NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Mellon Arena

The Mellon Arena (known as Pittsburgh Civic Arena from 1961–1999^[1] and informally known as "The Igloo") is an indoor arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is home to the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League and was formerly home to the Pittsburgh Hornets of the AHL; the Pittsburgh Rens of the ABL; the Pittsburgh Pipers and Pittsburgh Condors of the ABA; Pittsburgh CrosseFire of the NLL; and Pittsburgh Spirit of the MISL (among others). The arena seats 16,958 for ice hockey (17,132 at standing room capacity) and features 56 luxury suites and 1,696 club seats. Hockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard, round disc called a puck, into the opponents net or goal, using a hockey stick. ... Hockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard, round disc called a puck, into the opponents net or goal, using a hockey stick. ... This article is about the sport. ... Arena football is a sport invented by Jim Foster, a former executive of the United States Football League and the National Football League. ... The Big Top of Billy Smarts Circus Cambridge 2004. ... Outdoor ice skating in Austria Ice skating is travelling on ice with skates, narrow (and sometimes parabolic) blade-like devices moulded into special boots (or, more primitively, without boots, tied to regular footwear). ... A classical music concert in the Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne 2005 Kasia Kowalska concert in Warsaw A concert is a live performance, usually of music, before an audience. ... Ancient Greek wrestlers (Pankratiasts) Wrestling is the act of physical engagement between two unarmed persons, in which each wrestler strives to get an advantage over or control of their opponent. ... Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... The following is a list of indoor arenas. ... â€œPittsburghâ€ redirects here. ... The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... â€œNHLâ€ redirects here. ... The Pittsburgh Hornets were minor professional hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America, that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League (NHL). ... The Pittsburgh Rens were an American basketball team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that was a member of the American Basketball League. ... There have been three basketball leagues under this name in the United States: The original American Basketball League existed from 1925 to 1955 An American Basketball League played one full season in 1961-62, and part of the 1962-63 season The American Basketball League was a professional womens... The Pittsburgh Pipers were a professional basketball team in the original American Basketball Association. ... The Pittsburgh Condors were a professional basketball team in the original American Basketball Association, playing under that name from 1970 through 1972. ... For the league that began in 1999, see American Basketball Association (2000-). The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a professional basketball league founded in 1967, and eventually merged, in part, with the National Basketball Association (NBA). ... The Colorado Mammoth is a member of the National Lacrosse League, a professional sports league in North America. ... NLL redirects here. ... The Pittsburgh Spirit were an indoor soccer team based out of Pittsburgh and were one of the original six teams that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League. ... This article is about the 1978-1992 Major Indoor Soccer League. ... ARENA may refer to either: Nationalist Republican Alliance, a political party in El Salvador. ... Ice hockey, known simply as hockey in areas where it is more common than field hockey, is a team sport played on ice. ...

History

Pittsburgh Civic Arena, as it was originally known, was completed in 1961 at a cost of $22 million, which currently makes it the oldest arena in use in the NHL. Oddly enough, the arena was not originally intended for sports, but instead as to host the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, which had previously performed at Pitt Stadium but grew tired of having performances rained out. The building was—and remains—unique, and well ahead of its time. It was built with a retractable dome made of six stainless steel arched panels, five of which could roll under the sixth. When the weather was pleasant enough, the dome could open in two and a half minutes, turning Pittsburgh Civic Arena into an outdoor venue. Year 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... â€œNHLâ€ redirects here. ... Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera is a nonprofit professional theater company based in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvanias Cultural District. ... Pitt Stadium was a stadium that hosted football and track and field events starting in 1925. ...

The Civic Light Opera did not stay in the building long, however, as it became clear that the acoustics were poor. The group left the arena by 1968. The AHL's Hornets were replaced by the expansion Penguins in 1967 and accordingly, the arena was gradually expanded. Renovations in 1975 and 1993 added upper level seating at each end zone and luxury suites and club seating, increasing the overall seating from 12,000 to 17,000. The 1995 addition of a new scoreboard, however, robbed the arena of its signature element, permanently preventing the roof from opening. Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ...

The Civic Arena played host to the 1990 NHL All-Star game. In that game, Mario Lemieux scored four goals in front of his hometown crowd, en route to winning his third All-Star game Most Valuable Player award. The Civic Arena also hosted NHL Stanley Cup Finals games in both 1991 and 1992, as the Penguins won consecutive championships. Since 1984, the arena has been called "home" by three players who won NHL scoring titles and Most Valuable Player awards as members of the Penguins: Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, and Sidney Crosby. The 41st National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, on January 21, 1990. ... Mario Lemieux (born October 5, 1965, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played 17 seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006. ... Mario Lemieux (born October 5, 1965, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada) is a retired professional ice hockey centre who played 17 seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League between 1984 and 2006. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the NHLs Pittsburgh Penguins. ...

In 1995, the facility hosted the World Wrestling Federation's SummerSlam. Mellon Arena has gone on to host other WWF/WWE Pay-Per-View events, including King of the Ring in 1998 (responsible for a Hell in a Cell match that is frequently cited as one of the WWF's greatest), Unforgiven in 2001, and No Way Out in 2005. The WWE will also be hosting their annual WWE Armageddon pay-per-view for 2007 on December 16th. The WWE's visits over the years resulted in a record attendance for Mellon Arena: 18,150. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. ... SummerSlam 1995 was the eighth annual SummerSlam professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). ... Pay-per-view is the name given to a system by which television viewers can call and order events to be seen on TV and pay for the private telecast of that event to their homes later. ... King of the Ring logo (1999-present) King of the Ring is an annual World Wrestling Entertainment tournament first held in 1985. ... Hell in a Cell (sometimes referred to as Hell in the Cell) is a type of professional wrestling match seen in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in which the ring and ringside area are surrounded by a roofed steel cell which stands 16 feet (5 meters) off the ground. ... Unforgiven is an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment, which has been held in September since the 1999 edition. ... No Way Out is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). ... Armageddon is a professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment. ...

In 1999, the resident Pittsburgh Penguins signed an $18-million, 10-year agreement to rename the Civic Arena the Mellon Arena, after Pittsburgh-based money management firm Mellon Financial.^[1] However, many locals still refer to it as the 'Igloo' or 'Civic Arena'. This article is about the year. ... This company has completed its merger with Bank of New York for current information, See The Bank of New York Mellon Corporate headquarters, One Mellon Center in Pittsburgh, at night. ...

Problems with age and replacement

In recent years, the age of the arena has been a problem. Over the arena's lifetime, additions and renovations not initially envisioned have contributed to its unusual layout. In either "end zone" of the arena, the lower level seats farthest from the floor have their views obstructed by the overhanging upper level. This requires the aid of television monitors in the ceiling for fans to see the action. In addition, some seats must be covered with a tarp because of leaky sections in the building's roof.^{[citation needed]}

The aging arena is costly to maintain and does not produce enough revenue to keep the NHL's Penguins profitable.^{[citation needed]} It also has been unable to attract other events, such as concerts, due to the wiring and electrical capacity of the dated facility.

During a Penguins game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 19, 2006, the power abruptly went out in some sections of the arena, and the game was taken off the air while the technical difficulties were fixed. During this period, renderings and designs of a New Pittsburgh Arena were shown on the scoreboard as fans chanted, "New Arena, New Arena!" ^[2] For other uses, see Toronto Maple Leafs (disambiguation). ... The New Pittsburgh Arena is a description for a proposed sports venue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. ...

In addition, the visitors' dressing room is considered by many players from opposing teams as not being up to NHL standards. [1]

Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ...

Agreement for new Penguins arena

An agreement announced on March 13, 2007, between the Penguins, the city of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County and the state of Pennsylvania, calls for a New Pittsburgh Arena to be constructed for the start of the 2010/2011 NHL season. Although the Penguins' lease at Mellon Arena was scheduled to expire on June 30, 2007, the team extended it for two more years as part of a 30-year lease deal for the new facility. It is expected that the 2009/2010 season will be the team's last in Mellon Arena. is the 72nd day of the year (73rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The New Pittsburgh Arena is a description for a proposed sports venue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. ... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

Other events

Rock legend Alice Cooper brought his 1971 "Killer" tour to the Civic Arena on December 27th, 1971. The concert spectacle set a new record attendance of 14,400 and grossed $91,000. On December 31, 1976, Elvis Presley performed at the Civic Arena; it would be his last New Year's Eve, as he died eight months later. Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ... December 27 is the 361st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. ...

The arena has previously hosted NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament games, six Atlantic Ten Conference men's basketball tournaments (1978–1983), and, until the construction of the Petersen Events Center, was the alternate home court of the University of Pittsburgh men's basketball team. From its inception, it has been an alternate home court for the Duquesne University men's basketball team and was the team's primary home from 1965 to 1988. Since November 2005, the Pittsburgh Xplosion basketball team has played at both arenas. The Atlantic 10 Conference (A10) is a college athletic conference which operates mostly on the United States eastern seaboard. ... The John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Events Center is a 12,508-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related, doctoral/research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. ... Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit, Duquesne (IPA: ) first opened its doors as the Pittsburgh Catholic College of the Holy Ghost in October 1878 with an enrollment of 40... Look up November in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pittsburgh Xplosion is an ABA Basketball team founded in 2004 but owning the ABA Franchise license from the now defunct Pittsburgh Hardhats from 2000-2004. ...

Mellon Arena's roof has rarely been opened in recent years. The arena was the setting for the 1995 Jean Claude Van Damme action film Sudden Death, which was set during a fictional Game 7 Stanley Cup Final, and the climax featured the roof being opened during the game (surprisingly, without the fans noticing). The roof also was opened during a performance of area high school chourus groups (called "The Night Of 1000 Stars") during the climax of "Ode To Joy" as fireworks were set off above the darkened arena, and was opened again during part of ArenaBowl I, marking the only time in AFL history that a game was played in an open-air environment. The year 1995 in film involved some significant events. ... Jean-Claude Van Damme (born Jean-Claude Camille FranÃ§ois Van Varenberg in Sint-Agatha-Berchem, in the Brussels-Capital Region, on October 18, 1960), is a Belgian martial artist and actor who is most known for his action movies. ... Look up Action film in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sudden Death is a 1995 action movie, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. ... The Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup (French: ) is the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL), the major professional ice hockey league in Canada and the United States. ... Date August 1, 1987 Arena Pittsburgh Civic Arena City Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Attendance 13,232 MVP Gary Mullen, WR/DB, Denver Ironman of the Game Steve Trimble, WR/DB, Denver Winning Coach Tim Marcum Losing Coach Joe Haering U.S. TV Network ESPN Announcers Lee Corso, Bob Rathbun, and ? Arena Bowl... The Arena Football League (AFL) was founded in 1987 as an American football indoor league. ...

Another movie filmed at Mellon Arena was the 1979 basketball movie, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh is an American sports/fantasy comedy film that was released in 1979. ...

The Arena also will host the 2009 CBA All-Star Game, as it is home to the Pittsburgh Xplosion

References

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 364th day of the year (365th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. ... Pittsburgh Xplosion is an ABA Basketball team founded in 2004 but owning the ABA Franchise license from the now defunct Pittsburgh Hardhats from 2000-2004. ... Year 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The New Pittsburgh Arena is a description for a proposed sports venue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Coordinates: 40°26′29.97″N, 79°59′24.33″W Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...

Categories: All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | Continental Basketball Association arenas | 1961 architecture | American Basketball Association venues | Atlantic Ten Conference Men's Basketball Tournament Venues | College basketball venues | Domes | Indoor arenas in the United States | Indoor ice hockey venues in the United States | Indoor lacrosse venues in the United States | Music venues in Pittsburgh | National Hockey League venues | Pittsburgh Hornets | Pittsburgh Penguins | Pittsburgh Pipers | Retractable-roof stadiums | Sports venues in Pennsylvania | Sports venues in Pittsburgh | Sports in Pittsburgh The following is a list of National Hockey League arenas including past, present, and future arenas: // Map of Arenas National Hockey League arenas HP Pavilion Honda Center General Motors Place Staples Center Jobing. ... â€œNHLâ€ redirects here. ... Eastern Conference logo, circa 2006 French version of the Eastern Conference logo The Eastern Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League (NHL) used to divide teams. ... North Entrance Atrium. ... The BankAtlantic Center (formerly known as the Broward County Civic Arena, the National Car Rental Center and the Office Depot Center) is an indoor arena located in Sunrise, Florida, a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ... Centre Bell, Montreal Centre Bell, Montreal The Bell Centre (French: Centre Bell), formerly known as the Molson Centre, has been the home of the Montreal Canadiens since March 16, 1996, when the team departed from the historic Montreal Forum after their last game on March 11 of the same year. ... HSBC Arena HSBC Arena is a sports and entertainment venue located in downtown Buffalo, New York, USA. It is home to the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team. ... Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, known colloquially simply as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City, United States. ... The Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, commonly known as Nassau Coliseum (or simply The Coliseum), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, on Long Island. ... The Philips Arena is a indoor arena in Atlanta, Georgia. ... Prudential Tower in 1963, with construction not quite finished. ... The RBC Center (originally the Raleigh Entertainment and Sports Arena) is an indoor arena located in Raleigh, North Carolina. ... The St. ... Scotiabank Place (Place Banque Scotia in French), formerly the Corel Centre, is an arena in Ottawa, Ontario and home to the NHLs Ottawa Senators. ... TD Banknorth Garden is a sports arena in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. ... The Verizon Center is a sports and entertainment arena in Washington, D.C., USA, named after telecommunications sponsor Verizon Communications. ... The Wachovia Center, formerly known as the CoreStates Center and the First Union Center, is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. ... The Western Conference is one of two conferences in the National Hockey League used to divide teams. ... The American Airlines Center is an arena located in the Victory Park neighborhood near downtown Dallas, Texas that is used for hockey games, basketball games, football games and concerts. ... General Motors Place, sponsored by General Motors Canada, is an indoor arena at 800 Griffiths Way in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ... The HP Pavilion at San Jose, commonly called The Shark Tank or The Tank, both of which come from its primary tenant, or, just simply, the HP Pavilion, or less often as San Jose Arena (after its former name), is an indoor arena located at 525 West Santa Clara Street... Honda Center, previously known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim and sometimes colloquially called the Honda Ponda, is an indoor arena in Anaheim, California. ... Jobing. ... Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed Hockeytown, The Joe, and JLA, is the home of the National Hockey League franchise the Detroit Red Wings. ... Nationwide Arena is a sports and entertainment arena in Columbus, Ohio. ... The Pengrowth Saddledome is the main indoor arena facility in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and is situated on the east end of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede grounds and Macleod Trail. ... Pepsi Center is an arena located in Denver, Colorado, USA. The building is home to the Colorado Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Mammoth and Colorado Crush. ... Wayne Gretzkys statue located outside the area Rexall Place (formerly known as the Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton Coliseum and Skyreach Centre) is an indoor arena in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. ... Scottrade Center Scottrade Center (formerly Kiel Center and Savvis Center) is an arena located in downtown St. ... Sommet Center (formerly Nashville Arena and Gaylord Entertainment Center and pronounced soh-MAY) is an all-purpose venue in downtown Nashville, Tennessee which was completed in 1996. ... Staples Center is a multipurpose sports arena in Downtown Los Angeles, California adjacent to the LA Live development. ... The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in the Near West Side community area of Chicago, Illinois, named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. ... The Xcel Energy Center as it appeared during the 2004 NHL All-Star Weekend. ... The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) is a professional mens basketball league in the United States. ... The Butte Civic Center is a 5,497-seat multi-purpose arena in Butte, Montana, USA. It hosts locals sporting events and concerts. ... Four Seasons Arena is a multi-use indoor arena in Great Falls, Montana. ... The Great Plains Coliseum is a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Lawton, Oklahoma, USA. It hosts locals sporting events and concerts. ... The McAllen Convention Center is a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena and convention center in McAllen, Texas, USA. It hosts locals sporting events and concerts. ... The Yakima SunDome is a 6,195 seat multi-purpose arena in Yakima, Washington. ... Eastern Kentucky Expo Center is a 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Pikeville, Kentucky. ... The John H. Lewis Gymnasium is a 7,000 seat venue on the campus of Morris Brown College. ... The Minot Municial Auditorium is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in Minot, North Dakota. ... The Washington Avenue Armory is a 3,500 seat multi-purpose arena in Albany, New York. ...

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