sports history. It is still the home of the U.S. Winter Olympic Training site and all the facilities are still there. The Olympic Jumping Complex features 100- and 128-meter ski jumps, an elevator ride to incredible views of the surrounding Adirondack Mountains, and a zipline ride back down. Mt. Van Hoevenberg is nearby and allows visitors to experience bobsled, luge, and skeleton, along with cross-country skiing and an indoor climbing gym.
At Whiteface Mountain, you are able to ski the same terrain used for alpine events. These four sites can all be visited with the Legacy Sites Passport, a worthwhile purchase if you are staying in the area for a few days. This pass includes the Olympic Museum and tours of the arena, which is a great option if you are visiting any time other than when the tournament is being held.
The Adirondacks offer much more in terms of hiking, though with the tournament in mid-March, you might need snowshoes. Regardless, if you enjoy being outdoors, Lake Placid has you covered.
In terms of restaurants and bars, Sol de Oro Sports Bar and Grill is right across the street from the rink, as is The Boat Tasting Room, where you can sample a variety of beverages from Wood Boat Brewery and local wineries.
Lake Placid’s downtown is next to Mirror Lake and Main Street runs parallel to it for a few blocks, with dozens of establishments of all types, all within walking distance of the arena. (The actual Lake Placid is just north of town.)
As a resort, Lake Placid’s lodging can be expensive in the winter. The 2027 men’s tournament is held on the weekend of March 20-21 and as of this writing, it is too early to book rooms, but for the previous weekend in March you are looking at a minimum of $200 to stay in town.
The Rodeway Inn Lake Placid South is about a 25-minute walk away and usually the least expensive option, for good reason. Generally, I would recommend booking as far in advance as possible with a cancelable rate and checking periodically for reductions in price.
The women’s tournament is held two weeks earlier and attendance for the games is about half that for the men, which might be another option for those who really want to see the arena. Again, Lake Placid has a lot more than just this hockey tournament and is a popular winter destination in its own regard, so keep that in mind when planning a trip.
Fans 4
The two teams I saw play were equally supported in the crowd, along with a few neutrals whose teams had lost the night before and even some local fans. Everyone was well behaved and enjoying the intensity of the game. Still, there were some fans who broke the cardinal rule of attending a hockey game by getting up in the middle of the action. There are lots of whistles in hockey and that is when you go to the concession or return to your seat. So, a point is docked.
Access 2
Lake Placid is not easy to get to. Located in Upstate New York, the closest highway is Interstate 87. The portion from Albany to the Canadian border is not tolled and generally free of traffic. Turning off here, you will take a two-lane highway for about 30 miles with limited options for passing.
Normally, this should not be a problem, but on tournament weekend, the much more popular FIS Cross-Country World Cup Finals were also being held. This meant that traffic into town was limited and there were bottlenecks several miles out while cars turned off into parking lots for shuttle buses.
If you are coming from the west, you could take I-81 to Watertown and then drive about 2.5 hours through the mountains. Obviously careful planning is required if you are driving in this area in the winter.
Around town, parking can be hard to find and is not free, with meters enforced from 8-8 Monday through Saturday and from 1-8 on Sunday. For future tournaments, I would expect no other events to be held on the same weekend but make sure to check schedules and plan accordingly. There is no dedicated parking at the arena itself.
The PlacidXPRSS is a free shuttle bus that runs through town every hour or so and might be helpful for getting around, though most restaurants are walkable from the venue. You would need a vehicle to access the other Olympic facilities however.
Inside the arena, the concourse is quite narrow and can get very crowded with standing fans and those making their way around. Concession and restroom lines are very long during intermissions, so get your food beforehand or sneak up during a break in the action.
Return on Investment 5
The ECAC tournament holds two semifinal games on Friday and the championship on Saturday. Tickets were $50 for each day, or $75 for an all-session pass. This is a pretty good deal to see some decent hockey in the most historic rink in the country and well worth the expenditure, with food reasonably priced as well.
Extras 5
There is so much to see here, as you would expect from a small town that held two Olympics. Outside you can find some Olympic sculptures, while just inside the main entrance are the actual scoreboard used in that game and a statue of Herb Brooks.
The museum is incredible and really should be visited as early as possible. As mentioned, the 1932 Games were here, and they were just the third Winter Olympics in history. Naturally, the 1980 hockey team takes precedence in the displays, though every sport is honored, including speed skating, which saw Eric Heiden claim all five gold medals in 1980.
In one corner of the concourse is a small artwork to remind you that there are sports other than hockey.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Herb Brooks Arena is as impressive as you would expect. The combination of history and location cannot be beat, just like the 1980 team. It is fitting that ECAC hockey continues to use this historic rink to crown its champion. If you have yet to be, consider visiting for one of next year's tournaments to see this vaunted venue in action.
