Honda Center

The Hockey Seat to Target

For an Anaheim Ducks game at Honda Center, aim for a Plaza seat at center ice, in sections 208 or 222, somewhere around rows 8 to 15. From there your eye line clears the glass so you can follow the puck at both ends. If you want to watch the Ducks on the attack, buy in the end around sections 214 to 216, where the home team shoots twice. If budget comes first, the first several rows of the Terrace level at center ice give a full-rink view that many regulars prefer to the back of a Plaza corner.

Anaheim owns this indoor arena on Katella Avenue, and the Ducks have played here since its 1993 opening. Capacity is 17,174 for hockey and 18,336 for basketball, and concerts range from about 13,800 to 18,900 depending on the stage. Across Katella sits ARTIC, the regional rail station, and Angel Stadium is close by. The surrounding district is being rebuilt as OCVIBE, a large mixed-use project, so traffic and parking keep changing.

Decoding the Section Numbers

The first digit of a section tells you the level. These ranges come from independent seating guides, not the arena's own map, so confirm your section at checkout.

• 100s, the floor. Used only for end-stage concerts. Guides list floor sections 101 through 106. There is no floor seating for hockey.
• 200s, the Plaza level. The lower bowl. Most sections run fewer than 20 rows, usually lettered A to S, and for hockey row A is against the glass. Guides list the range as 201 to 226 or 228, depending on the map.
• 300s, the Club level. A shallow middle tier, roughly 301 to 325. The Ducks' gameday guide says All-Event Club Seats in sections 302–309 and 318–325 get in-seat food service.
• 400s, the Terrace level. The upper tier, roughly 401 to 443, and the value level.
• Suites. 84 luxury suites sit between the tiers.

For hockey orientation, guides place center ice at sections 208 and 222, with the Ducks' attack-twice end around 214 to 216.

Hockey and Concert Picks Compared

Ducks hockey

• Best overall: Plaza center ice, rows 8 to 15.
• Best for watching the home attack: the 214–216 end, where the Ducks shoot in the first and third periods.
• Best compromise: Plaza corners, which usually cost less than center ice and keep you low.
• Best value: center-line Terrace seats in the first several rows.
• Best comfort: the Club level. The tier is shallow, so even its back rows feel close, though you pay for the amenities.

Concerts

At an end-stage show, the front floor sections and the long-side Plaza sections angled toward the stage are the top choices. Section 214, according to seating guides, sits behind or beside the stage for most concerts, so avoid it unless the listing says otherwise. The far-end Terrace seats face the stage squarely but are the most distant in the arena, suited to fans who mainly want to be in the room.

Hockey runs from October into April, with possible playoff dates after. Concerts play year-round, with heavy weekend booking in spring and summer, and family shows, college basketball and fight cards fill other dates.

Seats With a Catch

• Plaza rows A to C for hockey. Thrilling during battles along the boards, but the far end of the rink is hard to follow through the glass.
• Low rows behind the nets. These take the most distortion from the glass and the netting above it.
• Back rows of a Plaza corner. Often no better than the front of the Terrace, and usually priced higher.
• Section 214 at concerts. Expect a rear or side view of the stage.

Up top, the Terrace offers a classic upper-bowl view: systems and line changes read clearly, and the center-hung video board plus two full rings of 360-degree ribbon boards supply the replays.

Pack Small: The Bag Rules (October 2026)

Few NHL arenas are stricter about bags than this one. As of October 2026, Honda Center's Know Before You Go page lists:

• Ducks games: bags and purses no larger than 4 by 6 by 1.5 inches, clear bags included. The Ducks' gameday guide lists 5 by 9 by 2 inches instead, so the two sources conflict; pack to the smaller size.
• All other events: one bag up to 5 by 9 by 2 inches.
• Backpacks: banned at every event.
• Medical and diaper bags: up to 12 by 12 by 12 inches, with extra screening.
• Bag check: none. An oversized bag goes back to your car.

The arena is cashless, tickets live only in the Honda Center + Ducks app (screenshots and printed QR codes will not scan), smoking and vaping are banned on the grounds, and you cannot come back in after your ticket is scanned. Doors for Ducks games usually open 90 minutes before puck drop. Check the Know Before You Go page for current rules. Each Reserved Seat order comes with guaranteed entry.

Garages, ARTIC and the Postgame Exit

As of the 2026–27 season, the arena points general parking to the Katella and Cerritos garages and premium, prepaid parking to the River Garage. Some events include general parking with the ticket, which the venue notes on its events page, so look at your listing. With OCVIBE construction under way, the arena asks you to arrive at least an hour early, and Douglass Road between Katella Avenue and Stanley Cup Way is closed for good. Parking gates for Ducks games usually open an hour before doors.

• Rail: ARTIC, at 2626 E. Katella Avenue, is right across the street, with Amtrak and Metrolink service from Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego.
• Bus: OC Bus routes 50, 53 and Rapid 553.
• Rideshare: the pickup and drop-off zone is at ARTIC, reached from Douglass Road.

The garages drain slowly onto Katella after a game. Walking over to ARTIC or a nearby restaurant and letting the first rush clear usually gets you home faster.

The Pond Years and the Rebuild

HOK Sport, now Populous, designed the arena, which cost about 123 million dollars and opened on June 17, 1993, as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. Locals called it the Pond. The Mighty Ducks debuted in the NHL there in October of that year, and the Los Angeles Clippers used it as a second home from 1994 to 1999.

The Honda name arrived in 2006. The high point came on June 6, 2007, when a 6–2 home win over Ottawa clinched the Stanley Cup; the club had first reached the Final in 2003. The arena also hosted WrestleMania 2000 and the 1999 Frozen Four, and in 2005 it became the first arena in the United States with two complete levels of 360-degree ribbon boards. A renovation of roughly one billion dollars, announced in April 2025 and aimed at completion in 2027, adds a south entrance, escalators, club suites and parking as part of OCVIBE, so expect detours and shifting entrances until then.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Honda Center
• Honda Center – Know Before You Go
• Honda Center – Parking and Transportation
• Anaheim Ducks – Gameday Guide
• RateYourSeats – Honda Center Section 214
• A View From My Seat – Honda Center sections