FirstOntario Centre

Coordinates: 43°15′33″N 79°52′21″W / 43.25917°N 79.87250°W / 43.25917; -79.87250
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the arena in Hamilton. For the arts and cultural venue in St. Catharines, see FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

FirstOntario Centre
Hamilton Honey Badgers (CEBL) 2019–2022
Hamilton Bulldogs (OHL) 2015–2023
Toronto Rock (NLL) 2021–present
Website
https://www.coreentertainment.ca/venues/detail/firstontario-centre

FirstOntario Centre (originally Copps Coliseum) is a sports and entertainment arena at the corner of Bay Street North and York Boulevard in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1985, it has a capacity of up to 19,000.

History

Hamilton was left without a large ice hockey venue after the Barton Street Arena was demolished in 1977, and even that arena had a small seating capacity by modern standards. Construction on the new site was started in 1983 and completed two years later at a cost of $33.5 million, with an additional $2.3 million spent on a parking garage. The project was overseen by Hamiltonian Joseph Pigott.[6] The arena was originally named Copps Coliseum after long-time mayor

Member of Provincial Parliament of Ontario Sheila Copps
, and wife, Geraldine, who was a long-time councillor.

The arena's first scoreboard was purchased from the Winnipeg Arena for $214,000. That original Day Signs/Naden scoreboard, built in Toronto, was replaced in the early-1990s by a centre-hung scoreboard with an electronic message centre on each side, which, in return was replaced by the current scoreboard, which was built in Hamilton by Media Resources, featuring a LED video board on each side.

The arena has hosted many teams and events over the years. The

United States
.

The first WWF Royal Rumble, which was shown on the USA Network, was held in the arena on January 24, 1988. Copps hosted the WWF pay-per-view Breakdown: In Your House on September 27, 1998, and the Billy Graham crusade that year, attended by 19,000 spectators each night. The Grateful Dead played the Coliseum on four occasions, with two dates in 1990 and two dates in 1992.

In November 2022, it was announced that beginning in the late summer of 2023, the arena would close for 20 months due to renovations. This will force the

Mississauga, Ontario.[9] This was also to allow 5 Cirque du Soleil performances at the arena before its closing. However, in September 2023, it was announced that renovation would be delayed and that the Toronto Rock will play the entirety of the 2023/24 season in Hamilton before relocating to Mississauga for the 2024/25 season.[10]

Basketball

The Hamilton Skyhawks debuted with a 101–99 win over the Halifax Windjammers in World Basketball League play, in 1992. The league folded during the season, and several Canadian teams, including the Skyhawks formed the National Basketball League for 1993, but the Hawks moved to Edmonton for the playoffs, then folded.

The Coliseum was host to the

Air Canada Centre, the Toronto Raptors played three regular season games at Copps Coliseum,[11] as well as a preseason game in 1997.[12] In 1998 a strange twist of scheduling conflicts led the Toronto Raptors to play their final regular season game in Hamilton, as the Toronto Blue Jays had first right of refusal for all SkyDome dates. The Raptors had attempted to play the April 19 match at Maple Leaf Gardens, but were unsuccessful.[13]

AHL and OHL

The American Hockey League expanded to Copps in 1992 in the form of Vancouver's affiliate, the Hamilton Canucks. After two seasons, the team was moved to Syracuse, where they became one of the league's most stable[further explanation needed] franchises.

In October 1996, Copps Coliseum became home to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League. The Bulldogs, who were the top affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers (1996–2003) and the Montreal Canadiens (2002–2015), brought over 2 million fans to the arena. On June 7, 2007, the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs won their first Calder Cup Championship in franchise history at home in Copps Coliseum, defeating the Hershey Bears.

In 2015, Montreal moved its AHL affiliate to

St. John's,[14] and the Ontario Hockey League's Belleville Bulls moved to Hamilton to carry the Bulldogs banner, and Hamilton's traditional black and yellow colours, in the junior league.[15]
The Bulldogs are the primary tenant in the facility.

NHL ambitions

Copps Coliseum was built to National Hockey League capacity and specifications in the hope that it would allow Hamilton to acquire an NHL expansion franchise. However, said arena is just 36.3 miles from the home venue of the Toronto Maple Leafs and 57.9 miles from the home venue of the Buffalo Sabres, both of which have opposed an NHL franchise in Hamilton. Copps hosted 8 regular-season neutral-site games during the 1992–93 and 1993–94 seasons, mostly featuring the Maple Leafs or Sabres.

In 2007, Waterloo billionaire

Hamilton Spectator and others reported that Hamilton mayor Fred Eisenberger was to meet with a second group interested in securing a lease. The group, led by Vancouver businessmen Tom Gaglardi and Nelson Skalbania, was interested in securing an interest in the Atlanta Thrashers and moving them to the centre for the 2010–11 NHL season.[19] The team moved to Winnipeg in 2011, becoming the second incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets instead. On May 13, 2009, The Canadian Press reported on TSN.ca that Balsillie won the exclusive rights to Hamilton's Copps Coliseum until November after a unanimous vote by Hamilton city council. On May 29, 2009, Balsillie unveiled his plans to renovate the Centre into a state-of-the-art facility in anticipation of an NHL franchise coming to Hamilton.[20]
It is unknown whether these renovations will come to fruition since Balsillie lost his bid to buy the Coyotes.

In 2008, it was announced that the Golden Horseshoe would be bidding for the 2015 Pan American Games. On February 18, 2009, Copps Coliseum was identified as the proposed site for the volleyball competition for the Games, but it did not host any events.

On January 3, 2014, Nitro Circus performed at the stadium for the first ever and only stop in Canada. Due to the high-risk nature of their stunt-based shows, most North American venues will not host the events.

On January 27, 2014, Hamilton City council voted unanimously to approve a $3.5-million deal to rename Copps Coliseum after local credit union First Ontario. The city unveiled the new look signage, FirstOntario Centre, later that spring. A smaller sign reading "In honour of Victor K. Copps" appears to its right on the Bay side of the arena, and below it on the York side.

Curling

In 2007, from March 3 to 11, Copps Coliseum hosted the 2007 Tim Hortons Brier, the annual Canadian men's curling championship. The Coliseum hosted the West 49 Canadian Open, from September 20 to October 1.

Images

  • FirstOntario Centre, Bay St., looking north
    FirstOntario Centre, Bay St., looking north
  • FirstOntario Centre
    FirstOntario Centre
  • FirstOntario Centre looking east on York Boulevard
    FirstOntario Centre looking east on York Boulevard
  • Hamilton Bulldogs Goal Celebration
    Hamilton Bulldogs Goal Celebration

See also

References

  1. ^ "Balsillie Picked NHL Consultant for Copps Job". The Hamilton Spectator. May 30, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2011.
  2. ^ 1688 to 1923: Geloso, Vincent, A Price Index for Canada, 1688 to 1850 (December 6, 2016). Afterwards, Canadian inflation numbers based on Statistics Canada tables 18-10-0005-01 (formerly CANSIM 326-0021) "Consumer Price Index, annual average, not seasonally adjusted". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021. and table 18-10-0004-13 "Consumer Price Index by product group, monthly, percentage change, not seasonally adjusted, Canada, provinces, Whitehorse, Yellowknife and Iqaluit". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  3. ^ "Awards". Sink Combs Dethlefs. Archived from the original on March 31, 2012. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  4. ^ "Entertainment". John A. Martin & Associates. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  5. ^ Hall, Dave (November 30, 1985). "A Major League Gamble Rolls Today". Windsor Star. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  6. Hamilton Spectator
    . Retrieved February 11, 2007.
  7. ^ "Opinion | Teams angry FirstOntario Centre renos will displace them for two seasons". The Hamilton Spectator. November 12, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  8. ^ "Honey Badgers leave Hamilton for Brampton after being forced out of FirstOntario Centre, CEBL says". CBC News. November 28, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  9. ^ "2023-24 TORONTO ROCK SEASON WILL BEGIN IN HAMILTON FOLLOWED BY TEMPORARY RELOCATION TO MISSISSAUGA".
  10. ^ "Toronto Rock Will Play Upcoming Season in Hamilton From Start to Finish".
  11. Xinhua. Archived from the original
    on October 12, 2013. Retrieved October 5, 2013.
  12. ^ Smith, Doug (October 25, 1997). "Raptors in Too Deep Against Nuggets". Toronto Star.
  13. ^ "Raptors Move Final Game to Hamilton". Associated Press. January 7, 1998.
  14. ^ "The Montreal Canadiens announce the transfer of the Hamilton Bulldogs to St.John's, Newfoundland". Montreal Canadiens. March 12, 2015.
  15. ^ "Hamilton Bulldogs sell AHL franchise, buy the OHL Belleville Bulls". CBC News. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
  16. ^ "Jim Balsillie Puts in Offer on Phoenix Coyotes". TSN. May 6, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  17. ^ "Statement on Copps Coliseum NHL Lease Option" (Press release). Veritas Communications Inc. May 14, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  18. ^ "Jim Balsillie statement on NHL in Hamilton" (Press release). Veritas Communications Inc. May 13, 2009. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  19. ^ Shoalts, David (May 9, 2009). "Hamilton Mayor Only Focused on Balsillie". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved May 24, 2012.
  20. ^ "Jim Balsillie Unveils Dramatic Revitalization for Copps Coliseum" (Press release). Veritas Communications Inc. May 29, 2009. Archived from the original on June 1, 2009. Retrieved May 29, 2009.

External links

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