Prudential Center Game Day Guide
New Jersey Devils · Newark, NJ
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Bags may not exceed 12 x 14 inches, and backpacks and hard-sided bags are prohibited regardless of size.
Childcare and medical bags may exceed the size limit and will be X-rayed. Every bag is subject to search at entry.
- Bag storage
Rejected bags can be stored in exterior lockers outside the M&M's Tower and Lafayette Street entrances for $8 to $10.
Items are screened before storage and must be collected at the end of the event.
- Gate opening
Prudential Center doors generally open 60 to 90 minutes before an event.
Opening times vary, so check the specific event page before arrival.
- Mobile tickets
Devils tickets are fully digital and must be accessed on a mobile device; home-printed tickets are not accepted.
Access tickets at least 24 hours before the game and save them to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet for entry without a data connection.
- Re-entry
Re-entry is prohibited except for approved needs such as a medical necessity.
Before leaving, arrange an exception with a Guest Services Supervisor through the nearest Guest Services or Security representative.
- Prohibited items
Prohibited items include weapons, aerosols and defense sprays, tools and blades, backpacks, hard-sided or oversized bags, outside food or drink, alcohol, coolers, drones, professional cameras, recording equipment, lasers, noisemakers, fireworks, and selfie sticks.
The venue may confiscate prohibited items and eject guests found with them inside. Review the full list because management can add restrictions.
- First aid
Paramedic-staffed first-aid stations are outside Club Lounge West at Section 8 and outside Section 115 on the Upper Concourse.
If you cannot reach a station, ask Guest Services or Security to summon a paramedic.
- Nursing and lactation
A private Mamava nursing pod is on the Suite Level and is accessed through Guest Services behind Section 9.
The venue recommends downloading the Mamava app before arrival.
- Family restrooms
Accessible family and unisex restrooms are available on every arena level.
Locations consistently listed by the venue include Sections 12, 22, 110, 115, and 127, outside Suites 120 and 127 on Suite Level 1, and outside Suite 216 on Suite Level 2.
- Tickets for children
Children younger than 2 may enter without a ticket if they sit on a parent or guardian's lap; children older than 2 need a ticket.
Event-specific ticket policies can vary, so verify the rule when purchasing.
- Guest services
Guest Services Centers are outside Sections 9 and 114.
For discreet in-game help, text 507-724-8378. Guest Services also handles lost items, assistive listening devices, wheelchair escorts, and other assistance.
- Service animals
Trained and licensed service or guide animals are welcome and may rest in the guest's seating area, but not in the aisle.
- Smoking and vaping
Prudential Center is smoke- and tobacco-free, including electronic cigarettes, balconies, and Championship Plaza.
The restriction also covers outdoor areas within 25 feet of every entrance and exit.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Prudential Center, hour by hour.
Arrive in Newark
Take NJ Transit or PATH to Newark Penn Station. Walk through Military Park toward the arena, or grab dinner in the Ironbound.
Pregame in the Ironbound
Ferry Street in the Ironbound has incredible Portuguese and Spanish restaurants. The best pregame dining near any arena in the NHL.
Doors open
Enter the Prudential Center and watch warm-ups. The arena is compact and you can feel the hockey energy immediately.
Find your seat
The arena fills steadily. The lower bowl atmosphere for Devils games is intense, fans know their hockey.
Game time
Three 20-minute periods. The Rock is loud when the Devils score. The crowd knows the game and reacts to every play.
Hit the concourse
Grab a pork roll sandwich or Italian sausage, both are Jersey staples. The concourse has good flow for a mid-size arena.
Head back
Walk to Newark Penn Station for NJ Transit or PATH back to Manhattan. The Ironbound is also a great late-night option.
Tips & Fan Reports
The Ironbound is the pregame move. Ferry Street has some of the best Portuguese food in America.
The arena runs cool near the ice. Bring a layer even if it's warm outside.
The Prudential Center concourse is a single connected loop - easy to explore without losing your bearings.
Newark's Ironbound District (10 min walk from Prudential Center) has incredible Portuguese and Spanish restaurants.
PATH from Manhattan (World Trade Center) to Newark Penn Station is $2.75 and takes 20 minutes. Faster than driving.
Take NJ Transit or PATH, Newark Penn Station is a 10-minute walk from the arena. Skip the car.
A 12 by 14 inch bag is fine here, which is generous, but a backpack of any size is refused, so shape matters more than volume.
Nine highways feed the arena, so it is one of the easier venues in the league to reach by car.
If your bag is refused, lockers sit outside the M&M's Tower and Lafayette Lobby entrances rather than nothing at all.
Reserve parking ahead: 3,500 spaces sit within two blocks and can be guaranteed in advance.
Before the Game
Prudential Center is at 25 Lafayette Street in Newark, with over 3,500 parking spaces within two blocks and reservable parking for every event. The bag rule is more generous than most arenas in one direction and stricter in another: bags up to 12 by 14 inches are permitted, which is roomy, but backpacks of any size are refused outright. Anything larger than the limit is barred except childcare and medical bags, which are X-rayed. Usefully, the arena stores prohibited bags in lockers outside the M&M's Tower and Lafayette Lobby entrances. Five building entrances serve the arena.
Where to Go Before the Game
The lots within two blocks
Over 3,500 parking spaces sit within two blocks of the arena, and can be reserved ahead for every event so you drive straight to a guaranteed space.
Known for 3,500+ spaces · Within two blocks · Reservable ahead
Storage lockers on Lafayette Street
Outside the M&M's Tower and the Lafayette Lobby entrance on Lafayette Street, where a prohibited bag can be left rather than carried back to the car.
Known for For prohibited bags · Two locations · Outside the entrances
25 Lafayette Street, Newark
The arena's address, ringed by an unusual density of highways: 280, 78, the New Jersey Turnpike, 1 & 9, 21, 22, the Garden State Parkway, 80 and NJ 3.
Known for Newark · Nine highways nearby · Very accessible by car
Pregame Rules
What Prudential Center allows before the game, and what it does not.
- Bags up to 12" x 14" are permitted inside the arena.
- Backpacks of all sizes are not permitted.
- Bags larger than 12" x 14" are not permitted, with the exception of childcare or medical bags, which are X-rayed.
- Prohibited bags can be stored in lockers located outside the M&M's Tower and the Lafayette Lobby entrance.
- The arena is at 25 Lafayette Street, Newark, NJ, surrounded by highways 280, 78, the New Jersey Turnpike, 1 & 9, 21, 22, the Garden State Parkway, 80 and NJ 3.
- Over 3,500 parking spaces are within two blocks, and parking can be reserved ahead for every event.
- The arena has five building entrances.
Weather
Prudential Center is indoor, so these are the conditions for the parking lot and the walk in, not the seats.
Across the NHL season the warmest month is October, with an average high of 66°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 25°F. March is the wettest month at 4.3 inches and November the driest at 3.6 inches.
That January low ranks 15th coldest of the 32 NHL venues, and March here ranks 9th wettest.
October
4.2 inchesNovember
3.6 inchesJanuary
3.7 inchesMarch
4.3 inchesApril
4.1 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
Outside food and beverages are prohibited at Prudential Center events.
- A card or a phone wallet
Concessions, retail, and the Box Office are cashless and accept debit cards, credit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
- A coat for the walk in
January lows average 25°F between the lot and the door at Prudential Center.
- A rain layer for the walk in
March averages 4.3 inches of rain outside Prudential Center.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Gate opening time checked against the venue's own gate-opening policy: Prudential Center doors generally open 60 to 90 minutes before an event.
- Pregame
Prudential Center official site: Entry & Bag Policy, Parking, Directions, and the A-Z Guide
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Prudential Center A-Z, entry, ADA, concessions, parking, and New Jersey Devils mobile-ticketing pages reviewed for Devils game-day policies.