New Jersey Devils huddled in center of ice celebrating win (Kristen Thoennes)
Walking around the concourse at the O2 Arena in Prague, you would think you were at a National Hockey League (NHL) arena in the States. The NHL, much like the NFL and MLB, has brought the American spirit to Europe with its Global Series. In 2024, the New Jersey Devils took on the Buffalo Sabres for two games in Prague, Czechia to full crowds of excited fans.
Because my husband is a Devils fan and loves traveling, a visit to Prague to see his favorite team was a no-brainer. He scoured the internet for tickets and found a deal on some amazing seats through StubHub. But much like NFL and MLB tickets, they did come with a bit of a price tag.
When deciding on what hotel to stay at for our visit to Prague, we ended up choosing Pentahotel in the Karlin neighborhood. It was a fantastic choice! Not only does the hotel have a fun vibe with its bar, pool table and big screens to watch sports, but it is also dog-friendly and includes a plentiful breakfast buffet. Underground parking is available at the hotel or you can park in a more affordable parking garage on the next street over like we did. The other major perk to choosing this hotel was its location a block from a metro station and only three stops from the O2 Arena.
American and Czech flags flying in the arena above the ice (Kristen Thoennes)
Walking up to the arena from the metro, it was fun to see the many fans sporting not just Devils and Sabres gear but also a variety of other NHL jerseys. I, for one, was wearing my South Carolina Stingrays jersey; they are the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) team based in my hometown of Charleston. The crowd seemed to be a mix of Americans and Czechs who all came together for an exciting night of watching hockey!
Having grown up hearing the national anthem at every game, I was not sure what to expect at an international game. When they announced they had someone to perform both the US and Czech national anthems, I was pleasantly surprised. I may have gotten a little teary-eyed while listening to ours and it was lovely to hear the Czech people sing along to their beautiful national anthem.
Once the game kicked off, it felt just like home. Even the ornery American sitting next to me yelling at the refs throughout the entire game made it feel like we were back in the States. We also heard chants of “Let’s Go Buffalo” and “Let’s Go Devils” many times during gameplay.
Pre-game warm-ups with the hockey players on the ice (Kristen Thoennes)
The arena was much like those we have visited in the States. There were a variety of food vendors selling things like hot dogs, pizza and chicken along with beer, wine, coffee and other beverages. We made the mistake of waiting until the first intermission to buy food. The lines were long!
There were fan shops selling Devils and Sabres gear with the special Global Series branding. When we walked past during the first intermission it looked like they had sold a lot! We saw many fans wearing the scarf.
Two beers held in hands (Kristen Thoennes)
We were extra satisfied with our trip because the Devils pulled out a win!
For a little piece of home and for a fun experience, try going to an NHL Global Series game! The next one in 2024 will see the Dallas Stars take on the Florida Panthers in Tampere, Finland on November 1 and 2. Check out nhl.com/events/2024-global-series for upcoming events.
