Stanley Cup Playoff arenas have unique features

The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins Monday, and all 16 arenas will be packed with fans in the coming weeks.
Climate Pledge Arena, home of the Seattle Kraken, and UBS Arena, home of the New York Islanders, will each host playoff games for the first time, and Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils, will host a postseason game for the first time since 2018.
In addition to the excitement the playoffs bring, each arena has a unique feature that will make the games more special.
NHL.com is taking a look at one special in-arena feature from each of the 16 teams who made the playoffs (in alphabetical order by team):

Boston Bruins
See that flag waving up in the stands at TD Garden? The person waving it is famous or notable in Boston or beyond. Before every game, the Bruins bring in someone important, whether it's Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots or AJ Quetta, a local high school hockey player who sustained a spinal cord injury, to serve as the flag captain. We've seen Olympians, Celtics and Bruins greats, like Ray Bourque and Bobby Orr. Who will wave the banners this season? You'll have to tune in to find out. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer
Carolina Hurricanes
Tailgating remains a signature event for Hurricanes fans, but the warm weather and the Stanley Cup Playoffs take things to another level at PNC Arena. Thousands of fans show up hours before a game to grill, set up street hockey nets and party. Even the Hurricanes players acknowledge that the tents, tunes and signs help dial up the excitement when they arrive at the arena. -- Kurt Dusterberg, independent correspondent
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche have a playoff tradition dating back to Day 1 of their first postseason in 1996, the year they won their first Stanley Cup: white pom-poms. When Colorado scores, an actual avalanche of 18,000-plus fans thrashing and crashing their pom-poms bring Ball Arena to life as cheers rain down onto the ice. It's as close to the force of nature as one can get without risking their life, and it's a tradition that's here to stay. -- Ryan Boulding, independent correspondent
Dallas Stars
Nothing says you've arrived at a Stars game like the shouting of "STARS!" and the pumping of fists on the word during the national anthem. But keep your ears open, or that second appearance of the word will sneak up on you. The musical connection doesn't stop there. From Pantera's "Puck Off," which was written just for the Stars and plays after a goal is scored, to sing-a-longs to "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks, a game at American Airlines Center is bound to have a little something for everyone. -- Taylor Baird, independent correspondent
Edmonton Oilers
Rogers Place may not get as deafening as its predecessor Rexall Place due to its design, but fans still create an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams in the playoffs. The completion of the Ice District surrounding the downtown arena saw the creation of an outdoor plaza where fans gather to watch on giant video screens. Last season, the plaza, which doubles as an outdoor skating rink in the winter, was nicknamed "The Moss Pit" after longtime dressing room attendant Joey Moss, who died in October 2020. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer
Florida Panthers
The Panthers make it a point to honor a veteran at every game at FLA Live Arena with their "Heroes Among Us" feature before the national anthem followed by a video presentation in the second period. Panthers owner Vinnie Viola is a U.S. Army veteran, so the connection is clear. The team logo, which debuted in 2016, is inspired by the patch for the Army's 101st Airborne Division which Viola, who became the team's owner prior to the 2013-14 season, served in. -- Alain Poupart, independent correspondent
Los Angeles Kings
The stars won't just be on the ice at Crypto.com Arena during the playoffs; they will be in the stands, as the Kings fanbase always features celebrities. Actor and comedian Will Ferrell can often be seen sitting on the glass providing a live rendition of his boisterous "Go Kings Go" hype video. Actor Michael J. Fox, singer Shania Twain, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff also attended Kings games this season. -- Dan Greenspan, independent correspondent
Minnesota Wild
In Minnesota, the game doesn't start until "Let's Play Hockey" is celebrated. Prior to each puck drop, a representative from the State of Hockey -- be it celebrities, homegrown athletes, teachers, or musicians -- encourages the crowd with a "Let's Play Hockey" chant. You can't miss it (or the smell of mini donuts, which are also unique to Xcel Energy Center). -- Jessi Pierce, independent correspondent
New Jersey Devils
Arlette Roxburgh has performed the national anthem before Devils home games since the 1998-99 season and is adored by fans, who love her energy, enthusiasm and melodic voice. She's among the longest-tenured anthem singers in the NHL; she sang for New Jersey through its Stanley Cup championship seasons in 1999-00 and 2002-03 at Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and through the move to Prudential Center in Newark. She's usually accompanied by longtime Devils organist Pete Cannarozzi and always sets the mood for an incredible sports night. -- Mike Morreale, staff writer
New York Islanders
Walk into UBS Arena and one of the first things that will catch your eye is the giant New York Islanders sign on the wall separating sections 227 and 228 from 327 and 328. The Islanders logo is displayed prominently on the sign, and to its right are the logos celebrating the team's fan meetup groups from around the world. Among them are fan meetup groups based in Chicago, Atlanta, Texas, Salt Lake City, New Jersey, and Great Britain.-- Denis Gorman, independent correspondent
New York Rangers
Keep an eye on Artemi Panarin at the end of warmups at Madison Square Garden. He'll be at the blue line with two pucks in front of him after every other Rangers player already left the ice, Patrick Kane being the last among them. Panarin will then flip a puck high in the air toward the net. He'll get the next one on his blade and do the same. Then the sound effect from "The Flintstones" will play, the one used whenever Fred Flintstone would start scrambling his feet. Just as it does, Panarin will dash across the ice, scrambling like Fred Flintstone off the ice. He'll go through the door and run down the tunnel toward the Rangers' dressing room.-- Dan Rosen, senior writer
Seattle Kraken
If walking into Climate Pledge Arena from street level and looking down at lower-bowl seating and ice level below ground isn't unique enough, looking up at the only two-scoreboard system in the NHL is an immediate reminder one of the League's newest rinks is also one of its most distinctive. Having dual distinctly shaped scoreboards over each end opens up the middle of the arena, creating more of a connection between fans on both sides that adds to the atmosphere and acoustics of an in-game experience that celebrates the musical traditions of the NHL's newest city, including Nirvana's "Lithium" as the Kraken's goal song. -- Kevin Woodley, independent correspondent
Tampa Bay Lightning
Before the puck drops at Amalie Arena there is one lucky young fan that gets to be the "Thunder Kid" for the pregame fanfare. They get to skate around the ice once while "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC blasts throughout the arena before stopping at center ice to pump the crowd up in advance of the Lightning players coming out of the tunnel. As the players come from the tunnel to the ice, the Thunder Kid is there to greet them with a fist bump. -- Corey Long, independent correspondent
Toronto Maple Leafs
It has become a rite of spring in Toronto, even if Stanley Cup series wins have not. In a tradition that started a decade ago, the streets around Maple Leaf Square on the west side of Scotiabank Arena are closed off during the postseason so thousands of fans can listen to live bands, take part in a blue-and-white rally, and watch the games on a giant screen that adorns the outside of the rink. And it goes for road games too, even if the weather doesn't cooperate. Back in 2013, the first year postseason game-by-game viewing parties were held in Maple Leaf Square, an estimated 3,000 people stood in the pelting rain and watched Game 5 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Bruins being played in Boston. Now that's dedication, especially in support of a team that has not won a postseason series since 2004. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer
Vegas Golden Knights
Every season, the crew at T-Mobile Arena tells a different pregame story relating to the Golden Knights' quest for victories. The use of on-ice technology has produced some memorable moments, including the 2018 Western Conference Final when the Golden Knight mascot slashed through a jet plane prior to each game against Winnipeg. Expect the same in 2023, as the pregame story currently hints at a dragon lurking in the arena. Add in the Knight Line, the official Golden Knight drumline, performing in Toshiba Plaza before the arena opens, and pre-games at T-Mobile Arena get the crowd pumped before the puck drops. -- Paul Delos Santos, independent correspondent
Winnipeg Jets
Synonymous with the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Manitoba capital is "The Whiteout." A decades-old tradition so ingrained in Winnipeg's culture, even those who do not follow the Jets know exactly what it means: all-white clothing and costumes, street parties, and near-deafening cheers and chants emerging from a blizzard of white towels. When a seven-game series begins, the Jets enjoy an incredibly energized fanbase, both inside Canada Life Centre and outside on the streets surrounding True North Square. -- Darrin Bauming, independent correspondent