Palais des Sports Leopold Drolet - Sherbrooke Phoenix
Updated: 3 days ago
Photos by Andrew Kulyk, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
Palais des Sports Leopold Drolet
360 Rue Cegep
Sherbrooke, QC J1E 2J9
Year Opened: 1965
Capacity: 3,646
Hockey Rises in Sherbrooke
The hockey story here in Sherbrooke is a long and interesting one, all centered around their local hockey arena, the Palais des Sports Leopold Drolet. This 3600+ capacity facility opened in 1965, and was once home to the junior level Sherbrooke Castors, before they moved to Lewiston, Maine. Two AHL franchises, the Sherbrooke Jets and then the Sherbrooke Canadiens, also called this place home.
Hockey here came full circle when the Lewiston Maineiacs folded. The arena underwent a massive renovation in 2012, the QMJHL then awarded a new expansion team to Sherbrooke. Named the Phoenix, and owned by a group led by former Montreal Canadiens star goaltender Jocelyn Thibault, the team is in its second decade as a member team in the Q.
Food & Beverage 3
Concessions here are grouped into four “zones”, one in each corner of the single concourse which wraps above the top the seating bowl. Samples of food items include the local favorite Poutine, with costs ranging from $10.75 to $17. Fries, $5; add gravy for an additional $1.50. Onion rings $6.50. Hot dogs are $3. Kettle corn $6.25. Bottled Pepsi products and Iced tea $4, Gatorade $4.50 and bottled water $4.25. Peanuts $4 and ice cream sundaes $5-$10. Pizza slices go for $8.25.
The feature item here is the famed smoked meat sandwich, priced at $13 or $17.50 for the larger size. For whatever odd reason, Bud and Bud Light products seem to be the thing here, priced at $8.75, along with canned seltzers, also at a reasonable $8.75.
Atmosphere 2
Perhaps the one-word description of this venue would be “ordinary”. From the second you step into the arena lobby, the space is tight, a wall of notable contributors to Sherbrooke hockey on the right, and the ticket office and small team store to the left. Scan your ticket and you are immediately thrust into a narrow and intimate concourse, which wraps around the entire seating bowl. Seats are wooden, there are ribbon boards gracing the sidelines and a pretty neat four-sided video board hanging in the center.
The team mascot Onyx works the crowd and hob nobs with the youngsters and is pretty much all over the arena seating bowl throughout the game. PA presentation is done completely in French, although in house staff and concession workers are bilingual and helpful dealing with English speaking fans.
Neighborhood 1
The arena is located just north of downtown Sherbrooke, adjacent to the Cegep de Sherbrooke campus, with the surrounding area primarily institutional and residential. The arena nicely integrates into the adjoining educational and athletic complex. That being said, there really isn’t anything of a “neighborhood” to speak of. The exterior campus is a patchwork of parking lots, entrances and egress at multiple points, some of it can be a bit confusing. There is absolutely nothing to do around the arena itself.
Nearby downtown Sherbrooke offers a nice walking tour of distinctive art mural installations, many with their own stories to tell. The nearby Magog River gorge is an Instagram experience. Otherwise, this is a city pretty much lacking in charm and distinction.
Fans 4
Despite the franchise churn that this market endured, the arrival of the Phoenix has meant stability and pretty robust fan support. They sell 70-80% of their seating capacity, and the community offers enthusiasm and outstanding fan engagement at their games. The team is well invested into regional hockey by maintaining high community involvement, featuring popular themed nights, active mascot engagement, and robust youth programs.
Access 3
In this small-town environment, automobile transportation from any direction is a breeze. Public transportation is available via the local STS bus system, with the Station du Cegep, a major transit hub, located right outside the complex. There are numerous parking lots on the adding campus, all offering free parking. Street parking in adjoining neighborhoods is also an option.
Return on Investment 4
Almost the entire seating bowl is priced at $28.50 for a game ticket, and the concession prices are especially on the cheap side. This bucks the trend of ever-increasing food and drink costs which have strained the wallet for the sports attending fan. Parking is ample and free. Compared to peer experiences at this level, the entire Sherbrooke Phoenix game night budget is a reasonable one.
Extras 1
We will give a strong bonus point to the array of banners not only commemorating the Success of the Sherbrooke Phoenix, but also a nod to the franchises in the QMJHL and AHL which once called this city and this arena home.
Final thoughts
This city and this market richly deserve a berth in the Q. There are natural rivalries galore, with short trips to cities such as Drummondville, Victoriaville and of course suburban Montreal. The region is a hot bed of hockey greats. That being said, this is a relatively cheap experience, a venue to cross of the list, but for a memorable and stand out night in this league, there are other peer venues that may offer a more authentic experience, in a better city and better setting.
*All proceeds listed here are in Canadian dollars.
