HSBC Arena
| HSBC Arena | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | One Seymour Knox III Plaza Buffalo, New York, 14203 |
| Opened | September 21, 1996 |
| Owner | Hockey Western New York, LLC |
| Construction cost | $127.5 million |
| Architect | Ellerbe Becket |
| Former names | Crossroads Arena (1996) Marine Midland Arena (1996-1999) |
| Tenants | |
| Buffalo Sabres (NHL)
(1996-present) Buffalo Bandits (NLL) (1996-present) Buffalo Destroyers (AFL) (1999-2003) Buffalo Blizzard (NPSL) (1996-2001) Buffalo Wings (RHI) (1997-1999) |
|
| Capacity | |
| Hockey: 18,690 Concerts: 18,500 Basketball: 19,200 |
|
HSBC Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in downtown
Buffalo, New York,
The arena also hosts concerts and is used regularly for college basketball games. It has been home to the NCAA (2000, 2004, 2007) and MAAC (1997, 1999, 2001, 2005) men's basketball tournaments. In 2003 the Arena hosted the Frozen Four NCAA Ice Hockey tournament. In addition, HSBC Arena has been used for wrestling, hosting WWF Fully Loaded 1999, WCW Fall Brawl 2000, and the 2005 WWE Great American Bash.
For sporting events, the arena can seat 18,690 spectators. In the event that the arena is being used for a concert, basketball game, or similar event, the total number would increase - accounting for seats or standing space on the arena's floor. Both sporting events and concerts at the arena are served by the Special Events station of the Buffalo Metro Rail.
History
HSBC Arena opened September 21, 1996, replacing the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. It was known during construction as Crossroads Arena. However, naming rights were sold to Marine Midland Bank, part of the HSBC banking group, and the building was renamed Marine Midland Arena before the first game had been played. In 1999, as part of HSBC's worldwide corporate rebranding, the arena's name was changed to HSBC Arena. This name change coincided with the playing of the first college basketball tournament game in the arena's history. It has been occasionally referred to by Buffalo residents as The Marina (a portmanteau of Marine Midland Arena), Fort Knox (a reference to the Sabres original owners Seymour and Northrup Knox). The press box in the arena is named after former Sabres broadcaster and Hockey Hall of Fame member Ted Darling. Rick Jeanneret is the Sabres play-by-play man. On October 2, 2007 it was announced by the team that Harry Neale will be the new color commentator for the team.
In time for the Buffalo Sabres' 2007-2008 season, a new scoreboard was installed. It features four large high-definition video screens, surrounded by two 360-degree LED ribbon boards. The bottom of the board features large Buffalo Sabres logos with giant sabres crossed behind them. The handles of the sabres are lit with blue LED lights.
Jumbotron accident
On November 16, 1996, the arena's Jumbotron, an eight-sided scoreboard, fell to the ice while it was being remotely moved minutes after a few players ended practice and hours before a game between the Sabres and Boston Bruins. Nobody was injured, but the game was postponed.
External links
| Preceded by Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 1970–1996 |
Home of the Buffalo Sabres 1996–present |
Succeeded by current |
| Current arenas in the National Lacrosse League | |
|---|---|
| Eastern Division | Air Canada Centre · Blue Cross Arena · HSBC Arena · Madison Square Garden · Sears Centre · TD Banknorth Garden · Wachovia Center · Xcel Energy Center |
| Western Division | HP Pavilion · Jobing.com Arena · Pengrowth Saddledome · Pepsi Center · Rexall Place · Rose Garden Arena |
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