Honda Center

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Honda Center
The Pond
Honda Center.svg
Hondacenter2010 (croppedd).jpg
Honda Center in 2010
Honda Center is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Honda Center
Honda Center
Location in L.A. metro area
Former namesAnaheim Arena (planning/construction)
Pond of Anaheim (1993)
Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (1993–2006)
Address2695 East Katella Avenue
LocationAnaheim, California
Coordinates33°48′28″N 117°52′36″W / 33.80778°N 117.87667°W / 33.80778; -117.87667Coordinates: 33°48′28″N 117°52′36″W / 33.80778°N 117.87667°W / 33.80778; -117.87667
Public transitAmtrak Metrolink (California) Anaheim
OwnerCity of Anaheim
OperatorAnaheim Arena Management
CapacityHockey: 17,174;
Basketball: 18,336;
Concerts (center stage) 18,900; Concerts (end stage) 18,325
Theatre at the Honda Center: 8,400
Field size650,000 square feet (60,000 m2)
Construction
Broke groundNovember 8, 1990
OpenedJune 19, 1993
Construction costUS$123 million
($244 million in 2020 dollars[1])
ArchitectHOK Sport (now Populous)
Project managerTurner Construction
Structural engineerThornton Tomasetti[2]
Services engineerSyska Hennessy Group, Inc.[3]
General contractorHuber, Hunt & Nichols[4]
Tenants
Anaheim Ducks (NHL) (1993–present)
Anaheim Bullfrogs (RHI/MLRH) (1994–1999)
Anaheim Splash (CISL) (1994–1997)
Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) (1994–1999)
Anaheim Piranhas (AFL) (1996–1997)
Anaheim Storm (NLL) (2004–2005)
UCLA Bruins (NCAA) (2011–2012)
Los Angeles Kiss (AFL) (2014–2016)

The Honda Center (formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim) is an indoor arena located in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League.

Originally named the Anaheim Arena during construction, it was completed in 1993 at a cost of US$123 million. Arrowhead Water paid $15 million for the naming rights over 10 years in October 1993.[5] In the short period of time after the Mighty Ducks franchise was awarded and before the naming rights deal with Arrowhead, Disney referred to the Arena as the Pond of Anaheim.[6] In October 2006, Honda paid $60 million for the naming rights over 15 years,[7] and renewed the deal for another decade in 2020.[8]

History[]

A panorama of Honda Center's exterior
Panorama of Honda Center's interior before a 2007 playoff hockey game
Honda Center in its basketball configuration before an NCAA basketball game
The New Scoreboard at Honda Center as seen from Section 438 during the 2016 Stanley Cup Play-offs on April 27, 2016

The idea for a large indoor arena in Anaheim emerged from entertainment attorney Neil Papiano, who in 1987 randomly selected two of the city's councilmen from the telephone directory to sell them his idea. They approved of the concept, and one year later following location surveys, the placement was chosen at a seven-acre parcel at Douglass Road and Katella Avenue, that at the time was owned by the German social group Phoenix Club. Papiano also managed to get financial backing from two New York-based firms, Ogden Corporation and Nederlander Organization.[9] Even if there was a dispute to build an arena on Orange County with a Santa Ana project led by Spectacor, and there were discussions of feasibility of the arena given the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League were at the time unwilling to expand to the area,[10] the city of Anaheim pushed forward to built the Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc.-designed arena,[11] which broke ground in November 1990.[9] A tenant was finally found in 1992, as The Walt Disney Corporation had just been awarded an NHL franchise for Anaheim, entering negotiations to lease the arena.[12] Once the deal was broken, the arena's final cost ended at $121 million, as $18 million were added to finance hockey franchise fees and facility improvement.[9]

The arena opened on June 19, 1993, with a Barry Manilow concert as its first event.[13] The then-Arrowhead Pond's first NHL game was also the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season opener on October 8, 1993, against the Detroit Red Wings, preceded by a 20-minute pregame show at the cost of $450,000. The Ducks lost 7–2.[14] Since then, the arena has been host to a number of events, such as the 2003 and 2007 Stanley Cup Finals.[13] On June 6, 2007, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Ottawa Senators, 6–2, in game five of the Final at Honda Center to clinch the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship.[15]

Honda Center has hosted several UFC events, starting with UFC 59 in 2006.[16] It hosted the 2005 IBF World Championships for badminton in 2005.[17]

From 1994 to 1999, it served as a second home for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. It was the home arena for the Anaheim Bullfrogs of Roller Hockey International from 1994 to 1999 and for the Anaheim Piranhas of the Arena Football League from 1996 to 1997.[18]

This arena has also hosted a PBR Bud Light Cup (later Built Ford Tough Series) event annually since 1998.[19] Since 1994, the arena has hosted the annual Wooden Legacy basketball tournament.[20]

In 2011, the arena began hosting the Big West Conference Men's and Women's Basketball tournaments.[21] The arena has also hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament seven times, as the West Regional site – 1998, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2019. It even hosted the Frozen Four, the semifinals and final of the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship, in 1999, underscoring the popularity of hockey in the region.[13]

On December 6, 2000, music legend Tina Turner played her last concert at the arena for the record breaking Twenty Four Seven Tour, but after popular demand, Turner returned to the arena before a sellout crowd on October 14, 2008, for her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour.

The Honda Center lies northeast across California State Route 57 from Angel Stadium (the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels) and roughly 3 miles (4.8 km) from Disneyland Park. It is also across the street from Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center with service by Amtrak (Pacific Surfliner), Metrolink (Orange County Line), Anaheim Resort Transit, Orange County Transportation Authority and private transportation companies.

The arena seats up to 17,174 for its primary tenant, the Ducks. It takes only five hours to convert Honda Center from a sporting arena to an 8,400-seat amphitheater. There are 84 luxury suites in the building, which has hosted 17.5 million people, as of 2003. In 2005, the arena became the first in the U.S. to have two full levels of 360° ribbon displays installed. Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota, designed, manufactured and installed the 1,800 feet (550 m) of full-color LED technology. Outside the venue, the marquee was upgraded with two large video displays measuring 8 feet (2.4 m) high by 21 feet (6.4 m), and a new marquee was built with more LED video displays.[22]

Broadcom chairman Henry Samueli owns the company that operates the arena, Anaheim Arena Management, LLC, and the arena's primary tenant, the Ducks, giving him great flexibility in scheduling events and recruiting new tenants. AAM was founded in 2003 to take over operations of the arena from the bankrupt Ogden Corp.,[23] which had already sold the arena's concession deal to Aramark in 2000 - [24] who remained providing foods and drinks until 2013, when concessions became an in-house operation.[25]

Samueli hopes to bring an NBA team to the arena. In 2015, Samueli purchased the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League and, with the AHL incarnation of the Admirals, relocating to San Diego to become the reactivated San Diego Gulls. During the 2014–2015 NHL Season, it was announced that Honda Center would get a new scoreboard that will replace the one that was in place since its opening in 1993. The new scoreboard made its debut in a Ducks pre-season game against the Los Angeles Kings.[26]

In March 2020, the arena would lose all its scheduled events because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[27] For the rest of the year, Honda Center would instead host charity events, such as blood drives, food bank distributions, and a collective wedding, along with serving as a drive-through voting location for the 2020 United States presidential election.[28] The Ducks would only play again in the arena once the following NHL season started in January 2021, with a reduced audience of 2,000 being allowed to attend the final five games of the season, starting with an April 17 matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights.[29]

Notable events[]

Ice Hockey[]

  • Games 3, 4, and 6 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals
  • Games 1, 2, and 5 of the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals
  • 1999 Frozen Four

MMA & Pro Wrestling[]

Concerts[]

Honda Center has the second highest gross ticket sales from special events on the West Coast, following only Staples Center.[33] These events have included the following over the years:

  • Barbra Streisand recorded the final date here from her first tour in 30 years Barbra Streisand in Concert in June 1994.
  • Smashing Pumpkins performed on December 9 and December 10, 1996 as part of their Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness tour.
  • Rock band No Doubt, natives of Anaheim, recorded their two 1997 concert stops at Honda Center, releasing them as their first concert video, Live in the Tragic Kingdom.
  • Janet Jackson performed for the first time at the arena during her The Velvet Rope Tour on August 23, 1998. She returned for her All for You Tour on September 29, 2001 and returned on September 23, 2017, as part of her State of the World Tour.
  • TLC performed at the arena on January 7, 2000 during their FanMail Tour. The tour would be their last as a trio. Band member Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes was killed in a car accident in April 2002.
  • Santana performed a sold-out four night run at the arena from August 11 to August 14, 1999 during their Supernatural Tour.
  • Britney Spears performed on 20 November 2001 during her Dream Within a Dream Tour. She returned on April 19 and 20, 2009 for her The Circus Starring Britney Spears and on June 24, 2011 with her Femme Fatale Tour.
  • KIIS-FM's Jingle Ball – December 19, 2002, December 3, 2004, December 7, 2006, October 27, 2007 and December 6, 2008
  • When No Doubt's lead singer, Gwen Stefani embarked on a solo venture, she filmed her two homecoming concerts at Honda Center in 2005. The DVD was released as Harajuku Lovers Live.
  • Mariah Carey's latest DVD release, entitled The Adventures of Mimi was recorded at the Honda Center on October 8, 2006, during The Adventures of Mimi Tour.
  • The Jonas Brothers recorded the companion album to their 3-D concert movie at the Honda Center.
  • U2 performed at the arena five times: the first, the second and the third were on April 23, 24 and 26, 2001 during their Elevation Tour, in front of a total sold-out crowd of 49,377 people. The fourth and the fifth were on April 1 and 2, 2005 during their Vertigo Tour, in front of a total sold-out crowd of 33,535 people.
  • Depeche Mode performed at the arena seven times. The first and the second were on December 20 and 22, 1998 during their Singles Tour. The third and the fourth were on August 18 and 19, 2001 during their Exciter Tour. The fifth one was on November 23, 2005 during their Touring the Angel. The sixth one was on August 19, 2009 during their Tour of the Universe, in front of a crowd of 12,430 people. The 2009 show was recorded for the group's live albums project Recording the Universe. The seventh was on May 22, 2018 during their Global Spirit Tour.
  • K-pop artists under S.M. Entertainment featuring BoA, TVXQ, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, SHINee, f(x) and EXO, performed the first show of their third world tour SMTown Live '12 World Tour making them the first Korean artists to perform at the arena. The May 20, 2012 show was an instant sell out. South Korean TV broadcast network MBC filmed and later aired an edited version of the concert.[34]
  • Jennifer Lopez brought her Dance Again World Tour to the arena on August 11, 2012.
  • K-pop boy band BIGBANG performed their first concert in the U.S. at the arena on November 2 and 3, 2012 as part of their Alive Galaxy Tour. They returned to the arena on October 4, 2015 for their Made World Tour.
  • Demi Lovato brought The Neon Lights Tour on February 13, 2014. She returned along with Nick Jonas for their Future Now Tour in the arena on August 17, 2016.
  • Katy Perry brought The Prismatic World Tour to the arena on September 16 and 17, 2014.
  • Miley Cyrus performed in the center during her Bangerz World Tour on February 20, 2014 making it Cyrus' 3rd sold-out concert at the Honda Center after previously selling out the center during her Best of Both Worlds Tour on November 3, 2007 and again during her Wonder World Tour on September 23, 2009.
  • Maroon 5 brought their Maroon V Tour to the arena on April 6, 2015.
  • Ariana Grande brought The Honeymoon Tour to the arena on April 10, 2015. She returned to the arena on March 30, 2017 for the Dangerous Woman Tour and returned on December 13, 2019 for the Sweetener World Tour.
  • Chris Brown performed for a sold-out crowd during his on September 18, 2015.
  • Selena Gomez brought her Revival Tour to the arena on July 9, 2016.
  • Pentatonix brought their Pentatonix World Tour 2016 to the arena on October 20, 2016.
  • Twenty One Pilots brought their Emotional Roadshow World Tour to the arena on February 15, 2017.
  • BTS brought their 2017 BTS Live Trilogy Episode III: The Wings Tour to the arena on April 1 and 2, 2017.
  • Live Nation hosted their 2017 Southern California Country Megaticket at the center due to the lease being up at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater which has been demolished to make way for housing.
  • Kendrick Lamar brought The Damn. Tour to the arena on August 11, 2017.
  • Jay-Z brought his 4:44 Tour to the arena on October 27, 2017.
  • Mayday brought their Life Tour to the arena on November 11, 2017.
  • Imagine Dragons brought their Evolve Tour to the arena on November 16, 2017.
  • Shakira brought her El Dorado World Tour to the arena on August 31, 2018.
  • Fall Out Boy brought their Mania Tour to the arena on September 29, 2018.

2028 Summer Olympics[]

The arena will host indoor volleyball during the 2028 Summer Olympics.[35]

In popular culture[]

  • Honda Center was used as the site of the fictional Junior Goodwill Games in the film D2: The Mighty Ducks.
  • A fictional version of the arena, known as "The Pond", is featured in the Mighty Ducks animated series.
  • "2162 Votes", the West Wing season 6 finale, features the arena for interior shots of the Democratic National Convention.

Capacity[]

Largest Crowds[]

Hockey Basketball
# Date Opponent Score Attendance # Date Opponent Score Attendance
 1  Mar. 20, 2013 Blackhawks at Ducks 4–2, ANA 17,610 (102.54%)  1  Mar. 12, 1998 Lakers at Clippers 108–85, LAL 18,521 (101.76%)
 2  Feb. 26, 2012 Blackhawks at Ducks 3–1, ANA 17,601 (102.49%)  2  Feb. 4, 1997 Lakers at Clippers 108–86, LAC 18,462 (101.44%)
 3  May 12, 2009 Red Wings at Ducks 6-3, DET 17,601 (102.49%)  3  Feb. 25, 1999 Lakers at Clippers 115–100, LAL 18,456 (101.41%)
 4  Jan. 2, 2009 Flyers at Ducks 5–4, PHI (SO) 17,597 (102.46%)  4  Dec. 2, 1995 Bulls at Clippers 104–98, CHI 18,321 (100.66%)
 5  Apr. 8, 2011 Kings at Ducks 2–1, ANA 17,587 (102.40%)  5  Apr. 12, 1997 Nuggets at Clippers 116–94, LAC 18,211 (100.06%)

See also[]

  • Anaheim Ducks
  • Angel Stadium of Anaheim

References[]

  1. ^ 1634 to 1699: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy ofthe United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700-1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How much is that in real money?: a historical price index for use as a deflator of money values in the economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  2. ^ http://s3.amazonaws.com/tt_assets/pdf/SportsEntertainmentBrochure.pdf
  3. ^ Syska Hennessy Group – Honda Center Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Honda Center". Hockey.ballparks.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-26. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
  5. ^ "ovguide.com". Archived from the original on 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2012-01-30.
  6. ^ In the 1993–94 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim media guide, Disney and the Ducks organization referred to the arena as the "Pond of Anaheim." This was prior to the naming rights deal with Arrowhead Water. ASIN: B001EBD3BM
  7. ^ Shaikin, Bill; Johnson, Greg (July 20, 2006). "Pond to Get a New Name". Los Angeles Times.
  8. ^ McCrea, Heather (February 25, 2020). "Honda Center name locked in for 10 more years under deal extension". Orange County Register.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b c Lait, Matt (June 13, 1993). "Birth of Anaheim Arena Defies Naysayers' Logic". Los Angeles Times.
  10. ^ Santa Ana, Anaheim’s Big ‘If’ : Without Pro Team, Arena Could Be White Elephant
  11. ^ Anaheim Clears Legal Obstacles for Sports Arena
  12. ^ "Disney gets h-o-c-k-e-y 20 years ago". 10 December 2012.
  13. ^ Jump up to: a b c "About Us". Honda Center. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  14. ^ Horn, John (October 10, 1993). "Sports | The Nhl – Disney Magic Ends When Ducks Take Ice". Seattle Times. Retrieved 2014-05-01.
  15. ^ "2007 NHL Stanley Cup Stanley Cup Final: ANA vs. OTT". Hockey-Reference.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  16. ^ "UFC 59 | UFC". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  17. ^ "2005 IBF World Championships – Men's Doubles". memim.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  18. ^ Penner, Mike (November 5, 1995). "Football at The Pond to Have Some Bite". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  19. ^ "Professional Bull Riders". www.pbr.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  20. ^ "Wooden Classic, Anaheim Classic merge". Orange County Register. 2013-06-04. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  21. ^ "Big West Tournament 2019 | Honda Center". www.hondacenter.com. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  22. ^ "Daktronics Photo Gallery: Honda Center".
  23. ^ Arrowhead Pond Operations Shift, Los Angeles Times]
  24. ^ Ogden Sells Its Concessions, Management Units to Rival , Los Angeles Times
  25. ^ Honda Center Takes Food Concession In-House, Orange County Business Journal
  26. ^ http://ducks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=776852
  27. ^ Postponed Events
  28. ^ 2020-21 Anaheim Ducks Media Guide
  29. ^ Honda Center Reopens To Fans In Time For Last 5 Games Of The Ducks Season, CBS Los Angeles
  30. ^ Haggerty, Kevin (2012-11-14). "UFC 157 set for Honda Center in Anaheim". MMAmania.com. Retrieved 2012-11-14.
  31. ^ Danny Segura (2017-02-24). "UFC 214 in Anaheim changed to July 29". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2017-04-21.
  32. ^ Powell, John (April 2, 2000). "WrestleMania 2000 a flop". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Retrieved March 16, 2008.
  33. ^ Casacchia, Chris (April 4, 2011). "Royal Reach: NBA Team Would Boost Honda Center Business, Bring Challenges". Orange County Business Journal. 34 (14): 66.
  34. ^ "'SMTOWN LIVE WORLD TOUR III' to be Held in Beijing, Seoul, Tokyo and LA!". S.M.Entertainment Official Facebook. 3 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-04-04
  35. ^ http://la24-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/pdf/LA2024-canditature-part2_english.pdf

External links[]

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