Bell Centre

Bell Centre
Former names New Montreal Forum (pre-construction–1996)
Molson Centre, Centre Molson (1996–2002)
Address 1909, avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal[1]
Location Montreal, Quebec
Coordinates 45°29′46″N 73°34′10″W / 45.49611°N 73.56944°W / 45.49611; -73.56944Coordinates: 45°29′46″N 73°34′10″W / 45.49611°N 73.56944°W / 45.49611; -73.56944
Public transit Montreal Metro (STM):
at Lucien-L'Allier
at Bonaventure
  STM buses
Owner Molson family
Operator Molson family
Capacity Hockey: 21,288[2]
Basketball: 22,114
Concerts: 15,000
Amphitheatre: 10,000 to 14,000
Theatre: 5,000 to 9,000
Hemicycle: 2,000 to 3,500
MMA: 16,000 to 23,152
Field size 780,000 square feet (72,000 m2)
Construction
Broke ground June 22, 1993
Opened March 16, 1996
Construction cost C$270 million
($396 million in 2017 dollars[3] )
Architect LeMay & Associate, LLC.[4]
LeMoyne Lapointe Magne[4]
Project manager IBI/DAA Group[5]
Structural engineer Dessau[6]
Services engineer SNC-Lavalin[7]
General contractor Huber, Hunt & Nichols[8]
Tenants
Montreal Canadiens (NHL) (1996–present)
Montreal Impact (NPSL) (1997–2000)
Montreal Rocket (QMJHL) (2001–2003)
Montreal Express (NLL) (2002)

The Bell Centre (French: Centre Bell), formerly known as the Molson Centre (or Le Centre Molson), is a sports and entertainment complex in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It opened on March 16, 1996, after nearly three years under construction. It is best known as the home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team, and it has the largest arena capacity to regularly host an NHL team.

It is currently owned by a partnership group headed by Geoff Molson and his brothers, Andrew and Justin. The same ownership group also owns the Montreal Canadiens and Evenko, an entertainment event promoter.[9] 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

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 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 are not expected to interfere with normal operations, have a budget of $100 million.[12]

Location

Bell Centre is located in downtown Montreal, near the corner of Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal (formerly Rue de la Gauchetière Ouest) and De La Montagne Street. 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

Inside the arena during a hockey game between the Montreal Canadiens and the Buffalo Sabres
The newly fitted electronic scoreboard in 2008

The building covers an area of 1.568 hectares or 3.87 acres (15,680 square metres or 168,778 square feet). It has a seating capacity of 21,288,[13] making it the largest hockey arena in the world. It also holds six restaurants.
Capacities of the Centre are:[14][15]

The public address announcer for the Canadiens' games is Michel Lacroix, while the national anthem singer alternates every home game after Charles Prevost-Linton was not asked to return at the end of the 2013–2014 season. Most notable amongst these rotating performers is Quebecois pop legend Ginette Reno, whose appearances to sing the Canadian anthem at playoff games were highly popular. Diane Bibeau plays the organ on Saturday nights.

A new scoreboard was installed prior of the 2008–2009 season. The new scoreboard consists of four 510 square foot video panels. It was the biggest in the NHL until 2012.[16]

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

Unlike most North American arenas, which have generally been designed by Populous and its predecessors, 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 painted red; the 200 section, known as "Club Desjardins"), and the upper 300–400 section.

The Club Desjardins section is premium section between two levels of private and corporate boxes. Larger seats and free food and non-alcoholic drinks are provided.

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 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, featuring 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

The Canadiens' locker room prior to being renovated.

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

See also: List of entertainment events held at the Bell Centre

Sports

Ice Hockey

The final two games of the three-game 1996 World Cup of Hockey championship series were held at Bell Centre (the USA 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.

Montreal Canadiens home games have been consistently sold out since January 2004.[17] 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.[18] 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 135 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,[19] 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.[20]

Basketball

Bell Centre in a basketball configuration.

Bell Centre hosted an NBA basketball game for the first time on Friday, October 22, 2010, a preseason game featuring the Toronto Raptors and the New York Knicks. Another preseason game, featuring the same teams, was held on October 19, 2012. On October 20, 2013, Bell Centre hosted its third preseason game featuring the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves. Another Toronto–New York preseason game was held at the arena on October 24, 2014. On October 23, 2015, Bell Centre hosted its fifth preseason game featuring the Toronto Raptors and the Washington Wizards. The four most recent preseason games were all sell-outs.

Date Opponent Result Home Game Type Attendance
October 22, 2010New York Knicks103-108Toronto RaptorsPS-
October 19, 2012New York Knicks88-107Toronto RaptorsPS-

MMA and Pro Wrestling

Bell Centre was the venue of the first UFC event (UFC 83) to take place in Canada, held in April 2008. The show was headlined by a rematch between Welterweight champion Matt Serra and Montreal native Georges St-Pierre.[21] 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).[22] 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.[23][24][25][26]

It has also hosted WWE events regularly. The most notable event that took place at the arena was Survivor Series 1997, during which the Montreal Screwjob incident occurred. It also hosted No Way Out in 2003 and Breaking Point in 2009. During the live broadcast of an episode of Raw in 2012, Jerry Lawler suffered a heart attack.

Retired jerseys

The following numbers have been retired by the Canadiens and hang from the rafters:

Montreal Canadiens retired numbers
No. Player Position Tenure Date of honour
1Jacques PlanteG1952–63October 7, 1995
2Doug HarveyD1947–61October 26, 1985
3Emile BouchardD1941–56December 4, 2009
4Jean BeliveauC1950–71October 9, 1971
5Bernie GeoffrionRW1950–64March 11, 2006
Guy LapointeD1968–82November 8, 2014
7Howie MorenzC1923–37November 2, 1937
9Maurice RichardRW1942–60October 6, 1960
10Guy LafleurRW1971–85February 16, 1985
12Dickie MooreLW1951–63November 12, 2005
Yvan CournoyerRW1963–79November 12, 2005
16Henri RichardC1955–75December 10, 1975
Elmer LachC1940–54December 4, 2009
18Serge SavardD1966–81November 18, 2006
19Larry RobinsonD1972–89November 19, 2007
23Bob GaineyLW1973–89February 23, 2008
29Ken DrydenG1970–79January 29, 2007
33Patrick RoyG1984–95November 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:

The only other banners hanging from the rafters at Bell Centre are those of the Canadiens' Stanley Cup championship banners. Unlike other NHL arenas, the Canadiens do not display division or conference championship banners, despite the fact they have won many championships over the years (including 24 Stanley Cups). At Bell Centre, as had the Forum, only Stanley Cup championship banners are raised to the rafters.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Directions and Parking". Bell Centre. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  2. ↑ http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/744163/centre-bell-renovations-100-millions-sieges-loges-restos
  3. ↑ Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada. "Consumer Price Index, historical summary". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 26, 2018. CANSIM, table (for fee) 326-0021 and Catalogue nos. 62-001-X, 62-010-X and 62-557-X. And "Consumer Price Index, by province (monthly) (Canada)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
  4. 1 2 Chronology - HW: World Wide Habs Fans Community Archived May 31, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ "Bell Centre". IBI/DAA Group. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Bell Centre". Dessau. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Buildings". SNC-Lavalin. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Bell Centre". Ballparks.com. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  9. ↑ Associated Press (December 1, 2009). "Habs' Sale to Molson Family Approved". ESPN. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  10. ↑ Bouchard, Dany (January 11, 2006). "The best Bell Centre". Canoë. Archived from the original on April 18, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  11. ↑ "2012 Year End Worldwide Ticket Sales Top 100 Arena Venues" (PDF). Pollstar. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Bell Centre to undergo $100 million renovation". CTV Montreal. Bell Media. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Close to $100 million to be invested at the Bell Centre" (Press release). Montreal Canadiens. 2015-10-14. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  14. ↑ Bell Centre (2009). "Bell Centre - Our History". Bell Centre. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  15. ↑ Bell Centre (2009). "Bell Centre - Venue Specifications". Bell Centre. Archived from the original on June 23, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  16. ↑ http://tbo.com/sports/lightning/tampa-forum-adding-record-size-high-def-video-board-399775
  17. ↑ "Season Ticket Waiting List". Montreal Canadiens. Retrieved February 1, 2013.
  18. ↑ NHL attendance
  19. ↑ Turgeon, Pierre (May 22, 2010). "An Awfully Strong Playoff Fever". La Tribune (in French). Cyberpresse. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  20. ↑ http://www.thesportmarket.biz/charts/sellout%20streaks/ranktop.html%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D
  21. ↑ Stupp, Dann (January 4, 2008). "Matt Serra Is Willing to Fight Georges St-Pierre in Canada". MMAJunkie.com. Archived from the original on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  22. ↑ Stupp, Dan (February 8, 2008). "UFC 83 Creates Record Sellout". MMAjunkie.com. Archived from the original on 2008-10-12. Retrieved February 22, 2009.
  23. ↑ Holland, Jesse (February 18, 2009). "UFC 97 to remain in Montreal on April 18". MMAmania.com. Retrieved February 18, 2009.
  24. ↑ Morgan, John (2012-12-15). "Georges St-Pierre vs. Nick Diaz official for UFC 158 in Montreal". MMAjunkie.com. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
  25. ↑ Andrews, Kenai (2012-12-17). "MMA Crossfire – St-Pierre vs Nick Diaz highlights UFC 158 welterweight trilogy in Montreal". The Gazette. Archived from the original on 2013-01-28. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
  26. ↑ Deibert, Dave (2012-12-12). "St-Pierre vs. Diaz, MacDonald vs. Condit targeted for UFC 158 in Montreal". The Star Phoenix. Archived from the original on 2013-02-04. Retrieved 2012-12-18.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
Montreal Forum		 Home of the
Montreal Canadiens
1996–present		 Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
Philips Arena		 Host of the
NHL All-Star Game
2009		 Succeeded by
RBC Center
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