Xcel Energy Center
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Xcel Energy Center | |
|---|---|
| The X | |
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| Location | 199 Kellogg Blvd W Saint Paul, Minnesota 55102 |
| Opened | 2000 |
| Owner | City of St. Paul |
| Operator | Minnesota Sports & Entertainment |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction cost | $130 million USD |
| Architect | HOK Sport |
| Tenants | Minnesota Wild (NHL) (2000-Present) Minnesota Swarm (NLL) (2005-present) |
| Capacity | Hockey and Lacrosse: 18,064 (plus 500 standing room) |
Xcel Energy Center is a sports arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. sponsored by Xcel Energy. It is home to the NHL's Minnesota Wild and the NLL's Minnesota Swarm. It is owned by the city of Saint Paul and operated by Minnesota Sports & Entertainment, owners of the Wild and Swarm.
It is also the venue for the 2008 Republican National Convention. Senator Barack Obama held his victory rally at the arena on June 3, 2008, the day he clinched the Democratic Nomination.
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[edit] Seating
The arena contains four spectator levels: one suite level, and three general seating levels named the 100 level, the club level, and the 200 level. Its official capacity is 18,064.
[edit] Attendance Records
- February 8, 2004: the NHL All-Star Game set a record for attendance at a hockey game in Minnesota at 19,434
- The record attendance for a Wild game was set October 5, 2005 at 19,398, the first game after the lockout season.
- On October 28, 2003, Shania Twain set Xcel Energy Center's single-night concert attendance record of 20,554.
- On March 17, 2007, 19,463 spectators watched the final game of the WCHA Final Five tournament, the largest crowd ever for an indoor United States College Ice Hockey Game[1](i.e. not including games held in football stadiums such as the Cold War).
- Since opening the doors of the Xcel Energy Center on September 29, 2000, the Wild have had a sellout for every single game (totaling over 300 consecutive games as of December 8, 2007).
[edit] History
The Xcel Energy Center opened in the fall of 2000. A member of the arena's marketing team was quoted in the Minneapolis StarTribune newspaper as saying "We hope that fans will call it 'The X'." It was built on the site of the demolished St. Paul Civic Center. In 2004, the arena was named by ESPN as the best overall sports venue in the United States.
The 10 millionth person passed through the gates on July 3, 2007 to see The Police Reunion Tour seven years after the building first opened.
On June 3, 2008, Senator Barack Obama gave his first speech as the presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic Party. [2] Over 17,000 people attended the event with an additional 15,000 watching on big screens directly outside the arena. [3]
[edit] Other Events
The "X" is the current site of the Minnesota Boys' High School Hockey, the Minnesota Girl's High School Tournament, and the High School Wrestling tournaments, as well as the host of the Minnesota State High School League-sponsored volleyball state tournament. It hosted the 2002 NCAA Frozen Four and will do so again in 2011. The National Lacrosse League's Minnesota Swarm began regular season play in the arena in January, 2005.
Barry Manilow also performed here in 2008 as part of his tour.
[edit] Future events
- The Xcel Energy Center won the bid to host the 2008 Republican National Convention.
 Interior during a Minnesota Wild game |
 Interior during Minnesota Swarm lacrosse game. |
 Inside the Xcel Energy Center during the 2006 WCHA Final Five Championship. |
[edit] References
- ^ USCHO.com :: U.S. College Hockey Online :: Tour De Force: Wheeler Nets OT Goal To Give Minnesota Broadmoor Trophy
- ^ Obama's Victory Speech By Maria Gavrilovic, CBS News Tuesday, June 3, 2008
- ^ Obama speech in St. Paul ends Primary season StarTribune Tuesday, June 3, 2008
[edit] External links
| Preceded by first arena |
Home of the Minnesota Wild 2000 – present |
Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by Office Depot Center |
Host of the NHL All-Star Game 2004 |
Succeeded by American Airlines Center |
| Preceded by first arena |
Home of the Minnesota Swarm 2005 – present |
Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by Madison Square Garden |
Host of the Republican National Convention 2008 |
Succeeded by TBD |
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