Photography at hockey games?

Well I got a Nikon D80, been experimenting with diffrent modes, using flash but standing high in the bleachers, using a lens 70-300m. So my question is why are my pictures either yellow or blue? and how can I take better pictures at indoor civic arenas?

Your flash from high in the bleachers isn't powerful enough to light anything up. All it's doing is forcing the camera to use a daylight WB.

And that's conflicting with the indoor lights, which aren't daylight white balanced.

So: 1) stop using the flash. Shoot available light.
2) Custom White Balance or
3) Shoot RAW and fix the white balance in post processing
4) Auto WB might work if you give it a chance; just don't use the flash (which turns off auto WB in favor of flash WB).

This is because the lights that they usualy use to light these arenas (for some reason I've noticed it too) Give off lots of blues and yellow tints. Our eyes balence it out perfectly somehow but it's really hard to get that natrual color on film.

The best thing to try is to do some digital editing after your shots.

Its a two fold problem, number one is the sheer brightness of the ice creates a "white out" effect. I had the N50 but not the N80, but any of the programs listed for snow etc would help. The yellow issue comes from the type of lighting they use. Pick up a filter for shooting in flourescent lighting and that helps a bunch. Ive done many hockey pictures, and honestly anything past the 3rd row I havent been to happy with. Many arenas will let you ring side during warm ups, perhaps you can snap a bunch off then, or just live in Florida like me with a losing team where good seats are easy!

Adjust the White Balance to compensate for the mix of light (flash and sodium vapour or whatever they use).

Or...shoot RAW and sort it out later.

Hope this helps.