Czechia could best Montreal and St. Petersburg for world's largest hockey arena

Czechia may soon be home to the world’s largest hockey stadium. Dynamo Pardubice hockey team owner Petr Dědek has announced plans to spearhead the construction of a 22,300-capacity for a new stadium to host the club. Pardubice councillors have just approved this – the cost of the stadium will be around CZK 10.5 billion.

The proposed multi-functional complex will not only include the arena, but also a small arena, a hotel, and a parking house. Dědek predicts that the arena would host 100 events a year, with the potential for up to 26,000 attendees for concerts. 

The new stadium would surpass St. Petersburg's hockey arena in Russia, which has a capacity of 21,542 and Montreal's Bell Center in Canada, with 21,273 seats. There is no other hockey stadium in the world with over 20,000 seats

The proposed new stadium would have three vertical tiers – the lower, middle, and upper stands – as well as VIP seating.

The new arena would not only bring in economic benefits for the city, but also put Pardubice on the map as a premier location for sporting and entertainment events, city councilor Vít Ulrych said.

The current largest stadium in Czechia for professional hockey teams is the O2 Arena in Prague 9, with a capacity of 17,360.

Czech hockey is currently in the global media spotlight for other reasons, too. Officials and players of the North American National Hockey League (NHL) are touting Prague as a potential, regular venue for hosting NHL season fixtures. 

According to a poll conducted by the New York Times' sports division, The Athletic, Prague is highly favored as a potential expansion destination for the NHL. Seven of the 34 hockey players interviewed, nearly 21 percent, chose Prague as their preferred location. 

Along with Ostrava, Prague garnered attention during this year's hockey world championship, where it broke its own attendance record. Czechia also won the whole tournament. The two host cities saw a combined total of almost 800,000 spectators, with NHL stars praising the vibrant atmosphere.

The 2024-25 NHL season, which starts on Oct. 4, will begin with two games at the O2 Arena in Prague. This will mark the fifth time that the overseas competition has visited the Czech Republic, with the most recent visit being two years ago.