
_About a year ago, I posted a bunch of old things from hockey games I went to back in 2023. However, there are two arenas I visited back then that I actually didn’t write about - mostly as I wasn’t sure what to say._

_I don’t know if/when I’ll be getting back to these arenas, so I figured I’d do my best to write about them now (so forgive me if I’m more vague than usual). This is going up today as it's the date of the Worcester Railers home opener, in writing this, I realized something about THIS place in particular, which I'll get into later. For now, though, I should probably start with an intro to the ECHL, since this is (unintentionally) the first time I'm talking about it._

_Long story short: the ECHL (formerly the East Coast Hockey League) is to the NHL what Double-A is to Major League Baseball. However, if you recall me mentioning the first time I saw the [AHL](2025-10-06_lhvphantoms) (i.e. the Triple-A league) that few players from the AHL go on to have notable NHL careers, that is even more the case with the ECHL, where fewer than 1,000 players have ever played an NHL game - with most of the notable ones being goaltenders. Now, for the "main event":_

In 1994, the American Hockey League’s Springfield (I don’t think I should mention their name here, but think Cleveland baseball) made the short move east on the Massachusetts Turnpike to Worcester, MA, where they became the Worcester IceCats. Originally lacking any NHL affiliation, the team eventually became affiliated with (and was later sold to) the St. Louis Blues. In the fall of 2004, while the NHL was mired in its infamous season long lockout, the Blues sold the IceCats to the owners of their ECHL affiliate in Peoria, IL, who “moved” the team (by which I mean the Peoria team became an AHL team, and Worcester was gone from the AHL).

However, the city managed to secure a new AHL team in 2006, when the San Jose Sharks moved their operations into town (from Cleveland, OH). The Sharks spent almost a decade in Worcester, but in 2015, San Jose - as well as several other western based NHL teams - chose to relocate their AHL operations to the west coast for various reasons. Worcester was one of three New England cities to see their team head west (the other two being Manchester, NH and Springfield, MA), and while Manchester got an ECHL team (which folded in 2019), and Springfield got an AHL team from Portland, ME...Worcester had to wait until 2017 for hockey to return. When it did, it took the form of the Worcester Railers - a new team in the ECHL.

Since their establishment, the team has been...mostly okay. They haven’t really won much, and they’re not exactly one of the better teams in the ECHL attendance wise. A large part of that may possibly be due to the presence of stronger teams in the Boston area (i.e. the Bruins and the high-level college programs), but another factor is the lack of a Bruins connection: from the team’s founding until this past offseason, they were under the New York Islanders, but are starting a new affiliation this year (i.e. the Islanders have a new ECHL team). In an amazing display of "time is a flat circle", their new NHL affiliate is...

...The St. Louis Blues, who not only were the last AHL affiliate of the old IceCats, but JUST SO HAPPEN to have their current AHL affiliate in...

...Springfield, MA![^1]

The arena is currently known as the DCU Center and has been for quite a while; however, DCU (the credit union behind the name) merged with another credit union recently, and I can't tell if/when a name change may happen (though it should also be noted that the naming rights deal is set to expire in 2027 as well).

On some level, it’s very much what you’d expect from a smaller, older arena (as it was opened in 1982 as the Worcester Centrum): a concourse that fully wraps around the arena but largely lacks views of the ice, various concession and beer stands, a split tiered seating bowl (with entrances at “mid level”), and “smaller” upper sections as curtains blocked off most of the upper seats.

One thing worth noting, though: the arena had been refurbished at some point, and the one Railers game I went to - the team’s 2023-24 home opener (which they won for what it's worth) - was the first game to showcase this renovation. As an aside, one of my favorite things outside the arena is a statue of Bob Cousy, who went to the [College of the Holy Cross](2025-10-2_holycrosshockey_men) (and won an NCAA title) just south of downtown Worcester before becoming a Boston Celtics legend.

I was originally going to just focus on the “main arena”, but there’s also an attached convention center which I’ve visited multiple times (it was opened after a 1997 renovation). Each of those times, I came here for a Super Smash Bros. tournament series known as Shine; I won't go too deep into its history, but it was originally held in Boston before making the 45-mile journey west, and I visited it three times: 2019 (before the time of me writing about sporting venues/events), 2022, and 2023 (which, sadly, was the tournament’s final edition)[^2]. 

If you’ve never been to a video game tournament before, it is a WILD experience. Not only do you get to see some of the top players in the world, but they’re often found wandering in and around the venue, so you can get SUPER CLOSE and personal with them (but maybe don’t do that second part). A large part of that is due to the fact that since there are A TON of games happening at once (due to the hundreds of entrants), matches happen all over the convention center floor. For me, one of the more interesting experiences at a tournament like this was seeing a GIANT crowd of spectators at one of the side stations because a top player is there (and then playing the game of "who's shoving a proverbial scrub into a locker right now").

I can’t recall too much of what happened in the 2022 and 2023 tournaments, but the 2019 one was famous for the rise of a player who, last I remember, was banned from participating in tournaments - though I URGE you to use caution if you’re going to look up who that player was and why they were banned...

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

At the Railers game I went to, there were two separate merchandise areas; one was by the main entrance and another was at what I believe is the opposite end of the concourse (and was smaller than the one by the entrance). The Railers had new jerseys the night I went, but I felt they weren't "interesting" enough to warrant adding to my collection, so I skipped them (but did get a jacket).

The Railers also maintain a full store at their practice facility a short distance away - which I’ve visited several times. I’ve gotten a few hats and jerseys plus a game puck here, but the most interesting thing about the Railers merchandise wise has to be the “end of season equipment sale”. At the end of each season, the team has a sale on equipment and other items accrued throughout the season; it’s here that I got...a [Bridgeport Sound Tigers](2026-01-12_bptislanders) puck, but also a special theme night jersey commemorating the IceCats!

As for the Smash tournaments, I got a baseball style jersey at the 2019 one (which I’d probably wear more if it weren’t for what happened with the winner), and several jackets and Nintendo Gamecube controllers from the latter two. Each tournament also featured other vendors outside of the tournament's merch booth, from which I bought more shirts/jackets, a small card game, and other things that I don’t currently remember (though I'm pretty sure one of them sold a sticker I put on my laptop).

---

I mentioned earlier that the Railers were the Islanders' ECHL affiliate until this year - which means that the Isles, of course, have a new ECHL team. In case you were wondering who that team is and where they play, well...check back here in a week or so.

### ON DECK

But before that: I'm STRONGLY considering a few things to do in the next couple of days - namely, college soccer.

---

[^1]: The team there is called the Thunderbirds, but a visit is a MASSIVE question mark due to a few factors such as distance and...Springfield, Massachusetts.

[^2]: I will NOT get into whether or not Esports should count as sports - or whether Super Smash Bros qualifies as a “major” esport (largely due to Nintendo). In addition to Smash, though, I've been to a Rocket League event at [Agganis Arena](2025-10-04_buhockey_mens) and ALMOST went to another one at the same place but it didn't work out.


Sports and Esports in New England’s second city

A quick look at the DCU Center (Worcester, MA)


### _[2026: New Venue #30](2026newvenuelist)_

Prior to winning the Stanley Cup in 2018, the Washington Capitals were probably best known for two things:

1. The worst regular season in NHL history (their first season in 1974-75, in which they had a winning percentage of exactly .100)

2. Their inability to go deep into the playoffs despite having Alexander Ovechkin - one of the NHL's top talents of the 2000s (I mean check out <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E82oUXP6Hng" target="blank">this goal from his first season in the NHL</a>). As an aside, this post will NOT be getting into some of the "less savory" details about him (i.e. when you combine his country of origin with certain leanings common amongst hockey players...).

Since winning that Cup, they've won exactly ONE playoff series - though Ovechkin did what was once thought to be impossible and claim the title of the NHL's all time leading goalscorer (though he ain't getting the points record from Gretzky - partially for reasons I'll get into in a sec).

I'll be honest: I'm looking into going to a few NHL games this year (though I feel like that shouldn't come as a surprise). A lot of that is because I've only been to NHL games at THREE arenas, and I figured I'd like to check out a few more (mainly with the advent of this blog). On that note, however, I must admit that THIS particular game was not really on my "radar" until a week before it happened - despite me knowing for over a month that I'd be in town for the [Banana Bowl](2026-10-11_bananabowl2026). Thankfully, the Caps just so happened to be playing at home the day before (Friday) AND after (Sunday); I chose the "after" game for a few reasons:

1. I didn't want to have to rush down on a Friday afternoon to catch a 7:00 PM puck drop, and since I was staying with my brother, I wouldn't have to worry about spending an extra night at a hotel.

2. It was slightly less expensive when I got the tickets.

3. It featured a team I haven't seen yet: the Seattle Kraken. I have seen FAR fewer NHL teams vs. MLB (since, as mentioned earlier, I've only been to three arenas before this), but I figured trying to get to 32/32 (and then potentially more) would be fun to try (the "before" game would have been the [Rangers](2026-09-23_nyrangers), and despite that game being a preseason game, most of the team's NHL roster played)[^2]

On some level, I felt like I jumped early; I bought this ticket immediately after learning that the Caps were home when I was going to be in DC (which was about a week before the Banana Bowl), and I might have been able to find something a bit "better" had I waited a few days. What I was NOT expecting, however, was a fourth reason why going to this game was prudent:

4. Alex Ovechkin announced that this would be his final season about 24 hours after I bought the ticket - though it didn't seem to affect the market for this particular game in a major way (part of that may be the Commanders being home on the same day FWIW[^3])

The day before the game, I decided to check out the team's practice facility a short Metro ride away (for reasons I'll get to in a sec), and the team was practicing (it was open for fans to watch). One particular player wasn't present for the team practice, but I believe he was busy entertaining some young fans (who were probably his kids) in an adjacent rink...

![A photo of Alexander Ovechkin practicing](/images/2026/1010-ovi.jpeg)

<figcaption>Don't ask who the dude in white is - I have NO IDEA.</figcaption>

That aside, what is now Capital One Arena opened in DC's Chinatown neighborhood in 1997 as a replacement for an arena known as the Capital Centre (though despite the name, it was in Maryland[^1]). If you remember me talking about the [Philadelphia arena saga](2026-04-12_phiwings2), then you might remember me mentioning that the Sixers wanted an arena in Philly's Chinatown, which was feared to be disruptive to the area - with DC as an example of what could happen (i.e. the reduction of Chinatown). I have no reference of how the neighborhood was prior to the arena's arrival, but at least according to Wikipedia, it has been cited as part of a "revitalization" of the neighborhood.

At this point, I probably don't need to talk about NBA/NHL arena layouts as they're all largely the same: main concourse for the lower bowl, upper concourse for the upper decks, both fully encircle the building to allow fans access to their seats. However, what makes THIS arena a bit unique (besides the fact that like Philly, the main concourse is at street level) is the fact that there's three levels of "non-suite" seats and a "middle" concourse for the second level - though a premium area means it doesn't go fully around the arena. While the concourses aren't exactly "special", my biggest gripe with them is the complete lack of natural lighting - though the building is currently undergoing a renovation (like other arenas built in the 1990s), so there's a chance this may not be the case in the future.

![A photo inside Capital One Arena](/images/2026/1011-c1arena.jpeg)

Inside the arena itself, there are FAR more video screens than most arenas I've seen: in addition to your standard center jumbotron, there are double-sided screens in each of the four corners. The ones facing the center of the arena display stats and stuff, while the ones facing out show the game and score to fans stuck immediately behind them.

If you're afraid of goal horns, be advised that much like MOST NHL buildings (save for the two Gardens and apparently Toronto), the arena has one that sounds after the team scores (though I probably should've mentioned this a [LONG time ago](2025-08-28_nysirens)). I believe most NHL teams have their goal horns near the center of the building (i.e. above or inside the jumbotron), so how far you are from it will determine how loud it sounds (it wasn't that loud in the ends, but a bit louder on the sides).

The bad news: the Capitals lost on a late goal (which happened with about five minutes to go in the game). The good news: I got to see Ovechkin score his first goal of this last season. One other thing I will say: the crowd was actually pretty into it (moreso than the Rangers game I felt) - even in the Metro station after the game.

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

I don't know if this is still a thing people do, but back in the day, one of the more "common" ways to get things without having to go to a store was via phone ordering (largely due to infomercials[^4]). Of course, a lot of this has been replaced with online shopping, but in 2023...I called the team's practice facility and placed a phone order for a Capitals jersey I REALLY wanted. It's part of an old program Adidas ran back in the day known as "Reverse Retro", and the Capitals apparently had one of the top selling jerseys of said program (hence why I had to literally call them - no one had it online).

Since I just mentioned the the Capitals' practice facility, I should mention that the team maintains a merchandise store here[^5]! While it does carry many of the same things the arena has (though it also had a magazine that I didn't see at the arena store), there weren't really many player jerseys save for a bunch of Ovechkins plus ONE Tom Wilson. What it DID have that I don't often see, however, were Authentic Pro Jerseys (i.e. the ones worn by the players on the ice).

As for the arena itself, I've TRIED to visit the store here quite a few times, but in my experiences, it's been closed more often than it's been open. I feel like I can only remember ONE visit to the store, but I was able to find a hat for the Arena Football team that played here back in the late 2010s that time[^5].

In the days leading up to this game, I found out that as part of the arena renovations I mentioned above, the store has moved to a new location. This location - similar to [TD Garden] (and, to certain extents, Madison Square Garden) - is outside of the arena itself, but you can visit it once you get into the arena by getting a handstamp from the ushers (the Devils actually have a fairly similar setup). Also, be forewarned that the merch areas inside the stadium are all VERY small and, for the most part, don't have anywhere near the selection of the main store.

Unlike the practice facility store, they had other player jerseys available, but with the exception of Ovechkin (and specifically RED Ovechkin jerseys as I thought about getting a white one), the jerseys featured heat pressed nameplates and numbers - including the one I actually wanted (former [Boston College](2025-10-03_bchockey_mens) forward Ryan Leonard, who I saw a few times during his college career).

As the building is named for Capital One (a bank), there's a discount on merch if you use a Capital One card, and since I've already made the "what's in your wallet" reference before...of course, you still have to deal with the arena upcharges, but based on price hikes for jerseys this year, you actually still come out "ahead". However, be forewarned that said discount does NOT apply to the practice facility store (i.e. no discounts on the Authentic Pros), and DC (and Virginia for that matter) have sales tax on clothing.

One last thing to mention: A table on the upper concourse run by MeiGray (a company specializing in game-used sports stuff) offers the chance to buy pucks used during warm-ups. They are, sadly, not eligible for the Capital One discount, and I've heard that prices can vary WILDLY on a game-to-game basis (aka "don't ask how much they cost for this particular game"), but at least in the Capitals' case, they are a VERY special memento for each individual game, as they feature the date of the game and both team's logos - like this:

![A photo of a warm-up puck](/images/2026/1011-warmuppuck.jpeg)

Many teams in the NHL also sell warm up pucks, but they all do it a bit differently - and apparently this design is not "constant" throughout the league. For example, I once got a warm up puck at a Bruins-Devils game in Newark at the team store kiosk in the main concourse's large "plaza" area; it looked similar to this one, but I've heard the team no longer uses these types of warm up pucks...

---

As a side note, I did contemplate staying for another extra day to see the Wizards, but ended up choosing not to despite the "get-in" price being less than ten bucks, as it would have been a preseason game featuring two teams expected to be not-so-good (in fact, it's the reverse of the matchup I saw [back in February](2026-02-08_bknets)). Also, I'm not sure I would have been able to keep my car parked on the streets of DC for free on a Monday despite it being a federal holiday.

---

[^1]: The arena wasn't demolished until 2002, which is when an outdoor mall opened (which I actually visited once in 2013). The mall has since been closed and demolished, and a mixed-use development is being built at the site - but apparently it's not open yet...

[^2]: This game brings me to 10/32 teams seen - the other eight are the Devils, Bruins, Rangers, Islanders, Hurricanes, Lightning, Senators, and Oilers (more specifically the McDavid/Draisaitl Oilers). Also, apparently Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (one of their best players) got injured during the game and is out for this season...at least he played half of that preseason game I saw.

[^3]: A TIE? Really?

[^4]: I'd make a joke about the things you'd see on Comedy Central at 3:00 AM, but this is a family blog (probably)...

[^5]: There's also a store that specializes in hockey gear (i.e. for actually playing hockey), but I didn't check it out.

[^6]: The team was known as the Washington Valor, and somehow won a league title in a year in which they went 2-10 because [INDOOR FOOTBALL](2026-04-18_jerseybearcats)!


I take advantage of my travels to watch a LEGEND before it's too late

Washington Capitals (National Hockey League) @ Capital One Arena (Washington, DC)


By now, some of you are probably tired of reading about Banana Ball - especially since this is the SIXTH time I’ve posted about it on this blog. If this is you, I can understand: on some level, it’s gotta be annoying hearing about me going to all of these games that you either don’t really care about because you think Banana Ball is too "avant garde" and/or have massive FOMO about because you couldn’t get tickets.

However...this one’s different: it’s the final Banana Ball post for 2026, and it’s a special one, as it’s the league's _championship game_. Before we get into the actual game, however, I do need to mention one thing:

### What could have been

I know I've already seen Banana Ball [four](2026-04-25_bananaball_ny) [other](2026-04-27_bananaball_ny2) [times](2026-06-12_bananaball_js) [this year](2026-07-26_bananaball_hfd) (plus [one time last year](2025-08-23_bananaball_bos))...but here's the thing: I had tickets to TWO other Banana Ball games this year that I ended up not going to (not counting the Friday night Jersey Shore game that I had to miss due to vacation[^1]).

First, I was intending to go to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro(ugh)[^2], MA at the end of August. In the weeks leading up to the game, I was considering not going (because if you've never been to Gillette Stadium, getting in and out is bad PLUS the stadium was charging for lots that are normally free), but eventually felt I still wanted to do it. Unfortunately, something came up in the days before the game that required my attention, so I ended up not going (and again, I was apprehensive about the trip anyway)[^3]. On a somewhat interesting note: the Hartford game I went to was used as a "test" of selling K Club tickets, and I guess it worked decently enough, because I was able to list my ticket on the marketplace (which is something I hadn't been able to do before outside of the whole Yankee Stadium thing).

Second, do you recall me going to the [PLL Championship game](2026-09-20_pllchampionship) back in September? Well, one of the BIG reasons I was able to do that was because I had to forego my original plan for that weekend: a trip to Savannah, GA.

I’ve [talked about the K Club before](bananaball_bospt2) (partially because I’m a member), but in case you weren’t aware, it’s a Savannah Bananas fan club which includes, among other things, early and (basically) guaranteed access to tickets for most Banana Ball games - keyword "most". Right before the org announced its 2026 schedule, they sent an email to K Club members that indicated that tickets for games IN Savannah were going to be limited to fans who joined the K Club back in 2022 and 2023; I joined in 2024, so I was not going to be able to buy tickets to see Banana Ball in Savannah...or so I thought.

However, after processing the sales to the two groups, I received an email that indicated that tickets were still available for Savannah games, and that I’d have a chance to get tickets to a game in Savannah. I had chosen a game in September as my date to head down - largely as I needed to get some things together in order to be able to make the trip down.

Alas...I wasn't able to get things in order in time. Yes, part of it is due to how wild certain things are nowadays (plus a lot of the things that also made me going to Foxboro untenable), but at the end of the day, a lot of it falls on me failing to do the things I kinda sorta NEEDED to do to make the trip to Savannah feasible.

With THAT note out of the way, let's talk about THIS game.

### The League of Extraordinary Bananas

While 2026 marks the debut of the Banana Ball Championship League, it's not the first time the organization has had a playoff to determine an "overall champion". I alluded to it back at Yankee Stadium, but there was a playoff between the (then) four teams last year which the Party Animals won. Of course, now that there is a league, what does every good league need? A champion!

And if you're the Banana Ball Championship League, how do you do your first "official" championship game?

By going BIG.

In August, it was announced that the championship game - known as the Banana Bowl - would be held at Nationals Park in Washington, DC. Not only that, they announced that no matter what the matchup was, ALL SIX TEAMS and their respective casts of characters (of questionable necessity) would be present. K Club members were asked if they wanted to opt in for the chance to buy tickets, and the allure of watching a championship game (plus the fact that the other four teams that aren't playing were going to be present) made me decide to go for it. It also helped that the factors that killed my trip to Savannah (transportation and lodging) were not issues for the Banana Bowl: DC is close enough from New Jersey to drive to, and my brother lives in the city, so I wouldn't have to worry about either.

### National...something

I'm not going to talk about the Washington Nationals here - they've largely been mediocre to bad since arriving in 2005 (and this somehow includes the year they won the World Series).

Their home stadium - the aplty named Nationals Park - opened in 2008 after the team spent a few years at RFK Stadium (an older stadium is scheduled to werwerwerbe demolished soon). It's in the District's Navy Yard area, and if I'm going to be honest...it's not all that unique. Much like most modern parks, it's got a full main concourse and shorter upper deck concourses which are "broken" up by the outfield, but unlike several stadiums opened in the same era, it's made of more "modern" materials (as opposed to the brick ballparks the team's [divisional](2026-05-01_nymets) [rivals](2026-06-08_phiphillies)). Swaths of the ballpark USED to have great views of the US Capitol Building, but modern construction around the stadium has obscured these views.

I should note, however, that I actually didn't explore the ballpark much during the game - I was mostly in my seat after the seating bowl opened. I was hoping to take a tour of the ballpark the day after the game, but several things ended up happening that prevented me from doing it (and NONE of it involved the [Capitals](2026-10-12_wshcapitals) game - for the most part).

<div id="merch" />

### The Plaza and Pregame (and MERCH)

I'm not sure exactly how common this is, but the main gate and team store for Nationals Park are in the outfield (as was the pre game plaza for this game). While the items here aren't exactly "earth shatteringly unique", it is the place where I "re-started" collecting hats in 2019 (which I had stopped because my childhood collection became too small for my head). I also recall a visit where I thought about getting some of their clearance jerseys (i.e. the jerseys for players who just left the team), but none were my size.

During my 2019 visit, I also recall finding a jersey from the 2018 All-Star Game which the Nationals hosted at one of the merchandise booths (that wasn't the main store). Unfortunately, it was NOT clearance priced, so I had to pass on it...

As for the Banana Bowl, speculation about merchandise was rampant in the weeks leading up to the game (as all six teams would be present), but a few days before the game, I got an email saying that merch would only be available for the two teams playing: The Savannah Bananas and the Texas Tailgaters - the matchup I WOULD HAVE seen had I made it to Savannah. In addition to the "standard" tents around the stadium, a food hall area in center field and a team store kiosk on the concourse were "converted" to Banana Ball merchandise stores.

As mentioned earlier, the pre-game plaza for this game was in the outfield, but it also featured something I haven't seen in a while: a K Club area (on the upper concourse)! There was a small merchandise area here, and somehow, it was far and away the WORST part of the day. Not only was it super crowded (it took me nearly an hour to get through the line), but they didn't have a lot of things - namely, they did not have anything Bananas or Tailgaters specific (i.e. shirts, jerseys, and hats), which were available in other parts of the stadium. The K Club area did offer early views of the field, however, so you could see all the people who got the backstage pass on the field with the teams.

![An image of Nationals Park](/images/2026/1010-bbb.jpeg)

One note: I'd been collecting "2026 World Tour" shirts at prior games, but they didn't have either team's tour shirt here. As I skipped my only other chance to see the Tailgaters, this means that I was unable to get a "Texas Tailgaters 2026 World Tour" shirt (as well as the Firefighters, who I never saw in 2026[^4])

### The big show

![An image of the teams](/images/2026/1010-bananabowl.jpeg)

In the lead up to the Banana Bowl, the organization promised a spectacle like none they'd ever done before. Sure enough, many, MANY guests showed up to make the night special. I can't remember ALL of the things that happened, but a few highlights:

- The Bananas' mascot arriving via parachute
- Famous a capella group Pentatonix singing the anthem (with a flyover)
- John Cena somehow managing to show up to deliver the game ball
- Several musical acts doing "walkups"
- Former Washington Capitals player T.J. Oshie escorting a player

After each of the first six innings, each of the six teams debuted a song that they intend to use more next year. I'm not, but it was definitely awkward having the Tailgaters introduce their song for next year immediately after giving up a walk-off home run...

Before the final inning, there was a special "Final Inning Show" featuring all six teams, several of their musical acts, and the cast of "Dancing With the Stars" (as one of the Bananas is on the current season) - but before that, the teams were accompanied on field by...

# The Jonas Brothers.

I had heard rumors that they MIGHT be involved as JoBros fans noted their schedule was clear for today, but I doubted they'd show up until, well...they did.

### The big game

The actual game, in my opinion, was pretty good - unlike some of the Banana Ball games I've been to this year (\*coughHartford\*cough), it moved rather quickly and had a lot of "action" - though it was a bit of a pitcher's duel. One of my favorite moments came when one inning featured a "Zimmerman(n)-off": former Washington Nationals pitcher Jordan Zimmermann pitching for the Tailgaters against Natinals[^5] franchise legend Ryan Zimmerman hitting for the Bananas (Jordan won). However, I think the game was won on Texas Tailgaters manager Joe Mikulik doing something seemingly unheard of in Banana Ball: actually being a strategic baseball manager (as opposed to his infamous antics from his minor league career - look up "Joe Mikulik meltdown" on YouTube for SEVERAL examples).

It's the eighth inning, and the Tailgaters are down 1-0. Due up is a batter who is 0-2, but more importantly, he's the designated "strikeout" guy: if he strikes out, the crowd gets donuts (by which I mean munchkins are thrown into the crowd and you MIGHT get some).

Instead of having him come up with the crowd vehemently against him, the Tailgaters use their Golden Batter to "switch up" the pressure - and he responds by hitting a home run. They win the inning and the all important point to tie the game without having to hope they get the equalizer point for having more trick plays (which they BARELY missed), and they go on to win the first showdown and the game.

![An image of the postgame](/images/2026/1010-champeens.jpeg)

### Final Thoughts

I've heard that one "thing" with Banana Ball is that once you've gone to one "show", every other game is basically the same show. In a way, the prior three venues I went to this year have kinda proven this. Of those three, each had its highlights and its lowlights (which I won't get too into); case in point: I came out of the Clowns game in Hartford liking their hosts and band...but also seeing just how UGLY things can get when the players aren't actually good at baseball (that and the Party Animals basically ducking JBJ for most of the game). Part of that was the first inning DRAGGING on for almost half an hour, while this game was basically three innings in at that point.

This game (as well as one other thing that I did on this day - more on that soon) reminded me of two of the most important things Banana Ball does:

1. Access. Ticket prices are a MASSIVE issue , but I feel ithat fans are intensely disconnected from the players they cheer for: many don't often do public appearances, and when they do, it's usually not free (or cheap). With its emphasis on low price tickets, anti-scalper measures (i.e. their resale market), and having the players be accessible to fans, Banana Ball bridges the gap between the players and the fans way better than the major leagues do. There is actually ONE other thing I did before the Banana Bowl that highlights this, but I'll get to that soon...

2. Atmosphere. At a lot of baseball games nowadays, the crowd only really gets into the game when something happens; outside of that...it's dead. Yes, a lot of the atmosphere of Banana Ball is manufactured and more often than not focused AWAY from the game itself, but being at a full, loud stadium is something special for any sport (this is also where I'm going to go against "popular" opinion and say that I kinda prefer the BIGGER venues - though that might just be due to me being in the K Club)

With all of this in mind...I'm conflicted about 2027. I will admit that I have some thoughts about seeing Banana Ball at an MLB stadium I've never been to before (as I'd be able to get seats that are normally WAY out of my price range), but with the MLB lockout looming, it does create some mixed feelings (as buying tickets kinda sorta supports the owners keeping the players locked out).

I've also never done the "VIP" experience before, and so MAYBE I might try and go for that just to see what it's like (I should note that I had the opportunity to get VIP tickets to the game I saw in Lakewood but ended up not).

---

[^1]: The story is in my post about the game I did go to, but long story short: I bought tickets for the Friday game in Lakewood, but then found out after paying that we would be on vacation in the Carolinas the week after. In order to facilitate accommodating a [Myrtle Beach Pelicans](2026-06-15_mbpelicans) game into this trip (as there was only ONE DAY during the week that worked), we would have to leave that Friday, so I wasn't able to make it to the game.

[^2]: The town is OFFICIALLY spelled "Foxborough", but a lot of people - INCLUDING the USPS - use "Foxboro", so I’m not really sure how to spell the town’s name...

[^3]: Had I gone, I would've missed the pregame/plaza stuff because I was planning on using the train, and it wasn't scheduled to arrive until 6:00 PM - one hour before the actual "game" started.

[^4]: I had "contingency" plans to see the Firefighters in [Allentown](2025-08-08_jsblueclaws) so I could get their shirt, but never went through with them.

[^5]: I feel like I should apologize for making referencing one of the most infamous jersey snafus I can think of, but come on - it's one thing when a career minor league plays for the "ANGEES", but when your TOP TWO players both have the SAME misspelling...

This one's for all the scented marbles

Banana Bowl 2026: Savannah Bananas vs. Texas Tailgaters @ Nationals Park (Washington, DC)


### _[2026: New Venue #29](2026newvenuelist)_

I've talked about quite a number of NCAA-sanctioned college sports on this blog, but today, we're discussing college sports OUTSIDE the NCAA (as well as the super unknown NAIA, which is another national governing body for college sports here in the States).

Club sports are, in essence, intercollegiate sporting events that are not quite as "professional" as NCAA sports (which, as I understand it, is how all college sports are in some countries). In fact, it's not uncommon to see a school have an NCAA (or NAIA) sanctioned team AND a club team, as the club sport is structured VERY differently (for example, the players often have to pay various fees to participate, and most things are student run).

In hockey's case, there are over 400 club hockey teams across the United States; many schools MUCH better known for other sports have club hockey (like some of the SEC schools), and even a few schools which have D-I NCAA hockey programs (such as [Sacred Heart](2025-12-31_sacredhearthockey_mens)) have club teams as well. Much like the "regular" NCAA, club hockey is divided into several divisions, but interestingly, some schools have multiple club hockey teams in different divisions; for example, it seems that The College of New Jersey - i.e. the hosts of this game (TCNJ being just outside of Trenton) - have a Division 1 and a Division 3 team who just dropped down from Division 2 (this game featured the Division 1 team).

I won't go too deep into the history of TCNJ or their opponent (William Paterson University - a school about 20 miles from New York), but both are public schools and I know several people who went to each one (though I will mention that the current "The College of New Jersey" has only been called that since 1996[^1]). There's also not a TON of information about either program's history, but it should be noted that apparently TCNJ's team was founded in 1977 - don't believe me? Here's proof:

![A photo of a hockey puck posed along the boards with a faceoff being taken in the background](/images/2026/1002-gamepuck.jpeg)

<figcaption>This puck flew over the protective nets and into the upper seats of the arena. For those who have never been to a hockey game, those nets are fairly tall, so getting somewhere like that is RARE.</figcaption>

I don't know that much about the club hockey scene, so I can't tell you if this game's result - a 5-3 "Willy P" win - is "expected" or not (though I did find the game's broadcast on YouTube later on and they said that Willy P had won all but one prior matchup). All I will say is that in case you're wondering more about WHERE this game took place and WHY I chose to go to this game...I'm not quite ready to talk about that just yet. What I will say for now, however, that neither team had merchandise available for sale - though I wasn't here for college hockey merch anyway...

---

[^1]: The "original" College of New Jersey changed its name 100 years prior; I won't say what it is now, but it has been on this blog SEVERAL times - and I alluded to the current one when I first visited the "old" one.


A look at college sports outside of the NCAA

Club Hockey: William Paterson University vs. The College of New Jersey @ CURE Insurance Arena (Trenton, NJ)


_About a year ago, I posted a bunch of old things from hockey games I went to back in 2023. However, there are two arenas I visited back then that I actually didn’t write about - mostly as I wasn’t sure what to say._

_I don’t know if/when I’ll be getting back to these arenas, so I figured I’d do my best to write about them now, and since today is the date of the Providence Bruins home opener, I figured I’d publish it today._ 

The Providence Reds were one of the AHL’s founding teams, but left in 1977 (and are now, in essence, the Hartford Wolf Pack). Fifteen years after the departure of the Reds, the mayor of Providence convinced the ownership of the Maine Mariners to move down, and the Providence Bruins (or “P-Bruins” as I will mostly refer to them from here on out) made their debut in 1992 (as the AHL affiliate of the NHL Bruins)[^1]. Outside of the team winning the Calder Cup (the AHL’s league championship) in 1999, there’s not much to say about them (though apparently they once hired the youngest organist in sports history)[^2]. One last thing: in all my years following the NHL, I can recall a bunch of fairly high Bruins draft picks that ended up getting "stuck" in Providence (though as I've said before, this also goes for a LOT of AHL players).

The building the P-Bruins call home was opened in 1972 as the Providence Civic Center to host Providence College men's basketball, as the team had outgrown their on-campus arena (which now hosts the women’s team). The Reds did spend a few seasons here before leaving town, and between their departure and arrival of the P-Bruins, the arena also hosted, among other things, the first few [Hockey East tournaments](2026-03-21_hechampionship2024). It is my understanding that the building underwent massive renovations at some point during the 2000s, and my only visit was in 2023, so I don’t exactly have much of a reference for how the building was back in the day versus how it is now.

Having said that, however...I feel there’s not much to say about the place (which is why I never ). It's basically your "run of the mill minor league arena" with a full seating bowl and concourse (only ONE mind you, as it's about midway up the seating bowl but uses staircases by the entrances for the upper sections). Having said THAT, however, I came here for a preseason game and ended up sitting right behind the benches, which was interesting (or at least it was cool seeing the players slide down after shifts)[^3].

I am mildly ashamed to report that to date, this is one of the few hockey games where I didn't stay until the end - it went to overtime, but I wanted to get home, so I left at the end of regulation[^4]. As I recall, Providence ended up winning (though I don't remember if a shootout was required), but again, it was a preseason game, so it TECHNICALLY didn't count for anything...

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

You might be surprised to learn that there is a full fledged store here - and when I say that, I mean an actual space meant for retail and not just a booth on the concourse! I recall it having both P-Bruins and Providence Friars merchandise when I went, but I don’t remember if there was more of one or the other. There were also other merchandise kiosks on the concourse - I can’t remember how many there were, but I RECALL seeing at least two of them (outside of the main store).

In the past, the P-Bruins only sold old game worn jerseys on their online team store[^5], but a year or two ago, started selling other items online (and seemingly STOPPED selling game-worn jerseys). They did have a table at the game I went to where they sold these game worn jerseys, however, and I bought one which came with a certificate of authenticity - something I have NEVER received for any of the other player-used items I've gotten for ANY team (though there's reasons I never received certificates for a few of them). I know I've mentioned this game worn jersey at least once on this blog, and I must say that it is MASSIVE and MUCH heavier than most other jerseys I own despite it being what is essentially size XL (it is the same size as the game worn jersey I got in [Bridgeport](2026-01-12_bptislanders) FWIW)...

---

[^1]: There’s a Maine Mariners in existence currently, but they’re an ECHL team with no connection to the old Mariners outside of the name. Coincidentally, they’re the Bruins’ ECHL affiliate.

[^2]: I guess I COULD mention last season, but...

[^3]: I do have ONE photo I took from the game, but it's not very good and is a cropped Instagram story, so I ended up not including it.

[^4]: Another one of these games is the [Rangers](2026-09-23_nyrangers) game I went to a few weeks ago - I didn't want to miss my train so I left before the game ended, but I'd already seen the Rangers blow a 3-0 lead and no additional goals were scored after I left (not even an empty netter, as I saw that the Rangers had pulled their goalie when I checked at a bar in Penn Station).

[^5]: The AHL has a "central" store where they sell merch for all 32 teams. I bought a replica P-Bruins jersey here, but the quality of it scared me away from buying CCM replicas for a while...


A quick look at one of the AHL’s most historic markets

Providence Bruins (American Hockey League) @ Amica Mutual Pavilion (Providence, RI)


### _[2026: New Venue #28](2026newvenuelist)_

_I've actually been to Madison Square Garden before, but as this is my first sporting event here, I'm marking this as a "new venue"._

I've mentioned that hockey is probably my favorite winter sport to watch, but the National Hockey League is currently the only major sports league that has yet to feature on this blog. Well, that changes today, because I'm writing about the NHL for the first time...ever!

I'm not sure how many NHL games I've been to vs. MLB games (as I've only seen NHL games at TWO buildings prior to this game[^1]), but the last NHL game I went to was a preseason game in October 2024 - JUST before I started writing about things that aren't baseball or college hockey. It was the Rangers and Devils at the [Prudential Center](2025-08-27_nysirens) in Newark, and while it did feature almost none of either team's NHL squads as both teams were in Europe (though there was one Jakub Zboril), the Devils had a certain (almost) famous name in net: Jeremy Brodeur, son of franchise legend Martin Brodeur (whom I actually got to see at least three times).

That aside, I'm not going to discuss my NHL allegiances here, but as a reminder: I live in New Jersey - to be more specific, North Jersey[^2]. In my experience, this area seems rather split between two major hockey teams: the aforementioned New Jersey Devils and the New York Rangers; while most folks I've met are Devils fans (such as many of the people I went to high school with), I feel like I know a fair amount of Ranger fans from the area. Whether that be due to the Rangers having been around 56 years longer than the Devils or Christians who cannot get behind supporting a team named the "Devils" I don't know, but one thing I do know: the fans of each team HATE the other team.

HOWEVER...

Despite them being the "closer" team (and also the team I THINK I've seen the most amongst the major North American leagues), the thing that prevents me from going to more Devils games (outside of ticket prices): Prudential Center's location. While downtown Newark isn't necessarily the worst place in the world, speaking from experience...it's not exactly "great". Yes, there are a number of parking lots very close to the arena, but given that they're arena lots, they're not exactly "cheap" for events; my dad was a monthly pass holder in one of the garages pre-COVID (as his office was a few blocks away), and he'd have to move his car prior to events to avoid having to pay event rates. In addition, while there is moderately convenient train service to the arena (as Newark Penn Station is connected via an elevated walkway), getting there from where I live is fairly awkward due to the "set up" of the city's trains; the station nearest me does not have direct access to Newark Penn, so I'd need to take a "connecting" train to get from Newark Broad Street to Newark Penn Station (and speaking from personal experience: both Newark Penn Station and Newark Broad Street are not the kind of places you want to be at for long periods of time - even in broad daylight)[^3].

The Rangers, on the other hand, are somehow better located despite being further away. Sure, driving into New York City sucks and parking is even worse, but unlike the Devils, trains are WAY more convenient, as their arena sits atop New York Penn Station - America's busiest train hub with direct connection to my station. Yes, it does feature a few...interesting sights (especially if you're there at 2 AM - something that I've done once before), but with just how much more "normal" people there are (because of Amtrak AND LIRR), it doesn't feel as "bad" as either Newark station. Also, I feel like I can at least "get behind" the Rangers WAY more than I ever could with the [Yankees](2026-06-04_nyyankees) (some of that being the "James Dolan pity effect"), so going to a game at Madison Square Garden - the self proclaimed "World's Most Famous Arena" - is definitely something I felt I'd be interested in. One thing you may not have known about the building: it's not the original Madison Square Garden.

Madison Square Garden was first opened in 1879 and named after a nearby public park[^4], but was apparently so dangerous that it was closed about ten years later. Its replacement - also named Madison Square Garden and built in the same area as the original arena - opened in 1890, but was closed in 1925 - one year before the Rangers debuted. A THIRD Madison Square Garden opened in 1925 and was the original home of the Rangers - despite being NOWHERE close to Madison Square (it was just northwest of Times Square). This MSG lasted until 1968, when the fourth (and current) Madison Square Garden was opened in the heart of Midtown Manhattan (and by virtue of it being nearly 60 years old, it holds the title of "longest lasting Madison Square Garden").

I mentioned earlier that the arena is on top of Penn Station; this has been fairly controversial since the building opened, as it replaced an ornate station building with, in essence, brutal and dimly lit concourses. In an attempt to revive the "vibe", there were calls to "move" the arena yet again, but between New York City being New York City and MSG (the company that owns the arena) refusing to leave, not much happened over the years. Eventually, Penn Station expanded itself into a nearby building which was largely vacant prior to the renovations, but that's getting WAY off topic (and also it's hard to "use" it if you're an NJ Transit customer like me), so let's get back to the arena.

Given its location in the heart of Manhattan, it should come as no surprise that it's one of New York's most prestigious concert venues in addition to being the home of the Rangers and Knicks. In fact, while this is the first time I've been to MSG for a sporting event, it's not my first visit to the place: I came here for a concert in 2019 (for a band which has since been "cancelled by association" - don't ask), and I also did a tour of the place once (which was by and large kinda "okay at best" - though I did get to hear Michael Buble doing vocal-warm ups as well as see the Knicks locker room).

Alas, the building is...pretty much what you'd expect from an indoor arena: a pair of concourses (the upper one being particularly narrow I must say) with a bunch of stands for food and merch and almost no outdoor light. If you're in the upper sections, be aware that the building received a MASSIVE "transformation" during the 2010s (it used to be just one MASSIVE seating bowl), and as a side effect of this transformation, sightlines from some of the higher sections are obscured. When I was poking around the various sections while seeking tickets (i.e. the days before finding my seat), I found that the highest sections (which, it should be noted, are in only ONE of the ends) had no view of the scoreboard, and that certain rows in the "sideline" sections had what is known as a "bridge" obscuring views (though there's screens to show the action - something [Citi Field](2026-05-01_nymets) has for the back rows of some of its sections). Despite this game being a preseason game, there were some seats that felt WAY overpriced...but also some that were not so bad - and a couple of days before the game, THIS was available for just over 50 bucks (and at least 20% of that was fees):

![An image of a faceoff being taken at Madison Square Garden from the lower bowl](/images/2026/0922-msg.jpeg)

Anyway, I realize I haven't actually discussed the team at hand, but I also don't know how much that's necessary given their status as one of the most valuable teams in the NHL. The big thing you need to know about the Rangers (outside of them being an "Original Six" team) is 1994 - the year they won a Stanley Cup that broke a 54-year drought that THEY WILL NOT SHUT UP ABOUT (much to the chagrin of the Vancouver Canucks in more than one way). 

Despite this being a preseason game, I felt like the crowd/atmosphere was quite lively, and there were quite a few chippy moments including an honest-to-god fight - likely because the Rangers were playing against the OTHER New York team in the Islanders. The Rangers have had a few down years recently (though this doesn't seem to have a major effect on the secondary market FWIW[^5]), but took a 3-0 lead about midway through the game...and then lost in regulation (though again, preseason...).

Also, if you're not a fan of going to hockey games because of how loud goal horns are, I believe that MSG is one of two NHL arenas that lacks a real goal horn (the other being [TD Garden](2026-03-21_hechampionship2024)); they use a recording of a horn which is honestly a bit hard to hear in the arena.

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

As this is the first time I'm covering the National Hockey League on this blog, there is one thing I do need to discuss: Retail Jersey Tiers!

While retail hockey jerseys have gone through a slew of "systems" over the years, the current system was, more or less, adopted in 2017 when Adidas became the league's jersey manufacturer. in 2024, a certain company which shall remain nameless "took over", but they largely kept the same system Adidas was using before then. 

1. Breakaway: These are basically the "replica" level for the NHL, and they've actually been manufactured by the same company (i.e. the faceless company now responsible for ALL NHL jerseys) since 2017. These are the least expensive, but they're also not that great: the material feels a bit rough IMO, and the graphics are a bit lacking (usually flat with an appearance of being screen printed). It should be noted, however, that for a while, replica hockey jerseys did not have stitched-on logos (namely in the CCM and Reebok eras[^6]), and the ones in the current system do (or at least the front logos are stitched).
2. Premium: This jersey is a step up from the replica: all logos are stitched (and even feature a bit of texture), and the jersey has a "fight strap" (which is meant to keep the jersey from being ripped off of a player in a fight). From 2017 until 2024, however, this was called an "authentic" jersey despite not actually being what players wore during games (as well as the fact that they were made in Indonesia), but it was the closest fans could get to what the pros actually wore, as those jerseys were largely unavailable to the public (i.e. not sold in stores).
3. Authentic Pro: This is what the players ACTUALLY wear. They're made in Canada and are NOTABLY different/better than the "Authentic" jersey...but they're also not cheap: I believe prices for these start around $400, and as someone who prefers physical retail over online retail, they're difficult to find in stores (case in point: I've only seen TWO stores stock these, and both were in **Boston**).

At this game, only the middle tier of jersey was available; also, I've found that most jerseys sold at arenas have player names already stitched on. There was one jersey I found that was available blank, but it lacked a special patch that its "named" counterparts all had (though thankfully the patch was available separately[^7]).

Having said all of this, I will admit that like other major sports leagues, most of the NHL stuff I've gotten - i.e. jerseys and pucks (and the occasional hat and/or mini stick, though I've been trying to cut down on those recently) - has been from various Dick's Sporting Goods/Lids, thrift stores (which includes a rather INSANE pull I'm hoping to talk about soon), one jersey I called a team's practice facility to order, and the NHL Store a few blocks from MSG (which, it should be mentioned, I have yet to see the high-tier jersey at). Coincidentally, I actually got a Rangers jersey at this NHL store around the time of the 2024 switchover from Adidas (as it was on sale then)[^8].

Anyway, as you'd expect for a major arena, there are several merchandise areas dotted around the concourses of MSG; I counted two "stores" (both on the main concourse) and three "booths" around the arena - not including what I consider to be the "main" store. What I find interesting about the main store - i.e. the one that is open outside of events - is that it's fully inside the arena's "secure" area, so if you're trying to visit it during non-event times (which I've done in the past), you still have to go through security. Similar to TD Garden, however, is the fact that it's outside the "paid" area, so I'm pretty sure you can't visit it after you've scanned your ticket.

(Finally, I feel like I should mention Gerry Cosby - a old local sports shop which used to be across the street from MSG. I got a few things from them back in the day, but based on things I saw when I looked them up, they've moved to...western Massachusetts.)

---

[^1]: I was SUPPOSED to see a game at the Meadowlands as a kid, but we didn't make it due to a flat tire.

[^2]: I specify "North Jersey" here because South Jersey is a bit of a different beast given that the Flyers are closer to most of the residents down there.

[^3]: And before you ask about walking from Broad Street to the arena: no. Absolutely not. Again, speaking from personal experience.

[^4]: Fun fact: Madison Square Park is the home of the original Shake Shack. I visited it once (as my mom worked in an office in the area), and all I can say is that Shake Shack ain't what it used to be...

[^5]: The lowest "get-in" price (i.e. the price of the least expensive ticket for a particular game) is $80, and only six of the team's 42 home games had get-in prices less than $100 (this is all as of the date this was originally published). Also, if you're wondering, the get-in price for Knicks preseason games was north of $100 when I checked prior to publishing this post, and given EVERYTHING about them in 2026...

[^6]: I will note, however, that I did randomly find a Reebok replica jersey with a stitched-on logo at a Marshalls back in 2025 (some eight years after the switch to Adidas). Strangely, despite the store being just north of Philadelphia, it was a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey.

[^7]: Had I been unable to find the patch, I would have had some serious thoughts about dropping nearly $300 on a jersey that normally costs $230...and I should note that said patch was GLUED ON.

[^8]: There were A LOT of Adidas jerseys for sale at the game, but they were not discounted at all...

Sportventures

When in the District...

The Big Game at the End

In the Club (Sports)

CATCH-UP: The (ex-)Dunk

WHOA-OH-OH