Prudential Center

The Quick Answer on Prudential Center Seats

For most events at Prudential Center, the strongest all-around buy is a center section of the 100 level, a shallow ring of seats that leads off the second tier. You sit just above the suites, see the full ice or court, and usually spend less than you would for a sideline seat downstairs. If budget is not the constraint, the lower-bowl sideline between sections 8 and 19, where the club seats sit, gives you the closest, best-angled view in the arena.

Three quick rules cover the rest:

• For hockey, sit in row 13 or higher in the lower bowl so the glass does not cut off the near corners.
• For Devils fans, the home team attacks the goal near sections 1 and 2 in the first and third periods.
• For concerts, side sections near the stage beat flat floor seats unless you plan to stand near the front.

Capacity runs 16,514 for hockey, 18,711 with a basketball floor and roughly 17,000 for a concert, and the bowl is tight enough that even the top rows are closer to the action than in many older buildings.

How the Section Numbers Actually Work

Prudential Center's numbering confuses first-time buyers because the lowest ring does not use 100-series numbers. Here is the layout, based on the venue's A–Z guide and seat-view databases such as A View From My Seat and RateYourSeats:

• Sections 1–22 (the lower bowl): the ring that sits right on the ice or court. The club seats run along the sideline between sections 8 and 19.
• Sections 23–30 (the restaurant ledge): bar-style and loft seating fills one end of the lower level. The Goal Bar is part of it: just three rows, lettered A through C, with padded chairs and a dedicated bar.
• Two tiers of suites: they are stacked above the lower bowl, which lifts the second tier higher than you might expect.
• Sections 101–134 (the 100 level): short sections that open the second tier and look down over the suite rows.
• Sections 208–233 (the 200 level): the upper bowl, rising directly behind the 100 level.

Two details help when you compare listings. Seating guides say seats are numbered from the higher-numbered neighbor, so seat 1 is on the aisle that borders the next section up. And if you come in through the northeast Citizens Tower doors, the closest seats are 20–22 downstairs, 130–133 in the 100 level and 231–233 upstairs.

Matching Your Seat to the Event

New Jersey Devils games

Decide first whether you want the whole game or the home team's attack. The New Jersey Devils attack the net nearest sections 1 and 2 for two of the three periods, so seats at that end give you most of the home team's scoring chances up close. For a full, balanced view, pick the sideline between roughly sections 8 and 19 downstairs, or the center of the 100 level upstairs. The 100 level is the value play: the elevation lets you read line changes and breakouts end to end, which is how many regulars prefer to watch hockey.

Seton Hall basketball

With courtside seats added on the floor, the building grows to 18,711. Sideline seats downstairs come first, and the lower corners are a fair compromise because a basketball court is shorter than a rink, so a corner angle loses less. When a Big East matchup draws a lighter crowd, the center 100 level is a cheap upgrade from the 200 level.

Concerts

The typical tour set up an end stage, which blocks or closes the sections behind it. Your best seated options are the lower-bowl sections on the sides nearest the stage, followed by side sections in the 100 level; the building is compact enough that the second tier still feels connected to the show. The floor gets you nearest, but it is flat, so the people ahead of you decide what you see. According to seating guides, the Goal Bar sometimes looks straight at an end stage and often sells for less at concerts than at Devils games.

Rows and Sections Worth Passing On

• Lower-bowl rows 1–12 for hockey. Close, yes, but you watch through glass and over the boards, and the near corners vanish. Row 13 and up trades a little proximity for a complete view.
• Anything behind an end stage. Buy these only if the listing states the view plainly, for example a partial or rear view, and you accept it.
• Floor seats when you bring small children. A child on a flat floor sees mostly the backs of adults, and guides say ushers do not allow holding a child up.
• Upper corners of the 200 level. They sell for the least because the far goal is a long way off. If you are buying upstairs anyway, a center 200 section is the better use of the money.

Getting to The Rock by Train, Car or Rideshare

Fans call the arena The Rock, and its best feature is how easy it is to reach without a car. Newark Penn Station, a two-block walk, handles PATH from Manhattan and Jersey City, NJ Transit trains, Amtrak and the Newark Light Rail. If you arrive at Broad Street Station instead, a light rail or bus ride covers the gap. Rail riders typically use the Citizens Tower doors on the arena's northeast side.

Drivers have a big supply to work with: over 3,500 spaces sit within a two-block radius, according to the arena. The venue-run options are:

• Hyundai deck (15 Lafayette Street): the closest, with a skybridge straight into the building.
• Green 3 and 4 (30–42 Lafayette Street): across the street.
• Green Street Garage (47–63 Green Street): a short walk away.
• Green 7 (299 Mulberry Street): the Mulberry Street option.

For the 2026–27 season, prepaid event parking is sold through ParkMobile. Reserve ahead for a Rangers game, a weekend concert or any sellout, when the nearest decks fill first. Coming from New York by car, the usual route is Turnpike Exit 15W to I-280, then Route 21 into downtown. The arena also posts rideshare pickup and drop-off guidance. Expect a slow exit from the decks after a full house; the train usually gets you out faster. Rates and offers change, so check the arena's parking page before you go.

Bags, Doors and House Rules (2026)

The size cap as of fall 2026 is 14 by 12 by 6 inches, and the arena turns away all backpacks, big duffels, coolers and hard-shell bags. Parents' diaper bags and medical bags can be larger, though security X-rays them. A locker truck parked outside stores items that cannot come in. Rules change, so read the venue's entry and bag policy before event day.

• Doors: four ways in: two towers (Citizens on the northeast corner, M&M's on the southeast), Lafayette Street on the south face, and the Hyundai deck skybridge.
• Payments: the building is cashless for food, merchandise and the box office. Reverse ATM kiosks, which load cash onto a card without a fee, are located by sections 1, 14 and 125, plus one in the box office lobby.
• Re-entry: not allowed during an event, except for a medical need approved by a supervisor.
• Smoking and vaping: banned inside and within 25 feet of the entrances.
• Families: children under 2 enter free on a parent's lap. Seven family restrooms are spread around the concourses, and Guest Services can direct you to a private nursing pod.

Ticketmaster handles accessible seating sales. Resale orders placed through Reserved Seat carry a 100% guarantee.

Background: From Groundbreaking to Stanley Cup Final

Crews broke ground on October 3, 2005. Bon Jovi opened the building on October 25, 2007, and the Devils followed two nights later, closing out a 25-season run at the old Meadowlands arena in East Rutherford. The price tag came to roughly 375 million dollars. The architect was HOK Sport (today called Populous), and Morris Adjmi Architects handled the exterior. The Newark Housing Authority owns the building, and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which also owns the Devils, operates it.

The building filled in for other teams along the way: the New Jersey Nets played here from 2010 to 2012 before moving to Brooklyn's Barclays Center, and the WNBA's Liberty spent 2011 through 2013 here. The 2012 Stanley Cup Final came to Newark, with the Kings beating the Devils for the title. The PWHL's New York Sirens joined as a tenant in 2024. For fans visiting New York City, it competes for tours with Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center, while MetLife Stadium handles the stadium-size shows.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Prudential Center
• Prudential Center – A–Z Guide
• Prudential Center – Entry and Bag Policy
• Prudential Center – Parking
• Prudential Center – Directions
• Prudential Center – Seating
• A View From My Seat – Prudential Center sections
• TickPick – New Jersey Devils seating chart
• RateYourSeats – Prudential Center seating
• Wikipedia – New Jersey Devils