Matthews Arena
CAA) (1930–1943, 1946–present) ) (1918–1943, 1945–1971)
WIT Leopards (ECAC) (1992–present) Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey (independent/IHL/TL/QL/PL) (1911–1917, 1921–1943, 1945–1956) Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey (independent) (1917–1929, 1932–1943, 1945–1958) Boston University Terriers men's ice hockey (independent/ECAC New England Whalers (WHA ) (1972–1973) |
Matthews Arena (formerly Boston Arena) is a
The arena opened in 1910 on what is now the east end of
Today, Matthews Arena is owned by the university. It is used by the Northeastern Huskies men's and women's ice hockey teams, and men's basketball team as well as various high school ice hockey programs in the city of Boston. The venue also hosts Northeastern's graduation ceremonies, its annual Springfest concert, and other events.
The closest MBTA station is the
History
Originally named the Boston Arena, groundbreaking took place on October 11, 1909. The 1896 United States skating champion Herbert S. Evans dug the first portion of earth. The arena was to have a capacity of 5,000 and was to be used for ice skating, curling, horse shows, and a variety of sporting events.[4] The arena had its own power plant, which powered the two 100-ton ice machines and all of the arena's lighting. Charles C. Abbey was the first president and treasurer of the Boston Arena Company and William T. Richardson was the building's first general manager.[5] The arena was scheduled to open on Christmas Day 1909, but construction delays pushed back the opening until April 25, 1910.[4] The arena's inaugural event was an ice carnival to benefit the Sharon Sanatorium. Skating events were held throughout the day, including a performance by Irving Brokaw. The area's first ice hockey game was won by the Harvard Freshmen hockey team, who defeated Newton High School, 4–0. The Harvard varsity squad played later that evening, losing to Crescent H. C., 1–0.[6] The Arena's original ice surface was larger than the current standard at 220-by-90-foot (67 m × 27 m).[7]
The Arena was partially destroyed by fire on December 18, 1918. It was rebuilt, and the new facility opened January 1, 1921, with an ice show.[8] Harvard played the first hockey game after being reopened, January 8, 1921, against Kings College.
The first games of professional ice hockey at the Arena took place in March 1911 when a two-game $2,500 competition between two
Matthews is where the hockey programs of Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, MIT, Northeastern University, Tufts University, Boston State College (later merged into the University of Massachusetts Boston) and Wentworth Institute of Technology all began.
In basketball, the Boston Celtics played their first game at the Arena in 1946, and played at the Arena until 1955.[3]
The Arena was purchased in 1979 by Northeastern University. The Arena was renamed in 1982 when Northeastern alumnus George J. Matthews helped fund its refurbishment. The arena was briefly known as Northeastern Arena as well. A 1995 renovation expanded the ice surface from 200 by 80 to 200 by 90 feet (61 m × 24 m to 61 m × 27 m).
Matthews Arena has played host to many famous people and events during its lifetime. Matthews hosted every president from Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 to John F. Kennedy in 1946. Other dignitaries to hold events at the arena include Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Boxing was once a mainstay at the arena and hosted bouts with Jack Sharkey, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Joe Louis and Marvin Hagler. Muhammad Ali trained at what was called Santos Gym, where the Varsity Club now sits, for his second bout with Sonny Liston. Professional wrestling events were also staged there. In the 1950s the arena also hosted the Rodeo led by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.
Matthews Arena also proved famous as a concert venue during much of its lifetime. On Saturday evening May 3, 1958 the 'Big Beat' Rock n Roll show hosted by
Matthews has hosted all or part of the
See also
- Huntington Avenue Grounds, site of the nearby first home of the Boston Red Sox baseball team (playing there 1901–1911), existed on current Northeastern University property
- List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas
References
- ^ "Matthews Arena". Northeastern University. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
- ^ a b "Northeastern University Athletics Official Website". Gonu.com. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
- ^ a b c Katy Fitzpatrick (October 2, 2009). ""New Season Brings Renovated Arena for Northeastern," USCHO.com, October 2, 2009". Uscho.com. Archived from the original on January 9, 2010. Retrieved March 18, 2011.
- ^ a b "Work Begun on New Arena". The Boston Daily Globe. October 12, 1909.
- ^ "Building to be Pushed". The Boston Daily Globe. November 29, 1909.
- ^ "Crowd Out for Ice Carnival". The Boston Daily Globe. April 26, 1910.
- ^ a b Ross 2015, p. 113.
- ^ "New Arena Ice Palace Opens". Boston Post. January 2, 1921. p. 19.
- ^ "Wanderers lose the $2,500 purse". Montreal Gazette. March 27, 1911. p. 10.
- ^ "NHL hockey came to the U.S. on Dec. 1, 1924". nhl.com. National Hockey League. December 1, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
The National Hockey League celebrates another historic anniversary...remembering the first NHL game played in the United States, as the Boston Bruins hosted the Montreal Maroons, both expansion teams, at the Boston Arena on Dec. 1, 1924.
- ^ "Canadiens Downed Boston, Rallying in Final Period". The Montreal Gazette. Boston, MA USA. Canadian Press. December 9, 1924. p. 16. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
The world champion Canadiens defeated Boston in a fast game here tonight, 4-3, incidentally giving 5,000 Boston hockey fans the best exhibition of the Canadian game on record here.
- ^ "D1 Men's Ice Hockey". NCAA.
- ^ Klein, Jeff Z. (December 29, 2009). "Matthews Arena, the Ice Rink That Changed Boston Hockey". New York Times. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
Bibliography
- Ross, J. Andrew (2015). Joining the Clubs: The Business of the National Hockey League to 1945. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 9780815633839.