Welcome the fourth and final installment of the ultimate NHL Media Meal rankings. This is the moment you've all been waiting for. You know which meals are the worst and which ones are right in the middle. But what about the top eight in the NHL? Which places go above and beyond. It's time for the full reveal.
TikTok · David AlterCheck out David Alter’s video.No. 8: Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks had a delicious media meal on my last visit. We had a high-quality lunch buffet, complete with a carving station, since it's always a 4 p.m. local start time. During the first intermission, they had a hot dog station, and in the second intermission, there was a candy station. I should note that the media meal experience isn’t always this good in Vancouver; many local media members have told me they step it up when Toronto is in town. Since that’s the only time I’m here, they get the No. 8 spot. My only disappointment was that the previous year it was a brunch instead of a lunch, but I can’t complain.
TikTok · David Alter829 likes, 31 comments. “For $16, the #Canucks #media #meal for the #Leafs game rocks. It also has one of the best coffees in the entire #NHL.”No. 7: Minnesota Wild
I don’t remember the Wild’s buffet being this good before, but that’s probably because the Leafs had to wait two years before going to Minnesota again. The lone road game the season before was played in Sweden. This time, in addition to delicious proteins and good Mexican food, they had an amazing new ice cream bar. It was indeed very good, and I’m looking forward to coming back.
Ranking Every NHL Arena Media Meal Part 3, No. 9 Through 16 RevealedWelcome to Part 3 of The Hockey News Toronto’s ranking of the media meals that are served around the NHL. This week, we move further down the rankings to look at the teams and venues
No. 6: Chicago Blackhawks
This is a hidden gem, probably the best arena when it comes to free food choices up in the press box. A very reasonably priced $11 gets you a high-quality buffet. Upstairs, they’ve got healthy and unhealthy snacks and finger food. Apparently, it used to be even better, with all kinds of desserts coming up during the second intermission. But you know what? This is still fine and quite delicious. Chicago is a good eats town, and it is for the media meal as well.
TikTok · David Alter8852 likes, 121 comments. “It is #media #meal time in #Chicago. Here’s the spread. It’s really awesome!!! Oh and the #leafs play the #blackhawks tonight. Enjoy.”No. 5: Montreal Canadiens
I will admit, the Montreal media meal is good. It’s not the absolute best, but it ranks so high because of the experience. The hot dogs are free here, and they come in a panini-pressed bun which is absolutely delicious. For all the reasons I look forward to coming to Montreal, the media meal is high on the list, and the hot dogs are replenished for both the first and second intermissions. The dining area is great, and there is nothing like a Leafs vs. Habs game in Montreal.
TikTok · David Alter371 likes, 23 comments. “The #Canadiens media #meal is one of my favourites because of the hot dog. But beginning last month, they debuted a ‘Michigan’ take on the chien chaud. Bob Apetit.”No. 4: Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins do an excellent meal here. There's a traditional buffet bar with a main event station where cooks are usually preparing a pasta bar or something custom to your liking. The quality is outstanding. My only beef with this is that they are cash only. However, there are ATMs, and since I bank with TD in the United States, it’s a fairly easy process to get your cash.
Ranking Every NHL Arena Media Meal (Part 2): Venues 17 to 24 RevealedWelcome back to the second part of our summer-long series ranking NHL media meals. With the schedule revealed this week, I've started booking road trips for the upcoming season, which is also making me hungry and excited for the media meals next season. This week, we count down the No. 17 through 24 media meals in the NHL.
TikTok · David Alter839 likes, 21 comments. “The #media #meal in Boston ahead of #Leafs and #Bruins never disappoints. The main event is a Mac and cheese bar. #food.”No. 3: Seattle Kraken
The Seattle Kraken have a wonderful, high-quality, and free media meal. As the home of Starbucks, they offer a good quantity and quality of food, along with great ice cream and snacks. The only issue is that the lineup and wait can be quite long since the entire building’s staff seemingly comes into the same room to eat at the same time. But the food is really good, and combined with a price of $0, it’s high on the list at No. 3.
TikTok · David Alter11K likes, 200 comments. “It was a taco night for the #media #meal ahead of #leafs vs #kraken. The chicken was superb and it’s free. The #candy spread upstairs was great too. Love new buildings for this.”No. 2: Los Angeles Kings
What's great about the Los Angeles Kings media meal is that it is free and there are a lot of options. On one occasion, they had the most amazing sour cream and guacamole combo dip—it was incredible. It's usually Mexican food whenever we are here, and as long as it’s good, there are no complaints. They even had cold brew coffee, which was great, and the snacks and finger foods in the press box are delightful.
TikTok · David Alter1567 likes, 28 comments. “#media #meal in Los Angeles for #leafs and #lakings was free and it’s one of the best in the #NHL.”No. 1: Detroit Red Wings
And now, the undisputed No. 1 media meal in the NHL: the Detroit Red Wings. It costs $11, and it is so worth it. You begin with a salad bar, and then you have your meats. On its own, that would be good enough, but the options just keep going and going. Even after you pick a protein, you get more options. Then you have a dedicated area for fried food like fries and chicken wings, along with Little Caesars pizza, because of course. They have a lot of dipping sauces, which is usually an extra charge at most fast-food joints. There's also an excellent dessert station with cookies and ice cream. This meal is so good that we had the joy of having it twice in one day because the Pistons were playing an afternoon game in the same building. That was heaven on earth. There are also great snack choices from chips, gummies, and chocolate upstairs. Detroit is the bar. I stuff myself to the point where it’s almost hard to focus on my job, which is to cover the game.
TikTok · David Alter1005 likes, 35 comments. “My first visit to the Detroit media #Meal in over a year and they follow the channel!!!! Truly blessed!”
Ranking Every NHL Arena's Media Meal Part 1: The Bottom 8 Revealed (Nos. 25–32)As I write this, I feel blessed that I get to travel as often as I do. And while on the road covering the Toronto Maple Leafs, I like to see what every city has to offer in terms of restaurants, amenities, etc.
Full 2025-26 NHL Media Meal Ranking
- Detroit Red Wings
- Los Angeles Kings
- Seattle Kraken
- Boston Bruins
- Montreal Canadiens
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Minnesota Wild
- Vancouver Canucks
- Carolina Hurricanes
- New York Islanders
- Nashville Predators
- Dallas Stars
- New York Rangers
- Anaheim Ducks
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Utah Mammoth
- Edmonton Oilers
- Florida Panthers
- Vegas Golden Knight
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Calgary Flames
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Washington Capitals
- Winnipeg Jets
- San Jose Sharks.
- Buffalo Sabres.
27. Colorado Avalanche.
28. Pittsburgh Penguins.
29. St. Louis Blues
30. Ottawa Senators.
31. Philadelphia Flyers.
32. New Jersey Devils.