Next up on Rink Review is Rupert C. Thompson Arena, home of the Dartmouth Big Green. This review is based off of my first and only visit to the arena.
Here is what
Wikipedia says about Thompson Arena:
Rupert C. Thompson Arena is a 3,500-seat hockey arena in Hanover, New Hampshire. It is home to the Dartmouth College Big Green men's and women's ice hockey teams. The barrel-vaulted, reinforced concrete arena was designed by renowned architect Pier Luigi Nervi. It was named for Rupert C. Thompson '28, the major benefactor of the project, and replaced Davis Rink, the original "indoor" home of Dartmouth hockey from 1929 to 1975. (Davis Rink, which was located next to old Alumni Gym, was demolished in 1985 to make way for the Berry Sports Center.)
Here's my evaluation:
Atmosphere:
I really felt the atmosphere at Thompson was no existent. In the game I was at it was pretty quite. It's probably a nice place to come into if you're an opposing player. There weren't many students, and the other people who attended the game just seemed to sit there and watch the hockey game. I also didn't hear any organized cheers/chants. My guess is that besides the Princeton game (see video of the week), this is how most games at Dartmouth are like.
Tradition:
The Big Green honor their tradition is a good manner. They dedicate the whole back wall behind the Big Green net to green championship banners, which there are a lot of. I also liked the wall dedicated to Dartmouth Hockey people in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and the history of Dartmouth Hockey timeline. Being a history major, I'm a sucker for historic things. There were also big pictures around the concourse of the rink of former Big Green players who have made it into the NHL. Also, there is some sort of a trophy case on the wall behind the visiting team's net. I also noticed how many of the rooms in the arena were named after alumni, which is cool. There is a room dedicated to the Friends of Dartmouth Hockey (or something like that). I peeked in real quick, and it looks nice.
Functionality and Amenities:
I think Thompson Arena could be the most functionally sound facility in the league. The concourse is wide and goes all the way around the rink. There are good-sized concession stands and bathrooms on both sides of the arena, which is very convenient. The press box is very long and is located at center ice, which is very nice. The seats are a very similar style to the one's at Yale, but are a nice shade of Dartmouth green. They're not the most comfortable seats in the league, but at least they have seat backs. Everything in the arena just seems very easy and smooth. The only "negative" is that there isn't a jumbotron in the rink, but most ECAC rinks don't have that anyways.
Other Thoughts:
When arriving to the rink, I thought the outside of the building was very unimpressive, especially after seeing the inside of the arena. I was a little surprised to see how nice it was inside after seeing how bland the outside of the rink was. I also thought the roof at Thompson was also nice. It's not as great as Ingalls or Messa, but I liked all the white triangles that made up the roof of the arena.
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