Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena
Encyclopedia
The Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena is a 6,925 (4,925 for hockey) seat multi-purpose arena
in Binghamton, New York
. The Arena was completed in 1973, providing an entertainment venue for residents of the Greater Binghamton
area. After decades of haggling over location, size, and design - it's rumored a college student's design won a nationwide design competition. Whether or not that's true, the Arena has a near twins in the Cornwall Civic Complex
in Cornwall, Ontario
(built in 1976) and similar facilities in the Cumberland County Civic Center
in Portland, Maine
and WesBanco Arena
in Wheeling, West Virginia
(both built in 1977). Originally, a performing arts center was to be adjacent to the Arena, across Washington Street, but plans fell through due to lack of funds. The arena contains eight luxury suites, each holding 25 fans (200 total).
The first act was the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
, in an unfinished Arena in May 1973. Chicago
played the first concert at the arena (with Bruce Springsteen
as opener) on June 13, 1973. The ribbon cutting and first event on ice was with the Ice Capades
; and the Broome Dusters of the North American Hockey League
were the building's first full-time tenant. The Broome Dusters became the Binghamton Dusters
in 1977 and moved into the American Hockey League
. That AHL franchise would go through a number of name changes, becoming the Whalers
and Rangers
before moving in 1997. The BC Icemen, of the United Hockey League
, occupied the Arena for five seasons until the AHL returned. Since 2002, the Arena has been home to the Binghamton Senators
, who are affiliated with the Ottawa Senators
of the National Hockey League
. Beginning in spring of 2012, it will be home to Binghamton's currently-unnamed expansion team
in the Indoor Football League
.
The Arena has hosted some notable names in entertainment - Bob Dylan
, B.B. King, the Dave Matthews Band
, Kenny Rogers
, Aerosmith
, Fleetwood Mac
, Elton John
, Keith Sweat
, Cher
, Dolly Parton
, Phish
, Green Day
, and Carrie Underwood
to name but a few. Trade shows, the Binghamton Philharmonic, the Harlem Globetrotters
, and the Circus all make yearly visits. Plus, every December, the Arena plays host to the Stop-DWI Holiday Classic, one of the premiere high school basketball tournaments in the nation. The arena contains 17000 square feet of space on the arena floor and an additional 12000 square feet on the concourse.
performed back-to-back sold out concerts at the Arena, May 26th & 27th, just prior to his death in the summer of 1977.
The New Jersey Nets
of the NBA
, Hartford Whalers
, Washington Capitals
, and Ottawa Senators
of the NHL have all hosted exhibition games at the Arena.
Phish's legendary December 14, 1995 performance at the Arena was released as Live Phish Volume 1
in 2001.
On June 13, 2005 World Wrestling Entertainment
brought RAW
to the Arena, which was broadcast live nationwide on television
.
The Arena played host to the 2008 AHL
All-Star Classic, with the skills contest and game broadcast on consecutive nights on live TV across the US and Canada.
1998: Ken Holland
, Randy MacGregor
, Jim Matthews
1999: Rod Bloomfield
, Jacques Caron, Paul Stewart
2000: Paul Crowley, Paul Fenton, Larry Pleau
2001: Craig Duncanson, Pierre Laganiere, Brad Shaw
2002: Chris Cichocki, Peter Sidorkiewicz, Ross Yates
2003: Roger Neel, Peter Fiorentino
2004: Peter Laviolette
, Jon Smith, Bob Sullivan
2005: Don Biggs, Dallas Gaume, Brad Jones
2006: Ken Gernander, Dave Staffen
2007: Gary Jaquith, Brian McReynolds
2008: Doug McKay, Warren Harper
2009: Mike Dunham
, Glenn Merkosky
2010: Daniel Lacroix, Tom Mitchell
2011: Chris Grenville, Corey Hirsch
, John Paddock
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
in Binghamton, New York
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
. The Arena was completed in 1973, providing an entertainment venue for residents of the Greater Binghamton
Greater Binghamton
The Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area, also called Greater Binghamton, is a region of southern upstate New York in the Northeastern United States, anchored by the city of Binghamton...
area. After decades of haggling over location, size, and design - it's rumored a college student's design won a nationwide design competition. Whether or not that's true, the Arena has a near twins in the Cornwall Civic Complex
Cornwall Civic Complex
The Cornwall Civic Complex is a business/sports facility located in Cornwall, Ontario. The arena inside is called the Ed Lumley Arena, named for Ed Lumley...
in Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall, Ontario
Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada and the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Ontario. Cornwall is Ontario's easternmost city, located on the St...
(built in 1976) and similar facilities in the Cumberland County Civic Center
Cumberland County Civic Center
The Cumberland County Civic Center is a 6,733-seat multi-purpose arena, in Portland, Maine. Built in 1977, at a cost of $8 million, it is home to the Portland Pirates ice hockey team, various trade shows and the Maine Principals' Association high school basketball tournament...
in Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
and WesBanco Arena
WesBanco Arena
WesBanco Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Wheeling, West Virginia. It was built in 1977 at a cost of $7 million. It is home to the Wheeling Nailers ice hockey team and the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference wrestling tournament.It can also be used for conventions, trade shows, concerts, banquets...
in Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia; it is the county seat of Ohio County. Wheeling is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan Statistical Area...
(both built in 1977). Originally, a performing arts center was to be adjacent to the Arena, across Washington Street, but plans fell through due to lack of funds. The arena contains eight luxury suites, each holding 25 fans (200 total).
The first act was the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus company. The company was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses...
, in an unfinished Arena in May 1973. Chicago
Chicago (band)
Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. The self-described "rock and roll band with horns" began as a politically charged, sometimes experimental, rock band and later moved to a predominantly softer sound, becoming famous for producing a number of hit ballads. They had...
played the first concert at the arena (with Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
as opener) on June 13, 1973. The ribbon cutting and first event on ice was with the Ice Capades
Ice Capades
The Ice Capades was a traveling entertainment show featuring theatrical performances involving ice skating. Shows often featured former Olympicand National Champion figure skaters who had retired from amateur competition....
; and the Broome Dusters of the North American Hockey League
North American Hockey League
The North American Hockey League is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is enterting its 36th season in 2011-12. It is currently the only Junior A Tier II league, sanctioned by USA Hockey. The NAHL currently acts as an alternative to the United States Hockey League...
were the building's first full-time tenant. The Broome Dusters became the Binghamton Dusters
Binghamton Dusters
The Binghamton Dusters were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Binghamton, New York, USA at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena...
in 1977 and moved into the American Hockey League
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...
. That AHL franchise would go through a number of name changes, becoming the Whalers
Binghamton Whalers
The Binghamton Whalers was an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. It played in Binghamton, New York, USA, at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.-History:...
and Rangers
Binghamton Rangers
The Binghamton Rangers were an ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Binghamton, New York, USA at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena.-History:The market was previously served by:-Playoffs:-Single Season:...
before moving in 1997. The BC Icemen, of the United Hockey League
United Hockey League
The United Hockey League was a low-level professional ice hockey league , with teams in the United States...
, occupied the Arena for five seasons until the AHL returned. Since 2002, the Arena has been home to the Binghamton Senators
Binghamton Senators
The Binghamton Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . Nicknamed the B-Sens, they play in Binghamton, New York at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. Along with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, the B-Sens are minor league affiliates of the Ottawa Senators...
, who are affiliated with the Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the 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...
. Beginning in spring of 2012, it will be home to Binghamton's currently-unnamed expansion team
Binghamton IFL team
The Binghamton IFL team is the temporary name for a professional indoor football team due to begin play in the Indoor Football League for its 2012 season. The team is based in Binghamton, New York, with home games to be played at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena...
in the Indoor Football League
Indoor Football League
The Indoor Football League began in 1999 as an offshoot of the troubled Professional Indoor Football League. Keary Ecklund, the owner of the Green Bay Bombers and Madison Mad Dogs, left the PIFL after its first, financially-troubled, season to start his own league. Unlike the PIFL, the IFL was an...
.
The Arena has hosted some notable names in entertainment - 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...
, B.B. King, the Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band
Dave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is a U.S. rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. The founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer/backing vocalist Carter Beauford and saxophonist LeRoi Moore. Boyd Tinsley was...
, Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur...
, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat
Keith Sweat is an American R&B/soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality and a major contributor to the new jack swing era.-Music career:...
, Cher
Cher
Cher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
, Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
, 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...
, Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
, and Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
to name but a few. Trade shows, the Binghamton Philharmonic, the Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
, and the Circus all make yearly visits. Plus, every December, the Arena plays host to the Stop-DWI Holiday Classic, one of the premiere high school basketball tournaments in the nation. The arena contains 17000 square feet of space on the arena floor and an additional 12000 square feet on the concourse.
Notable events
Elvis PresleyElvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
performed back-to-back sold out concerts at the Arena, May 26th & 27th, just prior to his death in the summer of 1977.
The New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, Hartford Whalers
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.A.. The club played in the World Hockey Association from 1972–79 and in the National Hockey League from 1979–97...
, 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...
, and Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the NHL have all hosted exhibition games at the Arena.
Phish's legendary December 14, 1995 performance at the Arena was released as Live Phish Volume 1
Live Phish Volume 1
Live Phish Vol. 1 was recorded live at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, New York on December 14, 1995. The show occurred towards the end of the band's 1995 fall tour, which featured a tour-long chess game between Phish and its audience...
in 2001.
On June 13, 2005 World Wrestling Entertainment
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...
brought RAW
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
to the Arena, which was broadcast live nationwide on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
.
The Arena played host to the 2008 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...
All-Star Classic, with the skills contest and game broadcast on consecutive nights on live TV across the US and Canada.
Binghamton Hockey Hall of Fame
The Arena is home to the Binghamton Hockey Hall of Fame, with a display of plaques on the main concourse. Current inductees are:1998: Ken Holland
Ken Holland
Kenneth Mark Holland is a retired Canadian professional goaltender and current General Manager and executive Vice President of the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League. Holland was drafted in the 12th round, 188th overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1975 NHL Entry Draft...
, Randy MacGregor
Randy MacGregor
Randy Kenneth MacGregor was a professional ice hockey player. Randy played Junior Hockey in Ontario, before going pro with the Broome Dusters of the North American Hockey League in 1973...
, Jim Matthews
1999: Rod Bloomfield
Rod Bloomfield
Rod Bloomfield was a professional ice hockey player.Bloomfield was a stunt double on the film Slap Shot and did most of the skating in long-shot scenes involving Paul Newman's character, according to others involved with the filming.-Career statistics:-External links:*...
, Jacques Caron, Paul Stewart
Paul Stewart (ice hockey)
Paul Stewart is a former professional ice hockey player and referee.Stewart played in both the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League. He played with Mark Messier for the Cincinnati Stingers...
2000: Paul Crowley, Paul Fenton, Larry Pleau
2001: Craig Duncanson, Pierre Laganiere, Brad Shaw
Brad Shaw
Bradley William Shaw is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. Shaw is currently an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues.-Career:...
2002: Chris Cichocki, Peter Sidorkiewicz, Ross Yates
2003: Roger Neel, Peter Fiorentino
Peter Fiorentino
Peter N. Fiorentino is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in one National Hockey League game for the New York Rangers during the 1991–92 NHL season....
2004: Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette
Peter Laviolette Jr. is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman and is the current head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League...
, Jon Smith, Bob Sullivan
2005: Don Biggs, Dallas Gaume, Brad Jones
2006: Ken Gernander, Dave Staffen
2007: Gary Jaquith, Brian McReynolds
2008: Doug McKay, Warren Harper
2009: Mike Dunham
Mike Dunham
Michael Dunham is a retired American professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently the goaltending coach for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, Glenn Merkosky
2010: Daniel Lacroix, Tom Mitchell
2011: Chris Grenville, Corey Hirsch
Corey Hirsch
Corey Hirsch is a retired Canadian ice hockey goaltender. He spent the majority of his National Hockey League career with the Vancouver Canucks. He is currently the goaltending coach for the St...
, John Paddock
John Paddock
Alvin John Paddock is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and the former head coach of the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . During his long career in the American Hockey League he won five Calder Cup championships and was inducted into the AHL's Hall...