Mid-Michigan Dining

• 1 Chestnut Rd.
• East Lansing, MI 48824
• (517) 353-4698
• Website

One of the endzones at Munn Ice Arena. The view from my camera position.

I like hockey.  I like going to hockey games.  I like watching hockey.  I don’t do enough of either, so when I got a phone call to shoot CCHA hockey at Munn Ice Arena, I was pretty psyched.  I was just in Munn for the first time a week ago when I shot football across the street at Spartan Stadium and I thought then Munn would probably be a pretty good place to watch hockey.  I was right.

Munn Ice Arena is located on the campus of Michigan State University between Spartan Stadium and the Jack Breslin Student Events Center.   It’s a really interesting looking building.  Most of the arena is actually built into the terrain.  All you can see from the street is the roof of the building.  When you walk in, you’re at the concourse level and have to walk down to get to your seats.

Munn is a pretty good sized stadium for a hockey only arena.  The stadium holds almost 6500 people and most of those seats were pretty full the night I was there.  There are also suites on either side elevated above the seating area.  Most of the seating is bench seating, but the closer you get to the ice, there are some individual seats.  The interesting design thing, to me anyway, was the location of the team benches.  I don’t know if it’s unique to Munn or if it’s a college hockey thing (I come from an area where college hockey isn’t big, so I’ve never been to a game before).

There were a lot of food options and my camera position happened to be near one of the concession stands.  There are four stands in the arena.  One in each corner.  There were quite a few people who would buy nachos then come over to my platform, set the down and eat them.  They smelled…and looked…delicious.  On the other side of the arena was a Johnsonville Brat Stand.  I never made it over there, but I could see people walking by with them.  Popcorn was a big seller and the kids in front of me were really enjoying it.

I can really see myself going back to Munn on my own dime to watch a game.  The game verse Miami the night I was there was pitiful.  It was painful to watch until the third period.  After the Spartans scored, the crowd got into it and it got loud.  When Munn was built in the 70’s, it was the premier college hockey stadium in the country.  I can see that.  It’s a great stadium and a great place to enjoy a game.