Honda Center
| Honda Center |
Location: 2685 E. Katella Avenue Owner(s): City of Anaheim Tenant(s): Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) (occasional games 1994-1999) Broke ground: June 1991 Opened: June 19, 1993 Cost: $123 million USD Architect:HOK Sport Capacity: Basketball: 17,600 |
The Honda Center, previously known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (still referred to as by purists), is an indoor arena in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the NHL's Anaheim Ducks and was home of the former NLL's Anaheim Storm, which folded in 2005. It was completed in 1993 at a cost of 123 million. Arrowhead paid $15 million for the naming rights over 10 years a few months after the arena opened. Honda Motor Company has acquired the naming rights to the Pond and the arena changed its name in October 2006.
It opened on June 19, 1993, its first event a Barry Manilow concert. Since then, it has been host to a number of high profile events, such as the Stanley Cup Finals (2003), various WWE events such as WrestleMania XII, WrestleMania 2000 (XVI), and the Royal Rumble in 1999, UFC 59, and UFC 63. It has also hosted high profile concerts since, such as Aerosmith, Coldplay, U2, Shakira, Madonna, Queen, Britney Spears, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, and many more. From 1994 to 1998, it served as a second home for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. Also served as the home arena for the Anaheim Bullfrogs of Roller Hockey International from 1993 to 1999 and for the Anaheim Piranhas of the Arena Football League from 1996 to 1997. It also hosts the annual John R. Wooden Classic (since 1994). The arena has also hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament three times as the West Regional site - 1998, 2001, and 2003. It even hosted the Frozen Four in 1999, underscoring the popularity of hockey even in the desert southwest.
The Honda Center lies across the street from Angel Stadium (where MLB's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim play) and roughly 5 miles away from Disneyland.
The arena seats up 17,174 for its primary tenant, the Ducks. There are 84 luxury suites in the building, which has hosted 17.5 million people as of 2003.
Broadcom chairman and billionaire Henry Samueli owns the company which operates the arena, and on February 25, 2005, The Walt Disney Company announced that it would sell the Ducks to Samueli, giving him control of the arena's lease.
[edit] Notes
- The Honda Center was used as the site of the Junior Goodwill Games in [[The D2: The Mighty Ducks.
- The Honda Center was the site of the fictional 2005 Democratic National Convention in the TV series The West Wing.
- It takes only five hours to convert the Honda Center from an arena to an 8,400-seat amphitheater.
