Madison Square Garden Game Day Guide
New York Rangers · New York, NY
Know Before You Go
Essential details checked against official venue information.
- Bag policy
Bags do not need to be clear but must fit under the seat; bags larger than 22 x 14 x 9 inches are prohibited.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- All bags are screened with X-ray technology.
- Bag storage
Madison Square Garden does not provide a check area for bags, coats, or other belongings.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- Mobile tickets
Madison Square Garden uses digital tickets and recommends downloading them to a phone wallet before arrival.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- Rangers members can also use the team app; an event marked device-free may require a print-at-home ticket instead.
- Re-entry
All exits are final; guests cannot leave Madison Square Garden and then re-enter.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- Prohibited items
MSG prohibits weapons, stun guns, knives, pepper spray, lasers, fireworks, aerosols, signs and flags, noisemakers, balls, drones, hoverboards, illegal substances, outside food and drink, and other listed items.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- Large bags, professional cameras, tripods, selfie sticks, and audio or video recording devices are also prohibited; event pages may add restrictions.
- First aid
First Aid is behind the Guest Services Office on the Kalshi Concourse, sixth floor, outside Section 117.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- For immediate help, notify an usher, security officer, or Guest Experience representative; the security office number is 212-465-6799.
- Nursing and lactation
A nursing facility is beside the Guest Services Office on the Kalshi Concourse, sixth floor, outside Section 117.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- Breast pumps, associated equipment, and breastmilk are permitted; parents may also use family or all-gender restrooms.
- Family restrooms
Family and all-gender restrooms are available throughout Madison Square Garden.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- Ask an usher or Guest Experience representative for the nearest location.
- Tickets for children
For most events, children under age 2 may attend without a ticket if they sit on a parent or guardian's lap and do not occupy a seat.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- Check the event page because some family events require tickets for children older than 1.
- Guest services
The main Guest Services Office is outside Section 117, with Guest Experience assistance also available outside Sections 206 and 328.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- Guest Relations can be reached at 212-465-6225.
- Service animals
Service animals are permitted inside Madison Square Garden, with dedicated-space seating available throughout the arena if requested.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- Contact Accessibility Services at 888-609-7599 before the event when bringing a service animal.
- Smoking and vaping
Smoking and electronic cigarettes are prohibited everywhere inside Madison Square Garden.
Applies to: New York Rangers games
- Violation is grounds for ejection.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Madison Square Garden, hour by hour.
Arrive in Midtown
Take the subway or walk to the MSG area. The bars along 7th Avenue and 33rd Street are already filling with Rangers fans in blue.
Pregame pints
Stout NYC, The Pennsy, and the surrounding Midtown bars are packed with Rangers jerseys. Arrive early for a seat during rivalry games.
Enter the Garden
Doors open 90 minutes before puck drop. Walk into MSG and feel the history, banners, retired numbers, and the glow of the ice.
Find your seat
MSG fills early for Rangers games. The pregame presentation and crowd energy build toward the anthem.
Game time
Three 20-minute periods in the world's most famous arena. When the Rangers score, 18,000 people in Midtown Manhattan erupt.
Hit the concourse
Grab a New York slice or a knish, MSG concessions have NYC character. Lines are long during the first intermission.
Midtown awaits
Spill out onto 7th Avenue with thousands of other Rangers fans. Hit a bar, grab a late slice, or descend into Penn Station for your train home.
Tips & Fan Reports
Try to eat at a good spot near the arena before the game, go in the main entrance and get the full experience. Get there early for the anthem and intros - worth it every time at the Garden.
MSG runs cool near the ice. Bring a layer even in warmer months.
MSG has the most expensive concessions in the NHL. Eat before the game in Koreatown (32nd St) or Hell's Kitchen (9th Ave).
Take the subway, MSG sits on top of Penn Station. The A/C/E/1/2/3 lines stop directly at the arena.
Penn Station gets mobbed after games. Walk to Herald Square (B/D/F/M/N/Q/R/W) or 8th Ave (A/C/E) for faster exits.
Rangers tickets are expensive. For value, the 400-level Chase Bridge hangs over center ice, scary height but incredible view.
The Chase Bridge seats (suspended from the ceiling) are unique to MSG - a straight-down view of the ice you can't get anywhere else.
Weather
Madison Square Garden 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 65°F, and the coldest is January, when the average low is 28°F. October is the wettest month at 4.4 inches and November the driest at 3.6 inches.
That January low ranks 19th coldest of the 32 NHL venues, and October here ranks 7th wettest.
October
4.4 inchesNovember
3.6 inchesJanuary
3.6 inchesMarch
4.3 inchesApril
4.1 inchesNew York Rangers Clear Bag Policy
Most venues require a clear bag. Get an approved one before you travel.
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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
Official venue page / team game day guide
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Madison Square Garden FAQ and accessibility-services pages reviewed for New York Rangers game-day policies.