Welcoming Mullett Arena with a history of NHL teams playing in weird places

Coyotes fans — it’s here. The first home game of the season has finally arrived, meaning it’s time for the first NHL game ever played at Mullett Arena.

Are you sick of the jokes from other fan bases yet?

I’m guessing you are. You probably got there, oh, roughly three seconds after the whole plan became public. You certainly got there once we found out the place was going to be called Mullett. Business up front, party out back, am I right? (Tumbleweed blows by.) Thanks, don’t forget to tip your server.

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And sure, you knew it was coming. It’s not an ideal situation, to put it politely. Mullett Arena seats 5,000, which feels ridiculous for what’s supposed to be a big-league venue. After decades of arena drama that this franchise just can’t shake, this feels like the saddest chapter of them all. Even if it’s only temporary, isn’t this kind of embarrassing?

Maybe. But here’s a secret that some of those chortling fan bases don’t want to talk about: You’re not alone. The Arizona Coyotes are far from the only franchise to play NHL hockey in an unusual venue. Sure, old-school hockey fans love to preach about the majesty of the Forum or the Gardens or wherever, and those buildings really were great. But they’re not the whole story, and the NHL has a long history of playing hockey in unusual places under less-than-ideal circumstances.

Luckily, weird arena stuff is kind of my thing. So today, let’s remember some of those buildings that have hosted NHL hockey, and maybe even see how they stack up to the mighty Mullett.

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The building: The Ottawa Civic Centre, home of the Senators for the first four years of their existence.

The good: Unlike some Ottawa rinks I could mention, it was downtown and relatively easy to get to.

The not-so-good: It held about 10,500, but if you were watching on TV it probably looked like a full-sized NHL arena. That’s because it was built into the side of a football grandstand, meaning the roof was diagonal. On one side, you had plenty of room to pack them in. But on the other hand, there were just a few rows. The whole thing was a very weird experience. Then again, so were the early 90s Senators.

Was it better than Mullett Arena?: Probably, if only because it could fit twice as many fans. The name is nowhere near as much fun, although “Civic Centre” is just about the most Ottawa-sounding name you could come up with.

Here’s a look at the first regular-season game, featuring gladiators, columns on the ice and a vaguely recognizable young lady singing the anthem.

The building: The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the home of the Islanders from 2015 to 2020.

The good: Opened in 2012, this is by far the most modern arena on our list and almost certainly the best, assuming you’re looking for somewhere to watch a basketball game, or a concert, or pretty much anything other than hockey.

The not-so-good: Oh, you did want to watch hockey? Yeah, that’s going to be a problem. The building wasn’t designed for…