Photos by Matt Finnigan, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Blue Arena 5290 Arena Cir Loveland, CO 80538
Year Opened: 2003
Capacity: 6,800
AHL’s Colorado Eagles - A Major League Success Story
The American Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles have a rink that has hosted organizational success in its two decades. The Blue FCU Arena, the Eagles’ only home since the franchise debuted in 2003, has seen the team graduate from independent hockey to the ECHL in 2011 as a second-tier affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, and then again to the AHL as an affiliate of the nearby Colorado Avalanche in 2016.
Now, the Eagles are contemplating their future and have announced plans to leave “the Blue.” In July 2024, they announced that they intend to move into a new, yet-to-be-built arena approximately seven miles away in Greeley. Plans for the new arena are in their nascency and a tentative opening date has not yet been announced. But the new Eagles facility will be part of a 5,000-acre development that will include a mixed-use entertainment district that will include a transit hub, a water park, and a hotel.
Franchises outgrow their facilities, particularly when evolving from a novel, unaffiliated team into the wildly popular hometown NHL franchise’s top minor league affiliate. But given the energy and enthusiasm the team has developed over its existence, the Eagles need to ensure that the new facility does not compromise a distinct home-ice advantage. A game at the Blue is one of the better AHL experiences.
Food & Beverage 4
There are a lot of food and drink options available around the Blue’s concourse. Typical stadium fare can be found, most notably at the Snack Shack locations on the arena’s east and west concourses. Those locations have a couple of specialty items that merit mention: the NoCo Dog (a hot dog topped with green chillis, pickled onions, and garlic aioli) and chicken bacon ranch mac and cheese. A full bar serves cocktails, beer, and wine on the east concourse.
What separates the Blue is the several kiosks throughout the venue. There’s frozen sorbet, mini-donuts, freshly baked cookies and brownies, specialty pretzels, smoothies, and margaritas. Most notably, a Dole stand serves pineapple and raspberry soft serve and these can be enjoyed in a float. The Blue also has a full-service coffee stand. Although it doesn’t offer traditional drip coffee, lattes, cappuccinos, and Americanos are available for those who need a warm fix of caffeine.
Atmosphere 4
An Eagles game is loud. A first-class sound system is certainly part of the reason why. But fans are enthusiastic supporters and bring an additional depth to the roar. An Eagles game isn’t a social event so much as it is an place where people come together to cheer loudly for the Eagles. Despite being only an hour from the Avalanche’s home ice at Ball Arena, fans wore player-specific Eagles’ sweaters far more than Cale Makar or Nathan MacKinnon sweaters, displaying local pride and signaling where their passions lie. The Eagles matter to hockey fans in Northern Colorado; a game at the Blue is evidence of that.
There is not a bad seat in the house. The seating bowl only has 18 rows, so no one is far from the ice. Fans remain in their seats during play and retreat to the concourses for reprovisioning between periods. The Voodoo Ranger Lounge behind the rink’s north end is a nice place to watch the game, with a full-service bar and standing room overlooking the goal the Eagles defend in the first and third periods.
Neighborhood 3
There isn’t really a neighborhood around the Blue, at least not in the traditional sense because the arena sits amidst a vast complex of restaurants, bars, and hotels. While the Blue’s location doesn’t have the feel of a “neighborhood,” it does provide a surprisingly good variety of non-chain options for pre- and post-game in the appurtenant commercial developments.
Ruben’s Grill and Cantina is less than a mile south of the Blue and, since opening in April 2023, has earned strong reviews for its food and service. Other nearby eateries include Nordy’s BBQ & Grill and the Boot Grill, both of which are also less than a mile from the Blue. Numerous chain restaurants also surround the arena, with Qdoba, Fuzzy’s Tacos, Chick-fil-A, Subway, and Carl’s Jr. in the immediate vicinity.
Astoundingly, a ski area is also nearby. Seriously. The City of Loveland, Colorado, sits at an altitude of 4,997 feet and, frankly, bereft of mountains (which can be seen several miles to the west). The city has a rich agricultural history of sugar beet and cherry farming.
Despite the lack of altitude and, well, slopes, Hoedown Hill opened in 2024, approximately four miles east of the Blue. In addition to skiing on green (easy) and blue (intermediate) runs, it has a 1,200-foot, 10-lane tubing slide. It provides a Colorado experience without having to navigate Interstate 70’s notoriously heavy traffic into the mountains during ski season.
All of this can be easily paired with a visit to one of the world’s largest gas stations/restaurants/stores. Travel stop juggernaut Bucc-ees’ only Colorado location sits about 10 minutes south of the Blue in Johnstown, CO. For some, nothing says “hockey” like brisket sandwiches, gasoline, and more beaver-themed merchandise than can be imagined.
A sports traveler may be able to do a double header and/or see several events in a weekend by checking out UNC (Greeley) basketball, baseball, or football or CSU (Fort Collins) basketball or football. Laramie, WY (Wyoming Cowboys) is 80 miles northwest and the Eagles parent club (Avalanche) is 50 miles south of Blue Arena.
Fans 4
The Eagles are in the middle of the 32-team AHL’s attendance list in 2024-25, with 4,974 fans per game. However, the Blue is the league’s fifth-smallest venue, limiting the team’s attendance. Home games regularly sell out, with few tickets available for most weekend contests.
The fans who attend are die-hard hockey fans, devoted to the Eagles and very loud about it – with cowbells as the noisemaker of choice. A chorus of enthusiastic cowbells becomes a chorus of angry cowbells when an on-ice fight erupts. This level of enthusiasm makes an Eagles game well worth the hour’s drive from Denver or Cheyenne.
Access 3
The Blue is equidistant between two state capitals: 50 miles from Cheyenne, WY, to the north; and 50 miles from Denver, to the south. There is no mass transit to take from either capital, so fans traveling to the game from these locations must drive. Most locals must also drive. The opening of the Eagles’ new facility in a few years will hopefully address this. Until then, the Blue is easily accessed from Interstate 25, which runs just to its west.
Once inside, fans can expect a tight fit. The concourses seem narrow, particularly when fans empty into them between periods. Seating is also tight. Fans must contort themselves to allow other fans to pass through the aisles. There are restrooms placed throughout the arena, though lines for both the men’s and women’s restrooms tend to form during intermission.
Return on Investment 3
Ticket prices in professional hockey are not immune to inflation and tickets to an Eagles home game are not cheap. Face value on tickets ranges from $30 to $44 – if you’re sufficiently fortunate to buy them when the team releases single-game seats before the season. Otherwise, a limited number of pricier tickets can be found on the secondary market. The team charges $10 for parking, as well, using an app (fans who do not pay the parking fee risk receiving tickets).
Fortunately, food and beverage prices are slightly lower than comparators. A cheeseburger runs $8.50. Adding a basket of fries will cost $4.50. Pizza slices run from $7 to $8.25. Beer prices vary throughout the Blue, depending on size and style. Domestic drafts tend to cost $10 and premium drafts cost $11. Domestic tallboys are $9.25 and premium tallboys are $11. Cocktails are $12 and $17.50 for single and double cocktails. For those not drinking alcohol, bottled water costs $5, while fountain soda costs $4.
Extras 2
The Eagles promotions staff earns an extra point for their use of clips from “Seinfeld” during promotional breaks in the game. A clip of Kramer, asking Jerry in George if they “really want to have some fun” from the series’ 1994 classic episode, “The Marine Biologist,” extols fans to get loud. No David Puddy-style face or chest painting is required at the Blue. Thankfully.
The promotions staff earns another point, as well, for the creative use of the “Hockey Night in NoCo” branding displayed before the game. It’s a play on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s long-running “Hockey Night in Canada,” localized for the Eagles’ northern Colorado presence. This branding could be used more, perhaps on gear in the team shop. Either way, it’s a clever adaptation of one of the sport’s greatest media institutions.
Final Thoughts
Particularly for a team that did not exist a quarter-century ago, the Eagles have created an outstanding experience. Fans are committed to the team and the franchise seems committed to the fans. While a new arena is likely imminent, here’s to hoping that the Eagles can carry over the great atmosphere and fan support that can be found in a game at the Blue.
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