Bell Centre
Bell Centre (French: Centre Bell) formerly known as Molson Centre, is a multi-purpose arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Opened on March 16, 1996, it is the home arena of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL), replacing the Montreal Forum. It is owned by the Molson family via the team's ownership group Groupe CH, and managed via Groupe CH subsidiary Evenko.[8][9]
| Centre Bell (French) | |
Bell Centre in 2017 | |
Bell Centre Location in Montreal Bell Centre Location in Quebec Bell Centre Location in Canada | |
| Former names | New Montreal Forum (pre-construction–1996) Molson Centre (1996–2002) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1909 Canadiens-de-Montréal Avenue |
| Location | Montreal, Quebec |
| Coordinates | 45°29′46″N 73°34′10″W / 45.49611°N 73.56944°W |
| Public transit | Lucien-L'Allier (Metro), Bonaventure Lucien-L'Allier (Exo) Terminus Centre-Ville Gare Centrale |
| Owner | Groupe CH (Molson family) |
| Operator | Evenko |
| Capacity | Hockey: 21,273 (1996–2014) 21,288 (2014–2017) 21,302 (2017–2021) 21,105 (2021–present)[1] Basketball: 22,114 Concerts: 15,000–19,200 Amphitheatre: 10,000–14,000 Theatre: 5,000–9,000 Hemicycle: 2,000–3,500 MMA: 16,000–23,152 |
| Field size | 780,000 sq ft (72,000 m2) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 22, 1993 |
| Opened | March 16, 1996 |
| Construction cost | C$270 million ($430 million in 2021 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | LeMay & Associate, LLC.[3] LeMoyne Lapointe Magne[3] |
| Project manager | IBI/DAA Group[4] |
| Structural engineer | Dessau[5] |
| Services engineer | SNC-Lavalin[6] |
| General contractor | Magil Construction[7] |
| Tenants | |
| Montreal Canadiens (NHL) (1996–present) Montreal Roadrunners (RHI) (1996–1997) Montreal Rocket (QMJHL) (2001–2003) Montreal Express (NLL) (2002) Laval Rocket (AHL) (2021) | |
With a capacity of 21,105 in its hockey configuration, Bell Centre is the second largest ice hockey arena in the world after the SKA Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia. Alongside hockey, Bell Centre has hosted major concerts, and occasional mixed martial arts and professional wrestling events. Since it opened in 1996, it has consistently been listed as one of the world's busiest arenas, usually receiving the highest attendance of any arena in Canada.[10] In 2012, it was the fifth-busiest arena in the world based on ticket sales for non-sporting events.[11]
History edit
Construction began on the site on June 22, 1993, almost two weeks after the Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings at the Forum for their 24th and most recent Stanley Cup. The name of the arena initially reflected Molson, Inc., a brewing company which was owner of the Canadiens at the time. Molson elected not to keep the naming rights when they sold the team and the name was officially changed on September 1, 2002, after Bell Canada acquired the naming rights.
On October 14, 2015, it was announced that Bell Centre would undergo renovations, including the replacement of all the seats, renovated hallways and concessions, new restaurants, public Wi-Fi, and the planned conversion of Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal (the section of De la Gauchetière Street on which the arena is situated) into a pedestrian-only street. The renovations, which were not expected to interfere with normal operations, have a budget of $100 million.[12][13]
Location edit
Bell Centre is located in downtown Montreal in the borough of Ville-Marie, near the corner of Canadiens-de-Montréal Avenue (formerly De la Gauchetière west) and de la Montagne Street.[14] The Lucien L'Allier commuter rail terminal, to which it is connected, is next door on that corner. In addition it is located across the street from the 1250 René-Lévesque skyscraper. It is easily accessible by public transportation, as it is linked to both Lucien-L'Allier and Bonaventure Metro stations. It is also connected to the underground city and Central Station.
Arena information edit
The building covers an area of 1.568 hectares (3.87 acres) (15,680 square metres (168,800 sq ft)). It has a seating capacity of 21,105,[15] making it the second largest hockey arena in the world. It also holds six restaurants.
Capacities of the centre are:[16][17]
- Hockey: 21,105[15]
- Basketball: 22,114
- Concerts: 19,200
- Amphitheatre: 10,000–14,000
- Theatre: 5,000–9,000
- Hemicycle: 2,000–4,000
A new scoreboard was installed prior of the 2008–2009 season. The new scoreboard consists of four 510 square foot (47 m2) video panels. It was the biggest in the NHL until 2012.[18]
It is one of only two NHL arenas that uses an old-style siren to mark the end of periods instead of a horn; the other is TD Garden in Boston. The sirens were inherited from the arenas' predecessor facilities, coming from the disused Montreal Forum and the Boston Garden respectively.
Seating edit
Unlike most North American arenas, which have generally been designed by Populous and its predecessors, the Bell Centre was designed by a local consortium, and has many unique design features. The grandstands are sloped steeply to improve sight lines. Washrooms on the 100 level are centralized on a specific lower level located at each end.
Bell Centre is arranged in a three-tier layout: The lower 100 section, commonly referred to as "the reds" since these seats are coloured red; the 200 section situated between the two levels of private and corporate boxes, known as "Club Desjardins" (which features premium amenities such as larger seats and free food and non-alcoholic drinks), and the upper 300–400 section.
The 300–400 section is divided into three zones by seat colour: white section rows AA–FF, the grey section rows A–D, and the blue section, labelled "400," and consisting of rows A–D. The ends of the 400 section are further divided into two more groups. At the end where the Canadiens shoot towards twice is the Coors Light Zone, featuring section cheerleaders and a band playing in the hallway. At the opposite end is the Family Zone, which features child-specific ticket prices and limited alcohol.
Seats behind the press gondola, in Sections 318, 319, and 320, feature their own scoreboards on the back of the gondola due to the normal scoreboard being blocked.
Interior edit
After some early complaints of a generic feel, especially compared to the Forum, the Canadiens started to incrementally decorate the building with celebrations of the team's history, including a ring of players around the top level of seating. The Molson Ex Zone features a live band stage and its own red theme.
Entertainment edit
Bell Centre is the main venue in Montreal for large-scale entertainment events. Many artists have performed at the arena, like Céline Dion, Les Cowboys Fringants, Gloria Estefan, Stromae, Twenty One Pilots, Tina Turner, Depeche Mode, Prince, Drake, Shakira, Elton John, Billy Joel, Shania Twain, Cher, Bon Jovi, Van Halen, Rush, Coldplay, Rihanna, Guns N' Roses, Slipknot, U2, Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Janet Jackson, Roger Waters, Spice Girls, Justin Timberlake, Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Metallica, Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Imagine Dragons, and Dua Lipa.
The singer who has performed the most times at the Bell Centre is Céline Dion with 50 performances between 1996 and 2020 from her Falling into You: Around the World tour in 1996 and 1997, Let's Talk About Love World Tour in 1998 and 1999, Taking Chances World Tour in 2008 and 2009, Summer Tour 2016 in 2016 and Courage World Tour in 2019 and 2020. On December 31, 1999, she performed the final show of the Let's Talk About Love World Tour, which was her last performance before a three-year hiatus from the music industry.
In August 1999, the third national tour of Les Misérables visited for a 12-day run. Robert Marien, who originated the role of Jean Valjean in Paris in 1980, as well as in the bilingual Canadian tour which started in Montreal in 1991, joined the cast exclusively for the Montreal stop.
Sports edit
Ice hockey edit
The final two games of the three-game 1996 World Cup of Hockey championship series were held at Bell Centre (the United States won both games, defeating Canada in the series 2–1). Bell Centre was also host to two pool games in the 2004 World Cup of Hockey. The Bell Centre was the host of the 2009 NHL All-Star Game and hosted the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and 2022 NHL Entry Draft, the latter of which saw the Canadiens make the very first pick in the draft, which turned out to be Juraj Slafkovsky.[19]
Montreal Canadiens home games have been consistently sold out since January 2004.[20] Additionally, the Canadiens have among the top attendance figures in the NHL. For the 2009–2010 season, the Habs had the highest attendance played at their home arena.[21] All 21,273 seats were sold in 45 minutes on May 12, 2010, for fans to watch the 7th game in the playoff series versus the Pittsburgh Penguins, which was shown on the big screens. Noise levels in the arena allegedly reached as high as 110 dB when goals were scored by the Canadiens, most notably, during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs, during Game #6 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on May 10, 2010,[22] making it one of the loudest NHL arenas during hockey games.
On December 9, 2014, the Canadiens hosted the Vancouver Canucks, the first home game since the death of Jean Béliveau. The game was preceded by a memorial tribute to him. Bell Centre remained sold-out that night with 21,286 fans in attendance and one empty seat left for Mr. Beliveau, with the official attendance shortened by one to honour him.[23]
Bell Centre hosted its first Stanley Cup Finals in 2021, with games three and four against the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning played inside the arena.[24] The Canadiens were allowed to have 2,500 fans from May 29 to June 14, and later, 3,500 fans was allowed for the third round against the Vegas Golden Knights and the Stanley Cup Finals due to Quebec government public health restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec.[25] The Canadiens had hoped to further increase their arena capacity limit to 50% of the arena's total seating capacity (10,500 people) for the Stanley Cup Finals, however, that request was denied by the Quebec government.[26] While the arena's capacity was limited to 3,500 fans during the third round and the Final, thousands more fans gathered outside the arena to watch the games on a TV screen outside of the La Cage sports bar situated adjacent to the arena.
From September 26 to October 8, 7,500 fans were also allowed at Bell Centre for the pre-season games, and for the opening day on October 13, the Quebec government made new rules and stated that the Canadiens could return to its full capacity of 21,105 people.[27]
Basketball edit
Since October 2010, Bell Centre has hosted selected NBA preseason games, primarily featuring the Toronto Raptors; the first was held on October 22, 2010, with the Raptors hosting the New York Knicks. It has since hosted preseason games as part of the NBA Canada Series, which have also included all-U.S. games.
Mixed martial arts edit
Bell Centre hosted UFC 83 in April 2008, marking the first UFC mixed martial arts event to take place in Canada. The main event was a rematch between Welterweight champion Matt Serra and Montreal native Georges St-Pierre.[28] The tickets available to the public sold out in under one minute, and the event set the all time UFC attendance record, at that time (since surpassed by UFC 129 in Toronto).[29] Other UFC events have subsequently been held at Bell Centre, including UFC 97, UFC 113, UFC 124, UFC 154 and UFC 158, the most recent three of which were headlined by St-Pierre.[30][31][32][33]
Professional wrestling edit
Bell Centre has occasionally hosted WWE professional wrestling events, including four pay-per-views (Survivor Series in 1997, No Way Out in 2003, Breaking Point in 2009 and Elimination Chamber in 2023), as well as 11 broadcasts of Raw and 8 broadcasts of SmackDown. Elimination Chamber 2023 marked the first time that the Chamber structure was on Canadian soil and only the second time in history that the structure was outside of the United States, following the 2022 event that was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,[34] and featured Laval native Sami Zayn competing in the event's main event match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns. In April 2019, Bell Centre hosted both Raw and SmackDown on consecutive nights for the 2019 Superstar Shake-up, the first time in WWE history that the event was held at an arena outside of the United States.[35] On August 19, 2022, Bell Centre hosted the 1,200th episode of SmackDown.[36]
During Survivor Series 1997, Bell Centre was the site of the infamous "Montreal Screwjob"—a match where Calgary-native Bret Hart controversially lost the WWF Championship to his rival Shawn Michaels. Hart had signed a contract to leave WWF for the rival World Championship Wrestling (WCW) the following month, and did not want to lose a championship match to Michaels in his own country. The original plan was for the match to end by disqualification after a brawl between the wrestlers' allies, which would have allowed Hart to lose or vacate the championship at a later date before leaving the promotion. However, WWF owner Vince McMahon intervened without Hart's knowledge, and had the referee declare a Michaels victory by submission after performing a Sharpshooter on Hart, even though he had not actually submitted.[37][38] Wrestling writer Mike Johnson considered the match to be "arguably the most talked-about match in the history of professional wrestling".[39] Eight years later, in the same venue, Michaels cut his infamous "Who's your daddy, Montreal?" heel promo in the lead-up to his impending match with Hulk Hogan at SummerSlam 2005, where he referenced the Screwjob during his promo, receiving plenty of heat from the Montreal fans.[40][better source needed]
Brock Lesnar made his televised WWE debut at Bell Centre on the March 18, 2002 Raw after WrestleMania X8 in Toronto, interfering in the Hardcore match that was taking place between Maven and Al Snow.[41][better source needed] A wall on the concourse of the arena depicting iconic events that took place inside the arena includes Lesnar's debut among others.[citation needed]
In December 2023, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) made its Montreal debut, with broadcasts of Collision and Dynamite.[42][43]
Other edit
The Bell Centre was scheduled to host the 2020 World Figure Skating Championships in March of that year, but these were cancelled as a result of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.[44] It was eventually used to host the 2024 edition, in lieu of the earlier planned event. This was the second time the championship took place in Montreal, the first having been held in the old Forum in 1932.[45]
Retired jerseys edit
The following numbers have been retired by the Canadiens and hang from the rafters:
| No. | Player | Position | Tenure | Date of honour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacques Plante | G | 1952–63 | October 7, 1995 |
| 2 | Doug Harvey | D | 1947–61 | October 26, 1985 |
| 3 | Emile Bouchard | D | 1941–56 | December 4, 2009 |
| 4 | Jean Beliveau | C | 1950–71 | October 9, 1971 |
| 5 | Bernie Geoffrion | RW | 1950–64 | March 11, 2006 |
| Guy Lapointe | D | 1968–82 | November 8, 2014 | |
| 7 | Howie Morenz | C | 1923–37 | November 2, 1937 |
| 9 | Maurice Richard | RW | 1942–60 | October 6, 1960 |
| 10 | Guy Lafleur | RW | 1971–85 | February 16, 1985 |
| 12 | Dickie Moore | LW | 1951–63 | November 12, 2005 |
| Yvan Cournoyer | RW | 1963–79 | November 12, 2005 | |
| 16 | Henri Richard | C | 1955–75 | December 10, 1975 |
| Elmer Lach | C | 1940–54 | December 4, 2009 | |
| 18 | Serge Savard | D | 1966–81 | November 18, 2006 |
| 19 | Larry Robinson | D | 1972–89 | November 19, 2007 |
| 23 | Bob Gainey | LW | 1973–89 | February 23, 2008 |
| 29 | Ken Dryden | G | 1970–79 | January 29, 2007 |
| 33 | Patrick Roy | G | 1984–95 | November 22, 2008 |
While Elmer Lach and Henri Richard both wore the number 16, they were given separate ceremonies unlike Cournoyer and Moore. All have their own banner.
On October 18, 2005, the Canadiens also raised the following numbers on a single banner in honour of the former MLB team Montreal Expos, who left the city for Washington, D.C. after the 2004 season:
- 8 Gary Carter
- 10 Andre Dawson and Rusty Staub
- 30 Tim Raines
The only other banners hanging from the rafters at the arena are those of the Canadiens' Stanley Cup championship banners. Unlike other NHL arenas, the Canadiens do not display division or conference championship banners.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "www.nhl.com". NHL.com - Teams (MTL). National Hockey League. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
- ^ 1688 to 1923: Geloso, Vincent, A Price Index for Canada, 1688 to 1850 (December 6, 2016). Afterwards, Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021. and table 18-10-0004-13 "Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
- ^ a b Chronology - HW: World Wide Habs Fans Community May 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ . IBI/DAA Group. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ . Dessau. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ . SNC-Lavalin. Archived from the original on March 22, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ "Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec". magil.com. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ^ "Evenko, Live Nation Ditch Rivalry, Announce Partnership". FYIMusicNews. 2019-12-20. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ^ Bruemmer, René (2017-10-27). "Habs and Evenko owner Groupe CH didn't get special treatment: Coderre". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
- ^ Bouchard, Dany (January 11, 2006). "The best Bell Centre". Canoë. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ (PDF). Pollstar. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ "Bell Centre to undergo $100 million renovation". CTV News Montreal. Bell Media. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
- ^ "Our History". Centre Bell. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
- ^ . Bell Centre. Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ a b "NHL.com - Teams". www.nhl.com. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
- ^ Bell Centre (2009). "Bell Centre - Our History". Bell Centre. from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ Bell Centre (2009). "Bell Centre - Venue Specifications". Bell Centre. from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ . tbo.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2015.
- ^ "Slafkovsky confident he'll win support of Canadiens fans over time - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
- ^ "Season Ticket Waiting List". Montreal Canadiens. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
- ^ NHL attendance
- ^ Turgeon, Pierre (May 22, 2010). "An Awfully Strong Playoff Fever". La Tribune (in French). Cyberpresse. from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
- ^ . www.thesportmarket.biz. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ "Stanley Cup finals coming to the Bell Centre on July 2 and 5". Montreal. June 26, 2021. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
- ^ Serebrin, Jacob (June 15, 2021). "Quebec to increase arena capacity before 1st home game in Habs semifinal playoff series". CBC News. from the original on June 16, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
- ^ "Quebec public health denies Canadiens' request to increase capacity at Bell Centre". CBC News. June 30, 2021. from the original on 2021-06-30. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ "Bell Centre, other large events in Quebec now allowed to welcome up to 3,500 people". Montreal. June 15, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
- ^ Stupp, Dann (January 4, 2008). . MMAJunkie.com. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
- ^ Stupp, Dan (February 8, 2008). . MMAjunkie.com. Archived from the original on 2008-10-12. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
- ^ Holland, Jesse (February 18, 2009). "UFC 97 to remain in Montreal on April 18". MMAmania.com. Retrieved February 18, 2009.
- ^ Morgan, John (December 15, 2012). "Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz official for UFC 158 in Montreal". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
- ^ Andrews, Kenai (December 17, 2012). "MMA Crossfire – St-Pierre vs Nick Diaz highlights UFC 158 welterweight trilogy in Montreal". The Gazette. Archived from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
- ^ Deibert, Dave (December 12, 2012). "St-Pierre vs. Diaz, MacDonald vs. Condit targeted for UFC 158 in Montreal". The Star Phoenix. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved December 18, 2012.
- ^ "WWE Elimination Chamber headed to Montreal on February 18, 2023 | WWE". WWE. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
- ^ . Canoe.com. Archived from the original on April 21, 2019. Retrieved October 15, 2019.
- ^ Bath, Dave (2022-08-19). "WWE SmackDown live results: Roman Reigns & Drew McIntyre face-to-face". WON/F4W. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ "Shawn Michaels on the Montreal Screwjob: The worst day I can recall in the entire 25 years I was in the wrestling business". ESPN.com. 2017-11-09. Retrieved 2019-02-20.
- ^ Mick Foley (2000). Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. Regan Books. p. 626. ISBN 978-0-06-103101-4.
- ^ Johnson, Mike (November 9, 2015). "11/9 This Day in History: Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels in Montreal". PWInsider. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- ^ mahmood, Malik umar Khalid (September 19, 2021). "Why Shawn Michaels' Heel Promo In Montreal Is The Best In WWE History". TheSportster. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
- ^ "On This Day In Wrestling History… March 18th". Hooked On Wrestling. 2021-03-18. Retrieved 2021-08-10.
- ^ "Updated Ticket Sale Numbers For Upcoming AEW Events, Including Full Gear". 411MANIA. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ Nason, Josh (2023-09-14). "AEW announces Montreal & Memphis debut dates". WON/F4W. Retrieved 2024-02-22.
- ^ Ewing, Lori (March 11, 2020). "World figure skating championships cancelled in Montreal". CBC News. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ^ Nichols, Paula (March 15, 2024). "What to watch for as Montreal hosts 2024 World Figure Skating Championships". Canadian Olympic Committee. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
External links edit
- Official website
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Home of the Montreal Canadiens 1996–present | Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by | Host of the NHL All-Star Game 2009 | Succeeded by |