The Tyson Events Center is home of the USHL's Sioux City Musketeers. It's not very easy to spot, even though it is adjacent to the northbound lane of I-29. Why? Because that big, brick monstrosity actually mostly obscures it. The brick monstrosity is actually the former Sioux City Auditorium, which (for an outdated and obsolete structure) is actually quite nice looking for its time. Luckily for everyone's sanity, though, the Tyson Events Center actually houses the hockey team. Tyson opened in 2003 and seats 10,000 per the website.
The facility is pretty nice. I believe it is a bit nicer than Cedar Rapids Ice Arena, but it should be, as it is also home to concerts, events, and the NAIA basketball team for Morningside College. The seats are about the same as Cedar Rapids as well.
It's got a pretty unusual format in that the seating is almost U-shaped. There isn't much for seating at the side of the arena that the visitor defends twice a game. Very odd.
Though of no fault to Tyson, Tyson is hurt by the fact that almost every path to the arena is under massive construction (not just the indefinite perpetual construction that I29 is going through... that project is going on beyond the 6 year mark... it was ongoing when I moved to Omaha in 2008).
Nevertheless, I have to admit that the facility is very good for the size of the town.
Grade: A
Food
Big points from me for the fact that they serve Coke products, but the real sale is their drink policy itself: Free refills with the purchase of a large beverage. If you refill the cup once, you've cost the Tyson Event Center almost $5.00 in lost sales. I doubt I'll ever see that at the Ralph.
Otherwise it is typical arena food. Ok but massively overpriced. Oh yeah, the mini-donuts are a huge hit at the arena. So huge that if you don't buy them before approximately half way through the second intermission, they usually run out.... or they did when I was there.
There is a lot of variety of food. I didn't try it all.
Grade: A-
Entertainment
Believe it or not, there wasn't a whole lot I remember in between periods. Maybe that's because it was during the playoffs.
The PA guy and the music choices were ok, though.
Grade: B* (Guesstimate)
Fans
These fans are just as passionate as UND fans, in my opinion. However, they are a lot like me (to be brutally honest). They complain A LOT about the refs. And, I can't blame them. USHL officiating is, on average, bad if not terrible. To make a point of it: I'd take Todd Anderson or the Shepherds over the USHL refs.
Nevertheless, it's all we heard, to the point of openly mocking them back. They'd yell a penalty and we'd yell back idiotic combinations of penalties like "Interference roughing slashing!" or my personal favorite: "Contact to the head tripping!"
All in all a fun time. And they tend to be like their team: They leave it on the ice. After the game, many Sioux City fans made it a point to come over to me (I was in my Omaha jersey) and shake my hand and say good game and thanks for coming. Drive Safe.
Funny, though, I do not recall getting hit by Sioux City's reputation: Foul smelling air.
Oh well.
Grade: A
Overall: If not for Lincoln, Sioux City might very well be the premier road destination to see a USHL team.
Grade: A
