Rogers Arena

It is home to the Vancouver Canucks.

Rogers Arena, formerly GM Place: the short answer

Rogers Arena is the downtown Vancouver home of the Vancouver Canucks of the NHL and the Vancouver Warriors of the National Lacrosse League, and the city's main stop for arena concert tours. It seats 18,871 for hockey according to Wikipedia (some guides cite 18,910), about 19,700 for basketball and about 19,000 for concerts. For a Canucks game, the best all-around seats are in the lower-bowl neutral zone, sections 105–107 and 116–118, at row 10 or higher. For value, the center of the upper bowl gives the full rink at a fraction of the lower-bowl cost.

The building opened on September 21, 1995, as General Motors Place, which locals shortened to GM Place or The Garage. During the 2010 Winter Olympics it was called Canada Hockey Place, and on July 6, 2010, Rogers Communications took over the naming rights. In 2022 the Canucks and Rogers extended that deal through the 2032–33 season, so the Rogers name is set for years to come. Older ticket stubs, maps and fan forums may still say GM Place; it is the same arena on Griffiths Way.

How the lower and upper bowls are numbered

Rogers Arena has two main seating bowls, plus suites and premium clubs. Section numbers below come from RateYourSeats and SeatGeek, which agree on the ranges.

Lower bowl: sections 101–122

Twenty-two sections ring the ice or floor. For hockey, the long sides are anchored by 106 on one side and 117 on the other; the ends are centered on 112 and 122. RateYourSeats lists sections 104–108 as club seats, with padded seating and access to a premium lounge.

Upper bowl: sections 301–330

Thirty sections sit above the suites. The center-ice upper sections, such as 308 and 323, line up with the lower-bowl neutral zone below them.

Suites and loge boxes

Suites are sold separately from the bowls. According to TickPick, loge boxes with access to a private club sit above sections 120 and 121. Ticketmaster reports that every seat in both bowls was replaced around the 2024–25 season, part of a multi-phase renovation that also added a new center-hung video board before 2023–24.

Where to sit for a Canucks game

The Canucks bench sits in front of sections 117 and 118, and the visitors' bench is next to it in front of 116 and 117. The penalty boxes are across the ice in front of section 106. That makes 105–107 the side facing both benches, a good choice if you want to watch line changes and coaches, and 116–118 the bench side.

Row choice

Below about row 10, the glass and the players standing at the benches cut into the view. Seats directly behind the benches and penalty boxes are the ones TickPick warns against. Row 10 and above at center ice is the reliable buy.

The end the Canucks attack twice

Vancouver shoots twice toward the net in front of section 112, so the lower end sections around 111–113 see most of the home team's scoring chances. The visitors attack twice toward 122. End seats are cheaper than the sides and give a clear look at plays developing toward you.

Upstairs

In the 300 level, the sides between the blue lines are the pick. Upper corners add both distance and an angle, so treat them as the budget option rather than the value pick.

Concert, basketball and lacrosse seating

End-stage concerts

For most tours, the stage goes at one end and floor seating or standing fills the rink area. SeatGeek notes that the floor and the lower-bowl sidelines are the most sought-after seats. The lower sideline sections a few sections back from the stage give height, angle and closeness at once. Sections directly beside the stage can lose the screens or see the set from the side, so check the event map before buying. Lower sections facing the stage at the far end show the full production, lighting included, which is why they hold value.

Center-stage shows

When a tour plays in the round, the middle of either sideline, lower or upper, is the best compromise between distance and angle.

Basketball and lacrosse

Basketball capacity rises to about 19,700 because the court is smaller than the rink. For occasional NBA preseason games and the WNBA, the lower sidelines near midcourt are the prize. For Warriors lacrosse, which plays on a rink-sized floor, the same neutral-zone sections used for hockey are the best seats.

Rogers Arena parking, SkyTrain and rideshare

The arena's own underground parkade, Lot 987, is reached via Griffiths Way from Expo Boulevard or Pacific Boulevard. It has a height clearance of 2 meters (6 feet 6 inches) and opens to ticket holders up to 15 minutes before doors. For most concerts it is first come, first served, and stalls can be reserved through Ticketmaster or the arena's ticket office. For Canucks games the parkade is closed to the public, apart from a small number of reservable disability stalls. Warriors games release a limited number of public stalls.

Thousands of public stalls sit within walking distance downtown, and lots marked outdoor have no height limit. As of 2026, pre-booking is the safer choice on sellout nights.

Transit is usually the easier option. Stadium–Chinatown station on the SkyTrain Expo Line is next to the arena; its Stadium exit is directly across from Gate 10. Main Street–Science World station is also within walking distance. Directions and parking maps are on the arena's parking page; check it before you go.

Bag size, doors and payment

As of the 2025–26 season, guides from Vancouver Is Awesome and SeatGeek report that Rogers Arena does not allow purses, backpacks or bags larger than 14 by 14 by 6 inches, and every bag is screened. Items that are not permitted cannot be checked at the arena, so they have to go back to a car or hotel. Bag rules can tighten for individual tours; check the venue's current policy before you go.

• Tickets: digital, scanned from a phone; the Canucks moved all tickets to mobile in 2021.
• Doors: typically one hour before Canucks games and concerts, varying by event.
• Re-entry: generally not permitted.
• Payment: concessions and stores are card and mobile-pay only.

Food runs to about 15 restaurants and stands across the levels, with vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free choices.

History: Grizzlies, Olympic gold and a Cup Final

General Motors Place was built with 160 million Canadian dollars in private money to replace the Pacific Coliseum and to house both the Canucks and the expansion Vancouver Grizzlies of the NBA. The Grizzlies played six seasons here before moving to Memphis in 2001.

The arena hosted the 1998 NHL All-Star Game, the 2006 and 2019 World Junior Championships and the 2001 World Figure Skating Championships. In February 2010 it staged the Olympic hockey tournaments, and Canada won both gold medals on this ice. In June 2011 it hosted four games of the Stanley Cup Final, including Game 7, which the Boston Bruins won 4–0. More recent firsts include the first WNBA regular-season game played in Canada in August 2025. The Juno Awards have come here four times, most recently in 2025. More detail is on the arena's Wikipedia entry.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Rogers Arena
• Rogers – Canucks, Rogers and Sportsnet 10-year extension (2022)
• Rogers Arena – Parking and directions
• Ticketmaster – Step inside Rogers Arena
• SeatGeek – Rogers Arena guide
• TickPick – Vancouver Canucks seating chart
• RateYourSeats – Rogers Arena sections
• Vancouver Is Awesome – Bag policies at Vancouver arenas