Blue Cross Arena
Encyclopedia
The Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial (originally Rochester Community War Memorial and commonly Blue Cross Arena) is a multi-purpose indoor arena, located in Rochester, New York
. Its maximum seating capacity
is 13,000. For hockey and lacrosse, its seating capacity is 11,200.
The arena opened on October 18, 1955, as the Rochester Community War Memorial, it was renovated in the mid-1990s and reopened as The Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial, on September 18, 1998.
It is home to the Rochester Americans
of the AHL
, the Rochester Razorsharks
of the PBL
, the Rochester Knighthawks
of the NLL
, and the Rochester Lancers
of the MISL.
on the east and Court Street on the south. The property was formerly the home of the Kimball Tobacco Co. and other retail buildings. The arena, was paid for by pennies collected by school children in the area. Originally named the Rochester Community War Memorial, opened on October 18, 1955. The building included a full stage on the south end and an exhibition hall located on the basement level. One of the members of the construction team was Gorilla Monsoon
.
On March 13, 1996, renovations to expand the arena took place, eliminating the permanent stage at the south end of the building. On July 24, 1998, Blue Cross Blue Shield and City officials announced that the name of the renovated arena would be Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. On September 18, 1998, the arena re-opened to the public during a formal ribbon cutting/rededication ceremony. Rossetti Architects
designed the $41 million face-lift.
, Haloid (now Xerox
), Bausch & Lomb
, General Railway Signal
and Rochester Products
.
It hosted the 1956 NBA All-Star Game
, the two-month finals of the American Bowling Congress
tournament in both 1956 and 1966 and the fourteenth WWE
In Your House
pay-per-view event in 1997.
On July 28, 2007, the CIFL Championship Game was held in the arena. It was the first arena football game played in the venue since the Rochester Brigade
folded in 2003.
Local high school basketball games are played here, most notably the New York State Public High School Section V (five) Championships at the end of each season. Additionally, the arena is the home of high school cheerleading championships each year. The arena also hosts college basketball, and Section V hockey.
In addition to sporting events, the arena hosts a wide variety of entertainment events, including live concerts, ice shows and the circus.
The arena played host to The Rolling Thunder Revue
Tour on November 11, 1975, headed by Bob Dylan
.
The Grateful Dead
's performance, on November 5, 1977, was recorded and later released as a live album, entitled Dick's Picks Volume 34
.
Footage from Phish
's documentary Bittersweet Motel, was filmed here on December 11, 1997.
The December 29, 2010 episode of WWE NXT
took place in the Blue Cross Arena.
, who play their home games in the arena, the Blue Cross Arena has played host to several notable ice hockey
events and games. On November 12, 2003, the Buffalo Sabres
and the defending Stanley Cup
champion New Jersey Devils
played the first National Hockey League
regular season game in the venue. The game was made possible by Sabres owner Tom Golisano
, who hails from Rochester, and featured two Rochester natives: Brian Gionta
of the Devils and Rory Fitzpatrick
of the Sabres. It ended in a 2–2 tie. A second regular season game was held at the arena on October 26, 2005, with the Sabres falling to the Washington Capitals
, 3–2.
On March 23, 2006, Atlantic Hockey
, an NCAA
Division I Men's ice hockey league, announced that its league tournaments in 2007, 2008, and 2009 would be held at the Blue Cross Arena. 2007 was the first time the tournament was held at a neutral site. Additionally, the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey East Regional was held at the Blue Cross Arena. Attendance was low due to high ticket prices and distance from large Division I programs.
The Rochester Institute of Technology
men's hockey team has played periodic regular-season games at Blue Cross Arena instead of at their smaller on-campus rink, due to the large capacity.
Every year, the Blue Cross Arena hosts regular season Section V high school hockey games and the Section V Basketball championship.
The arena has also hosted many NHL exhibition games during its history.
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. Its maximum seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
is 13,000. For hockey and lacrosse, its seating capacity is 11,200.
The arena opened on October 18, 1955, as the Rochester Community War Memorial, it was renovated in the mid-1990s and reopened as The Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial, on September 18, 1998.
It is home to the Rochester Americans
Rochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
of the AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
, the Rochester Razorsharks
Rochester Razorsharks
The Rochester Razorsharks are a professional basketball team based in Rochester, New York. They are members of the Premier Basketball League and play their home games at the Blue Cross Arena in downtown Rochester. The Razorsharks were founded in 2005 as a member of the American Basketball...
of the PBL
Premier Basketball League
The Premier Basketball League, often abbreviated to the PBL, is a men's professional basketball minor league in the United States that began play in January 2008. The league had ten teams for the 2008 season and thirteen teams for the 2009 season. Nine teams from Canada and the United States...
, the Rochester Knighthawks
Rochester Knighthawks
The Rochester Knighthawks are a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. They play in Rochester, New York at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. The Knighthawks were previously members of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1995 to 1997...
of the NLL
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
, and the Rochester Lancers
Rochester Lancers (2010)
The Rochester Lancers are an indoor soccer team in the Major Indoor Soccer League. The team is named in honor of the Rochester Lancers of the North American Soccer League....
of the MISL.
History
The arena was built on a downtown site, bounded by Exchange Boulevard on the west, East Broad Street on the north, the Genesee RiverGenesee River
The Genesee River is a North American river flowing northward through the Twin Tiers of Pennsylvania and New York. The river provided the original power for the Rochester area's 19th century mills and still provides hydroelectric power for downtown Rochester....
on the east and Court Street on the south. The property was formerly the home of the Kimball Tobacco Co. and other retail buildings. The arena, was paid for by pennies collected by school children in the area. Originally named the Rochester Community War Memorial, opened on October 18, 1955. The building included a full stage on the south end and an exhibition hall located on the basement level. One of the members of the construction team was Gorilla Monsoon
Gorilla Monsoon
Robert James "Gino" Marella , better known by his ring name of Gorilla Monsoon, was an American professional wrestler, play-by-play announcer, and booker...
.
On March 13, 1996, renovations to expand the arena took place, eliminating the permanent stage at the south end of the building. On July 24, 1998, Blue Cross Blue Shield and City officials announced that the name of the renovated arena would be Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. On September 18, 1998, the arena re-opened to the public during a formal ribbon cutting/rededication ceremony. Rossetti Architects
Rossetti Architects
Rossetti Architects is an architectural firm headquartered in Southfield, Michigan The firm is involved in the design of professional sports stadiums, institutions and commercial buildings.- Current projects :...
designed the $41 million face-lift.
Notable events
The first event at the facility was a public trade show held in the exhibition hall and featured such famous Rochester-based companies as Eastman KodakEastman Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company is a multinational imaging and photographic equipment, materials and services company headquarted in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded by George Eastman in 1892....
, Haloid (now Xerox
Xerox
Xerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
), Bausch & Lomb
Bausch & Lomb
Bausch & Lomb, an American company based in Rochester, New York, is one of the world's leading suppliers of eye health products, such as contact lenses and lens care products today. In addition to this main activity, in recent years the area of medical technology has been developed...
, General Railway Signal
General Railway Signal
General Railway Signal Company was a supplier of railway signaling equipment, systems and services in the Rochester, New York area. The company was established in 1904 and became part of Alstom Transport in 1998...
and Rochester Products
Rochester Products Division
Rochester Products Division was a division of General Motors that manufactured carburetors, and related components including emissions control devices and cruise control systems in Rochester, New York...
.
It hosted the 1956 NBA All-Star Game
1956 NBA All-Star Game
The 1956 NBA All Star Game was the sixth NBA All-Star Game.-Western Conference:Head Coach: Charley Eckman, Fort Wayne Pistons-Eastern Conference:Head Coach: George Senesky, Philadelphia Warriors...
, the two-month finals of the American Bowling Congress
United States Bowling Congress
The United States Bowling Congress is a sports membership organization dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. It was formed in 2005 by a merger of the American Bowling Congress, Women's International Bowling Congress, Young American Bowling Alliance, and USA Bowling...
tournament in both 1956 and 1966 and the fourteenth WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
In Your House
In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker
In Your House 14: Revenge of the 'Taker was the fourteenth In Your House professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Federation...
pay-per-view event in 1997.
On July 28, 2007, the CIFL Championship Game was held in the arena. It was the first arena football game played in the venue since the Rochester Brigade
Rochester Brigade
The Rochester Brigade was a professional arena football team based in Rochester, New York. The team was a member of af2, the minor league of the Arena Football League, and played their home games at the Blue Cross Arena...
folded in 2003.
Local high school basketball games are played here, most notably the New York State Public High School Section V (five) Championships at the end of each season. Additionally, the arena is the home of high school cheerleading championships each year. The arena also hosts college basketball, and Section V hockey.
In addition to sporting events, the arena hosts a wide variety of entertainment events, including live concerts, ice shows and the circus.
The arena played host to The Rolling Thunder Revue
Rolling Thunder Revue
The Rolling Thunder Revue was a famed U.S. concert tour consisting of a traveling caravan of musicians, headed by Bob Dylan, that took place in late 1975 and early 1976; the prevailing theory was that the tour was named after the Native American shaman Rolling Thunder. Others maintained that tour...
Tour on November 11, 1975, headed by Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
.
The Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
's performance, on November 5, 1977, was recorded and later released as a live album, entitled Dick's Picks Volume 34
Dick's Picks Volume 34
Dick's Picks Volume 34 is the thirty-fourth installment of the Dick's Pick's series of Grateful Dead concert recordings. It is a three CD set that contains the complete show recorded on November 5, 1977 at the Community War Memorial in Rochester, New York...
.
Footage from Phish
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
's documentary Bittersweet Motel, was filmed here on December 11, 1997.
The December 29, 2010 episode of WWE NXT
WWE NXT
WWE NXT is a sports entertainment television program produced by WWE that debuted on February 23, 2010. Described as a hybrid between reality television and WWE's scripted live event shows, the premise of the show follows select talent contracted to WWE's developmental territory Florida...
took place in the Blue Cross Arena.
Ice hockey
Aside from the Rochester AmericansRochester Americans
The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League, and a top affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial...
, who play their home games in the arena, the Blue Cross Arena has played host to several notable ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
events and games. On November 12, 2003, the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
and the defending Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
champion New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
played the first National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
regular season game in the venue. The game was made possible by Sabres owner Tom Golisano
Tom Golisano
Blase Thomas Golisano is an American businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder of Paychex, the second-largest payroll processor in the United States and former co-owner of the Buffalo Sabres hockey team and of the Buffalo Bandits lacrosse team...
, who hails from Rochester, and featured two Rochester natives: Brian Gionta
Brian Gionta
Brian Joseph Gionta is an American professional ice hockey player and captain of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League , and is the second American-born captain of the Canadiens and its first sole American-born captain...
of the Devils and Rory Fitzpatrick
Rory Fitzpatrick
Rory B. Fitzpatrick is a former American professional ice hockey defenseman who played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Buffalo Sabres, Vancouver Canucks and Philadelphia Flyers...
of the Sabres. It ended in a 2–2 tie. A second regular season game was held at the arena on October 26, 2005, with the Sabres falling to the Washington Capitals
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Since their founding in 1974, "The Caps" have won one conference championship to reach the 1998 Stanley Cup...
, 3–2.
On March 23, 2006, Atlantic Hockey
Atlantic Hockey
The Atlantic Hockey Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates primarily in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as an ice hockey–only conference. Unlike several other college athletic conferences, Atlantic Hockey has no women's...
, an NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I Men's ice hockey league, announced that its league tournaments in 2007, 2008, and 2009 would be held at the Blue Cross Arena. 2007 was the first time the tournament was held at a neutral site. Additionally, the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey East Regional was held at the Blue Cross Arena. Attendance was low due to high ticket prices and distance from large Division I programs.
The Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
men's hockey team has played periodic regular-season games at Blue Cross Arena instead of at their smaller on-campus rink, due to the large capacity.
Every year, the Blue Cross Arena hosts regular season Section V high school hockey games and the Section V Basketball championship.
The arena has also hosted many NHL exhibition games during its history.