Xcel Energy Center
Xcel Energy Center is a multipurpose arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Completed in 2000, it is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 17,954, the arena has four spectator levels: one suite level and three for general seating.[5] The building is home to the NHL's Minnesota Wild.
Xcel Energy Center in 2006 | |
Xcel Energy Center Location in Minnesota Xcel Energy Center Location in the United States | |
| Address | 199 Kellogg Boulevard West |
|---|---|
| Location | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| Coordinates | 44°56′41″N 93°6′4″W / 44.94472°N 93.10111°WCoordinates: 44°56′41″N 93°6′4″W / 44.94472°N 93.10111°W |
| Public transit | Green Line at Central Station Metro Transit Route 54 |
| Owner | City of Saint Paul |
| Operator | Minnesota Sports & Entertainment |
| Capacity | Ice hockey: 18,064 (2000–2012) 17,954 (2012–present)[1] Concerts:
|
| Field size | 650,000 sq ft (60,000 m2) |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 23, 1998 |
| Opened | September 29, 2000 |
| Construction cost | US$170 million[2] |
| Architect | HOK Sport (now Populous)[2] |
| Project manager | Project Management Consultants, LLC.[3] |
| Structural engineer | Geiger Engineers PC |
| Services engineer | M-E Engineers. Inc.[4] |
| General contractor | Mortenson/Thor[4] |
| Tenants | |
| Minnesota Wild (NHL) (2000–present) Minnesota Swarm (NLL) (2005–2015) Minnesota Lynx (WNBA) (2017) | |
The arena is owned by the city of Saint Paul and operated by the Wild's parent company, Minnesota Sports & Entertainment. It is on the same block of downtown St. Paul as the RiverCentre convention facility, the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and shares a single indoor access area with the RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium. It hosted the 2008 Republican National Convention.[6]
History
The arena opened on September 29, 2000. It was built on the site of the demolished St. Paul Civic Center. The push for a new arena in Saint Paul grew after the National Hockey League's Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas. Saint Paul courted the Hartford Whalers and Winnipeg Jets under Mayor Norm Coleman, but the Civic Center was an obstacle to both deals.[7]
In order to get an NHL expansion team, Saint Paul needed to build a new arena. After several failed attempts to get funding, the state funded the project in April 1998. It gave Saint Paul a no-interest loan of $65 million for the $130 million project, though it forgave $17 million of that in exchange for having high school sports championships played at the arena.[7]
The Minnesota Wild played their first game at the arena on October 11, 2000, against the Philadelphia Flyers. It was a 3–3 tie. Peter White scored the first goal in the arena while Darby Hendrickson scored the first goal for the Wild. The Wild's first win at the arena came on October 18, 2000, when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 6–5. Not until April 14, 2003, did the Wild play a playoff game at the arena. In that game, the Wild suffered a 3–0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. On April 21, 2003, the Wild won their first playoff game 3–2 on an overtime game-winner by Richard Park.[8]
In 2004, ESPN named the Xcel Center the best overall sports venue in the U.S. The 10 millionth person passed through its gates on July 3, 2007.
In 2006, the Twin Cities were selected as the hosting metropolis for the 2008 Republican National Convention, and the arena was chosen as the main venue.[9] The convention was held there on September 1-4, 2008.[9]
In 2010, ESPN magazine listed a Minnesota Wild game at Xcel Energy Center as the third-best stadium experience in North America. First on the list were the Minnesota Twins and Target Field.[10]
On April 26, 2015, the Wild won its first playoff series at the arena, defeating the St. Louis Blues 4–1 in game six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.[11]
The arena hosted the Vote for Change Tour on October 5, 2004, featuring performances by Bright Eyes, R.E.M. and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (with special guest John Fogerty and unannounced guest Neil Young).[12]
The Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA used Xcel Energy Center during the 2016 WNBA Playoffs,[13] and played a full season there in 2017, as their home arena, Minneapolis's Target Center, was undergoing renovation.[14]
Features
The concourse areas contain hockey jerseys from every Minnesota high school on the walls, reflecting the "State of Hockey." Surrounding the arena at all four corners are "crow's nests." One features an organ and is played during Wild games. The second features a lighthouse that houses a foghorn that is blasted when the team takes the ice before games, for all Wild goals, and after a victory. The third is used for the Wild's drum line. The fourth provides an additional stage for various uses.
Before it opened, the arena installed an integrated scoring, video, information and advertising display system by Daktronics. The system includes a large LED circular, center-hung scoreboard with multiple displays, nearly 1,100 feet (340 m) of ribbon display technology mounted on the fascia and large video displays outside the facility.[15] The center ice display was replaced in the summer of 2014. Of the 10 LED screens, the largest measures 37.5 feet (11.4 m) wide by 19 feet (5.8 m) high.[16] In 2015 the arena began replacing every seat in the building with cushioned seating. This was finished by early 2016.
Attendance records
- March 6, 2015: 21,609 fans attended the 2015 State Boys' Hockey Tournament Class AA semifinals at Xcel Energy Center, setting a new record for the largest crowd to ever attend an indoor hockey game in the state of Minnesota.[17]
- March 9, 2012: The Minnesota State High School League Boys' hockey tournament again set a new attendance record during the 2012 AA semifinal session. Hill-Murray and Moorhead played in the first game followed by Benilde St-Margaret's and Lakeville South in front of a crowd of 19,893.[18]
- March 8, 2008: The Minnesota State High School League Boys' hockey tournament set a new attendance record during the AA semifinal session. Edina and Benilde-St. Margaret's played in the first game followed by Roseau and Hill-Murray in front of a crowd of 19,559.
- February 8, 2004: The NHL All-Star Game set a record for attendance at a hockey game in Minnesota at 19,434.
- The record attendance for a Wild game was set May 6, 2014 at 19,416, against the Chicago Blackhawks.
- On October 28, 2003, Shania Twain set the arena's single-night concert attendance record of 20,554.
- On March 17, 2007, 19,463 spectators watched the final game of the WCHA Final Five tournament, the largest crowd ever for an indoor United States college ice hockey game[19] (i.e. not including games held in football stadiums such as the Cold War).
- On November 3 & 4, 2012, Madonna performed two sold-out shows on her record-breaking MDNA Tour.
- On January 19, 2013, 19,298 fans watched the Wild defeat the Colorado Avalanche in the first game after the shortened 2012–13 season. It also marked the debuts of signees Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.[20]
- Every Wild game at the Xcel Energy Center sold out until October 16, 2010, totaling 400 consecutive home games.[21]
Sustainability efforts
The campus of Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul RiverCentre, and The Roy Wilkins Auditorium has three world-class certifications:
- Green Globes Certification – November 2017
- LEED Platinum Certification – September 2019[22]
- Event Industry Council (EIC) Sustainable Event Standards (SES) – Gold Certification – November 2020
The Xcel Energy Center and Saint Paul RiverCentre campus is the world's first complex to receive all three of those certifications. The road to achieving them took several years. Some of the steps taken to achieve these awards are:
- 60% of all waste is recycled
- 40% of staff commute by bus, bike, carpool or an efficient vehicle
- 90% of cleaning products meet green standards
In addition to the efforts made by staff, Xcel Energy Center has partnered with the NHL to join Change the Course, a national initiative promoting water conservation and restoration. To highlight its achievements, the Xcel Energy Center produced Exceptionally Green: Minnesota Wild, Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center.
Other events
- Xcel Energy Center is the site of the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) Girls Volleyball State Tournament, Wrestling State Tournament, and the Boys and Girls Hockey State Tournaments.
- It hosted the 2002, 2011, and 2018 NCAA Frozen Four.
- The National Lacrosse League's Minnesota Swarm played in the arena from January 2005 until they moved to Georgia in 2015.
- The venue formerly hosted the Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, alternating with Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.[23][24] As of 2018, it is host venue of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff.[25]
Interior during a Minnesota Wild game
Interior during a Minnesota Swarm lacrosse game
Interior during the 2006 WCHA Final Five Championship
Interior prior to the 2009 Boys' High School Championship game between Eden Prairie and Moorhead
Interior before the 2020 Minnesota State High School League Boys' Hockey AA Championship game between Eden Prairie and Hill Murray
Concerts
2000s
- 2000
| Concerts at Xcel Energy Center | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date(s) | Headliner(s) | Supporting act(s) | Event / Tour | Notes | |
| September 30 | Barenaked Ladies | The Corrs Guster | Maroon Tour | ||
| October 17 | Sarah Brightman | N/A - Performed two sets | La Luna World Tour | ||
| November 13 | Dixie Chicks | Ricky Skaggs | Fly Tour | ||
| December 15 | The Doobie Brothers | The Guess Who | Sibling Rivalry Tour | ||
- 2001
| Concerts at Xcel Energy Center | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date(s) | Headliner(s) | Supporting act(s) | Event / Tour | Notes | |
| April 7 | Disturbed | Mudvayne | 2001 Tour | ||
| April 9 | AC/DC | Wide Mouth Mason | Stiff Upper Lip Tour | ||
| May 19 | Black Crowes | Oasis Spacehog | Tour of Brotherly Love | ||
| June 15 and 16 | Prince | Fonky Bald Heads (16th) | A Celebration | ||
| June 19 | Depeche Mode | Poe | Exciter Tour | ||
| June 27 | Paul Simon | Brian Wilson | You're the One Tour | ||
| July 5 | Pantera | Slayer Static-X Skrape Morbid Angel | Extreme Steel Tour | ||
| July 6 | Tim McGraw | Kenny Chesney Mark Collie | Set This Circus Down Tour | ||
| July 8 | Dido | Travis Emiliana Torrini | 2001 Summer North American Tour | ||
| July 17 | Eric Clapton | Doyle Bramhal II Smokestack | Reptile World Tour | ||
| July 30 | Sugar Ray | Uncle Kracker The Start | Summer 2001 Tour | ||
| August 1 | Matchbox Twenty | Train Old 97s | Mad Season Tour | ||
| August 21 | Barenaked Ladies | The Proclaimers Sarah Harmer | Maroon Tour | ||
| September 6 | Tool | Cortizone Fantômas Cosmic Psychos King Crimson The Melvins Meshuggah Pablo Tomahawk Tricky | Lateralus Tour | ||
| September 15 | Slipknot | System of a Down Rammstein Mudvayne No One | Pledge of Allegiance Tour | ||
| October 13 | Stone Temple Pilots | Staind Linkin Park | Family Values Tour | ||
| October 20 | Songs4Worship Tour | ||||
| October 25 | Bob Dylan | N/A | Never Ending Tour 2001 | ||
| October 26 and 27 | Neil Diamond | N/A | Three Chord Opera World Tour 2001-02 | ||
| November 3 | Lonestar | Jamie O'Neil Blake Shelton | I'm Already There Tour | ||
| November 17 | 93X Butterball | Music as a Weapon Tour | |||
| November 30 | Luciano Pavarotti | N/A | Fall 2001 Tour | Postponed from September 15 due to court case involving Pavarotti | |
| December 15 | Go Fish | N/A | KTIS Christmas Celebration | ||
- 2002
| Concerts at Xcel Energy Center | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date(s) | Headliner(s) | Supporting act(s) | Event / Tour | Notes | |
| February 16 | Creed | Tantric Virgos | Weathered Tour | ||
| February 26 | Hall and Oates | Todd Rundgren | 2002 Tour | ||
| June 8 | Andrea Bocelli | N/A - Performed Two Sets | 2002 Spring USA Tour | ||
| June 19 | The Eagles | N/A | 2001-02 World Tour | ||
| July 6–7 | John Mellencamp | Shannon McNally | Cuttin' Heads Tour | ||
| July 9 | Weezer | Dashboard Confessional | Enlightenment Tour | ||
| July 23 | Down from the Mountain Cast | N/A | Down from the Mountain Tour | All star cast from the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack | |
| August 2 | Eminem | Various | The Anger Management Tour | Package Tour | |
| August 25 | Santana | Rusted Root | All in One Tour | ||
| September 4 | Tool | Tomahawk | Inside the Outside Tour | ||
| September 23 | Paul McCartney | N/A | Back in the US Tour | ||
| September 24 | The Who | Counting Crows | The Who Tour 2002 | Recorded for Encore Series | |
| September 30 | Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band | N/A | The Rising Tour | Professionally filmed but remains unreleased along with many other shows | |
| October 4 | Cher | Cyndi Lauper | Living Proof The Farewell Tour | ||
| October 9 | No Doubt | Good Charlotte The Distillers | Rock Steady Tour | Opening Night | |
| October 27 | Moody Blues | None - Performed two sets | 2002 Tour | ||
| October 30 | Bob Dylan | N/A | Never Ending Tour 2002 | Second consecutive tour to visit Xcel | |
| November 10 | American Idol | N/A | American Idols LIVE! Tour 2002 | Would return many times | |
| November 30 | Mudvayne | Taproot | The End of All Things to Come Tour | ||
| December 5 | Snoop Dogg | Ashanti | Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss Tour | ||
| December 6 | Michael W. Smith | Kara Point of Grace | Christmastime Tour | ||
| December 9 | Tom Petty | N/A | The Last DJ Tour | ||
| December 16 | The Three Tenors | N/A - Two Act show | World Tour (The Three Tenors) | ||
| December 20 | Go Fish | N/A | 2002 Tour | ||
| December 22 | Martina McBride | N/A | The Joy of Christmas Tour | ||
- 2003
| Concerts at Xcel Energy Center | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date(s) | Headliner(s) | Supporting act(s) | Event / Tour | Notes | |
| January 25 | Kenny Chesney | Montgomery Gentry Kellie Coffey | Margaritas N' Senoritas Tour | ||
| February 13 | Crosby Stills and Nash | N/A | 2003 Tour of America | Performed two sets | |
| February 15 | Kenny G | N/A | 2003 Tour | ||
| February 25 | Bon Jovi | Goo Goo Dolls | Bounce Tour | ||
| April 4 | Def Leppard | Ricky Warwick | Ten Tour | ||
| April 12 | Tim McGraw | N/A | One Band Show | One 2.5 hour show with The Dancehall Doctors | |
| April 17 | Billy Joel Elton John | N/A | Face to Face 2003 | Double billing - Performed separately and together | |
| April 20 | Avril Lavigne | Simple Plan | Try to Shut Me Up Tour | ||
| April 30 | Matchbox Twenty | Sugar Ray Maroon 5 | More Than You Think You Are Tour | ||
| May 1 | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Snoop Dogg The Mars Volta | By the Way World Tour | ||
| May 30 | Yanni | N/A | Ethnicity | Performed two sets | |
| June 6 and 7 | Dixie Chicks | Joan Osborne | Top of the World Tour | ||
| June 14 | Journey | Styx REO Speedwagon | Journey/Styx/REO Speedwagon Tour | ||
| June 16 | Pearl Jam | Idlewild | Riot Act Tour | Released professionally as a live album along with all other shows this tour | |
| June 19 and 20 | Fleetwood Mac | N/A | Say You Will Tour | ||
| July 8 | American Idol | N/A | American Idols Live! Tour 2003 | ||
| July 13 | Sheryl Crow | N/A | C'mon America Tour | ||
| August 1 | James Taylor | N/A | October Road Tour | Performed two sets | |
| August 7 | Steely Dan | N/A | Everything Must Go Tour | ||
| August 20 | Various | Package Tour | The Dirty South Mix Tape Tour | ||
| September 2 | Christina Aguilera Justin Timberlake | The Black Eyed Peas | Justified and Stripped Tour | ||
| September 16 | R.E.M | Ed Harcourt | In Time Tour | ||
| September 20 | Good Charlotte | Mest Something Corporate | The Young and the Hopeless Tour | ||
| October 17 | The Eagles | N/A | Farewell I Tour | ||
| October 26 and 27 | Simon and Garfunkel | ||||
| October 28 | Shania Twain | ||||
| November 29 | Mannheim Steamroller | ||||
- 2004
Funding
In 1998, the state made a $65 million interest-free loan toward construction of the $130 million arena, $17 million of which was forgiven when the team agreed to allow amateur and public events. That left a loan of $48 million.
In 2013, the state legislature passed an omnibus jobs, housing and commerce bill that included forgiveness of the remaining $32.7 million loan to Xcel Energy Center.
Under the terms of the forgiveness deal in this bill, St. Paul's annual loan payment was reduced by $500,000 in 2014 and again in 2015. The balance of the loan was forgiven in 2016. The city still owes $56.8 million in bonds on the arena, of the $72.7 million it borrowed in 1998.[26]
References
- ^ Doyle, Mike (January 19, 2013). "GAMEDAY: Wild vs. Avalanche". National Hockey League. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ a b "About us". Xcel Energy Center. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
- ^ Project Management Consultants: Project Profiles – Ballparks, Stadium & Arenas November 4, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b "Xcel Energy Center Facts & Figures". SportsBusiness Journal. October 2, 2000. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
- ^ . Xcel Energy Center. July 6, 2000. Archived from the original on September 18, 2008. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- ^ "Xcel Energy Center – Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul Minnesota". Architecture.about.com. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- ^ a b Rybin, Virginia (September 27, 2000). "St. Paul New Arena is Tale of Survival". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ "2002-03 Minnesota Wild Roster and Statistics". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
- ^ a b Republicans start arena conversion for convention USA Today.
- ^ Van Denburg, Hart. . City Pages. Archived from the original on 17 May 2014. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ^ "2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs First Round schedule". NHL.com. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
- ^ "2004 Setlists". Backstreets.com. July 17, 2004. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
- ^ "Lynx to play first two playoff games in St. Paul". 12 September 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ "Lynx to play 2017 home games at Xcel Energy Center". Star Tribune. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
- ^ . Prairie Biz Magazine. July 1, 1492. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ "Xcel Energy Center, Wild will unveil new center-ice video board Sept. 27". Star Tribune. June 30, 2014. Retrieved July 21, 2014.
- ^ "Minnesota State High School Boys' Hockey".
- ^ Leighton, Tim (March 10, 2012). "State Hockey: Hill-Murray Coach Discusses Jack Jablonski's Effect on BSM". St. Paul Pioneer Press. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ^ Tour De Force: Wheeler Nets OT Goal To Give Minnesota Broadmoor Trophy September 17, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Eide, Nathan (January 19, 2013). "Minnesota Wild vs. Colorado Avalanche: Game Recap". Hockey Wilderness. Retrieved February 22, 2013.
- ^ "2010 Hockey Day Minnesota Announced". National Hockey League. June 22, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
- ^ "RiverCentre/Xcel Energy Center | U.S. Green Building Council". www.usgbc.org. Retrieved 2023-01-27.
- ^ "Big Ten Announces Conference Schedule for 2017-18 Hockey Season". Big Ten Conference. May 4, 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ Dilks, Chris (September 30, 2016). "Big Ten Officially Approves On-Campus Playoffs". SB Nation. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
- ^ "NCHC Establishes New Partnership with Xcel Energy Center to Host Frozen Faceoff". National Collegiate Hockey Conference. 2017-09-07. Retrieved 2018-03-17.
- ^ "St. Paul wins forgiveness of Xcel arena loan". Star Tribune. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
External links
- Xcel Energy Center official website
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by First Arena | Home of the Minnesota Wild 2000 – present | Succeeded by Current |
| Preceded by | Host of the Frozen Four 2002 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of the NHL All-Star Game 2004 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by First Arena | Home of the Minnesota Swarm 2005 – 2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of the Frozen Four 2011 | Succeeded by |