Buffalo Memorial Auditorium
Encyclopedia
Buffalo Memorial Auditorium (also known as The Aud) was an indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York
. It hosted the Buffalo Bisons
of the AHL
, the Buffalo Sabres
of the NHL
, the Buffalo Braves
of the NBA
, the Buffalo Stallions
of MSL
, the Buffalo Bandits
of MILL, the Buffalo Blizzard
of the second NPSL and the Buffalo Stampede of RHI
. It also held a number an NCAA basketball games, as well as numerous entertainment events, such as concerts, the Ringling Brothers
circus and Disney on Ice
.
The Aud opened on October 14, 1940 and was renovated in 1970 and 1990. It was closed in 1996 following the conclusion of the Sabres', Bandits' and Blizzard's seasons, and remained vacant until its demolition in late 2008 and early 2009.
across the border in Fort Erie
. In June 1938, city officials sent a loan and grant application to the WPA
for funds to build the new structure. The approval of the $1.2 million grant was announced in Washington D.C. on October 7, 1938, and construction began on November 30, 1939. The arena was built on the junction of the old Erie Canal
and Main-Hamburg Canal.
The Auditorium's construction brought a great deal of activity to downtown Buffalo. On December 31, 1939, Buffalo Evening News reporter Nat Gorham wrote:
, with an additional 2,000-3,000 sitting in the floor area, for basketball
and other events. Among the first events held in Memorial Auditorium were an auto show and roller skating.
In its first seven months, Auditorium events drew nearly one million spectators and the first year's attendance was 1.3 million.
Circuses, dog shows and political events all took place at the Aud. The building was also set as a war memorial for the Spanish-American war.
and Braves
franchises. The arena's roof was raised 24 feet, making room for a new upper Orange level. This raised the total capacity of the arena to over 17,000 for basketball and 15,858 for hockey, making it a more suitable home for the NBA
and NHL
. A new scoreboard was installed, which would be the Aud's final scoreboard upgrade. The exterior structure required for the new upper level also added extra stairways and escalators, as well as new upper exits for the top of the lower bowl. The original gray seats at the top of the lower bowl were painted blue, and all seats in the lower sections were replaced with new cushioned seats in the Red and Gold sections. Other changes from the Aud's original design included the removal of the exit tunnels in Red sections 6, 7, 14, 15, 22, 23, 30, and 31, and Blue sections 2, 3, 10, 11, 18, 19, 26, 27, 34, and 35. The areas occupied by those tunnels were replaced with seats, and the continuous wall separating the Red and Blue sections was opened at each stairway. The removed exit tunnel openings in the wall separating the Red and Upper Gold sections were closed into a continuous wall between the remaining Red exit tunnels.
In the summer of 1974, five permanent seats were added, increasing capacity for hockey in the 1974-1975 season to 15,863. After the hockey season ended, the walls and aisle separating the Upper Gold and Red seating sections were removed and replaced with 570 gold seats, which raised the total capacity of the arena to 16,433 for hockey and over 18,000 for basketball.
In an effort to keep the Sabres in Buffalo, plans began to be made by the Buffalo Common Council and then mayor James Griffin to extensively renovate the Aud in the late 1980s and into the early 1990s. A multi-million dollar plan was drafted but was scaled back when the Sabres owners (the Knox family) made it clear that the long term viability of the franchise was dependent upon a new multi-purpose Arena being constructed. Finally in 1990, the scaled back Aud renovation and rehabilitation took place. Along with minor structural and cosmetic improvements, handicap-accessible seating areas were installed (lowering the total seating capacity
to 16,325 for hockey), and air conditioning and elevators were added to the Aud to help keep the building functional until discussions and decisions on a new Buffalo arena could be completed. The money borrowed to pay for these improvements was not paid back until well after the year 2000, years after the Aud had closed.
At the time of its closing, the Aud's concessions included The Aud Club, a sports bar; BBQ Pit, a sports bar and restaurant; and Sport Service bar. Seats at the Aud were mostly made of white ash, but the gold seats were converted to padded cushion seating. From top to bottom (floor level), the colors of the seating went orange, blue (originally grey), red, and gold.
, and Blizzard
moved a few blocks south to the new Marine Midland Arena (now First Niagara Center). Since 1996, the building remained closed to the public although Buffalo's Studio Arena Theatre was at times allowed to use the large floor surface to paint backgrounds for its productions. During the 2001–02 season, Sabres officials and the city of Buffalo entered the building to relocate some items from the main concourse of The Aud to HSBC Arena, including a sign for the "Pour Man's Aud Club" which was re-incarnated by popular demand. In 2003, the Sabres produced a 30-minute infomercial to boost season ticket sales inside the closed Aud. Footage from this production showed the building still very much intact. However, the building was without major utilities and the crew thus had to supply all light and electrical sources.
The building continued to deteriorate following the 2003 production visit. Water pipes began to break and moisture began to take its toll. The city of Buffalo became lax in their monitoring of the building, which allowed the general public to find ways of breaking into the building and resulted in graffiti and vandalism. Many artifacts were stolen or destroyed. While obviously suffering from neglect, the major aspects of the building remained intact. During the CBC Television
Hockey Night in Canada
broadcast of the 2008 NHL Winter Classic, the inside of The Aud was shown during a segment featuring the arena. The video showed that the seating bowl and arena floor had remained virtually untouched. Most notably, the advertisements that were on the boards during the final Sabres home game in 1996 were still present and the scoreboard hanging above center ice remained in the rafters.
store; however on March 29, 2007, these plans were officially abandoned. Instead, it was announced that Bass Pro was to construct a new building on the site of the to-be-demolished auditorium. In December 2007, the Aud was sold by the city of Buffalo to the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation for $1 in hopes that it would move along asbestos removal and demolition. All salvageable items were to be sold, stored, or removed before demolition began. The sales of these artifacts, especially of seats, will help pay for a memorial to the Aud. The salvaged items include art deco
flag holders, limestone eagles, and a time capsule
. Also salvaged from the Aud were a number of "blue" and "orange" level seats, which were then auctioned off.
Asbestos removal and other environmental remediation was performed in preparation for the demolition in late 2008. Major demolition of the Aud began in January 2009. On February 9, 2009, the "Buffalo Memorial Auditorium" edifice that sat above the main entrances was torn down. Much of the front of the Aud was torn down that same month. The entirety of the demolition is expected to cost $10 million The formal "Farewell Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Ceremony" was held on June 30, 2009 at 1:30 PM. The copper box time capsule was also opened. The final standing pieces of the Aud came down in early July 2009. Bass Pro announced in February 2010 that it was no longer pursuing a superstore in Buffalo, leaving the former site of the Aud vacant.
and National Hockey League
came to Buffalo, college basketball was Memorial Auditorium's most popular sporting event. On December 11, 1940, the Auditorium hosted its first college basketball game when Canisius College
played the University of Oregon
.
After World War II
, the era of college basketball doubleheaders began. While the participants were typically from Western New York—Canisius, Niagara University
, St. Bonaventure University
, the University at Buffalo
, and Buffalo State College
—teams from outside the area such as Cornell University
also took part. Over time, the rivalry among the "Little Three" colleges—Niagara, Canisius, and St. Bonaventure—came to dominate the Auditorium's college basketball schedule. Throughout the 1950s, the three schools were each national powers, and their games at Memorial Auditorium drew strong local and national interest.
In 1991, a visit from Buffalo native Christian Laettner
and the national champion Duke University
Blue Devils drew an Aud collegiate record crowd of 16,279.
A 1996 Buffalo News article named Memorial Auditorium's all-time all-visitors team: Ed Macauley
(Saint Louis University
), Tom Gola
(La Salle University
), Tom Heinsohn (College of the Holy Cross
), Jerry West
(West Virginia University
), Willie Somerset
(Duquesne University
), Dave Bing
(Syracuse University
), Sonny Dove
(St. John's University
) and Bob Lanier
(St. Bonaventure University
).
's Buffalo Bisons. The Bisons featured center Don Otten
and coach Nat Hickey
, but on December 27, 1946—only thirteen games into their inaugural season—owner Ben Kerner moved the team to Moline, Illinois
. After stops in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, and St. Louis, Missouri
, the team became the Atlanta Hawks
.
Professional basketball returned to Buffalo and the Aud in the form of the National Basketball Association
's Buffalo Braves
in 1970. Like the Bisons before them, the Braves ultimately left Buffalo for San Diego, California
, in 1978. The team later moved to Los Angeles
and became the Los Angeles Clippers
.
's Buffalo Bisons
played 30 seasons at the Memorial Auditorium, beginning with the 1940–41 season
. The Bisons won five Calder Cup
championships, with the last coming in 1970
in the franchise's final game. When Buffalo was awarded an expansion team in the National Hockey League
—the Sabres
—in 1970, the Bisons folded.
The Buffalo Sabres played their first home opener at Memorial Auditorium on October 15, 1970. They occupied the Auditorium through the 1995–96 season, when they moved a few blocks away to the Marine Midland Arena. Michael Peca
scored the last in-game goal at the Aud while Pat LaFontaine
put in a ceremonial goal after the 4–1 win over the Hartford Whalers
. It was the last arena in which the ice sheet fell short of the league-mandated 200 ft. by 85 ft. size (though Maple Leaf Gardens
still had irregularly shaped corners).
Many Sabres players noted Memorial Auditorium's atmosphere:
On May 15, 1973, the Cincinnati Swords
, then the Sabres' AHL affiliate, played the final game of the 1973 Calder Cup Finals
at the Auditorium. The Swords won the Calder Cup with a 5–1 win over the Nova Scotia Voyageurs
in front of 15,019 fans—at the time the largest playoff crowd in AHL history. The Rochester Americans
also played several games at the Aud after becoming the Sabres' affiliate, including during their run to the Calder Cup championship in 1987
.
Memorial Auditorium hosted the 1978 NHL All-Star Game on January 24, 1978. Two members of the Sabres' "French Connection
" line—Gilbert Perreault
and Rick Martin
—played in the game for the Wales Conference. Both had a significant impact on the game's outcome: Martin scored a goal with 1:39 left in regulation to tie the game at 2–2 and force overtime, and Perreault scored the game-winning goal 3:55 into overtime to defeat the Campbell Conference 3–2.
NHL history was made at the Aud on February 24, 1982, when Wayne Gretzky
of the visiting Edmonton Oilers
scored a natural hat trick in the final seven minutes of the third period to help defeat the Sabres 6–3. Gretzky broke Phil Esposito
's record for the most goals in a season (76) with the first goal of the hat trick, Gretzky's 77th of the season.
In March 2009, Gretzky visited Buffalo as head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes
. In an interview with Buffalo News hockey reporter Mike Harrington, he recounted his memories of Memorial Auditorium:
at 6:00 PM on the weekend.
The Major Indoor Lacrosse League Buffalo Bandits
also played in the Aud beginning with the 1992 season
. They won the MILL title in 1992 and in 1993
. The Bandits continued to play in the Aud until the building's closure in 1996, and now are a member of the National Lacrosse League
, playing at First Niagara Center.
Memorial Auditorium hosted two soccer franchises. The first was the Buffalo Stallions
of the Major Soccer League
, who played in the Aud from 1979 to 1984. Later, the Aud hosted the Buffalo Blizzard
of the second National Professional Soccer League from 1992 to 1996.
The Buffalo Stampede of Roller Hockey International
also called the Aud home from 1994 to 1995.
In 1974, World Team Tennis
came to Buffalo as the Buffalo/Toronto Royals called the Aud home. It lasted one season.
Frank Zappa
's album, Buffalo
, was recorded from a concert held at the auditorium in 1980.
In 2007, the auditorium was one of many targets of Urban Explorers, who visited it during "OPEX 77", an international meet of Urban Explorers. It was described as being one of the best abandoned buildings in the world, and compared to the Paris Catacombs in terms of Urban Exploration
wonders.
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
. It hosted the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons (AHL)
The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed...
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 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:...
of the NHL
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...
, the Buffalo Braves
Buffalo Braves
The Buffalo Braves were a team in the National Basketball Association. They later moved to San Diego, California to become the San Diego Clippers then subsequently the Los Angeles Clippers....
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...
, the Buffalo Stallions
Buffalo Stallions
The Buffalo Stallions were a soccer team based out of Buffalo, New York that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979 to 1984. Their home arena was Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.-History:...
of MSL
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
, the Buffalo Bandits
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, until the MILL turned into the NLL in 1998....
of MILL, the Buffalo Blizzard
Buffalo Blizzard
The Buffalo Blizzard was an indoor soccer team based in Buffalo, New York. The team was a member of the now defunct NPSL from 1992 to 2001. From 1992-1996, the team played at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, and they moved to HSBC Arena in 1996 where they played until 2001.The team was originally...
of the second NPSL and the Buffalo Stampede of RHI
Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International was a professional inline hockey league that operated in North America from 1993 to 1999. It was the first major professional league for inline hockey....
. It also held a number an NCAA basketball games, as well as numerous entertainment events, such as concerts, the Ringling Brothers
Ringling brothers
The Ringling brothers were seven siblings who transformed their small touring company of performers into one of America's largest circuses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in McGregor, Iowa and raised in Baraboo, Wisconsin, they were the children of Heinrich Friedrich August Ringling...
circus and Disney on Ice
Disney on Ice
Disney On Ice is a touring ice show produced by Feld Entertainment under agreement with The Walt Disney Company. Aimed primarily at children, the shows feature figure skaters dressed as Disney cartoon characters in performances that each derive their music and plot from elements collected from...
.
The Aud opened on October 14, 1940 and was renovated in 1970 and 1990. It was closed in 1996 following the conclusion of the Sabres', Bandits' and Blizzard's seasons, and remained vacant until its demolition in late 2008 and early 2009.
Planning and construction
The Buffalo Memorial Auditorium began as a public works project to replace an aging civic auditorium (Buffalo Broadway Auditorium c. 1898) and the recently collapsed Peace Bridge ArenaPeace Bridge Arena
Peace Bridge Arena was the main sports arena located in Fort Erie, Ontario. Built in 1928, it held 5,000 people. It was located near the Peace Bridge connecting Fort Erie with Buffalo, New York. Both the Chicago Black Hawks and Pittsburgh Pirates made the arena a temporary home for the first...
across the border in Fort Erie
Fort Erie, Ontario
Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is located directly across the river from Buffalo, New York....
. In June 1938, city officials sent a loan and grant application to the WPA
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
for funds to build the new structure. The approval of the $1.2 million grant was announced in Washington D.C. on October 7, 1938, and construction began on November 30, 1939. The arena was built on the junction of the old Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
and Main-Hamburg Canal.
The Auditorium's construction brought a great deal of activity to downtown Buffalo. On December 31, 1939, Buffalo Evening News reporter Nat Gorham wrote:
Opening
Built for $2,700,000, Memorial Auditorium's grand opening celebration was held on October 14, 1940. The arena originally seated 12,280 for ice hockeyIce 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...
, with an additional 2,000-3,000 sitting in the floor area, for basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and other events. Among the first events held in Memorial Auditorium were an auto show and roller skating.
In its first seven months, Auditorium events drew nearly one million spectators and the first year's attendance was 1.3 million.
Circuses, dog shows and political events all took place at the Aud. The building was also set as a war memorial for the Spanish-American war.
Expansion and renovations
An $8.7 million (approximately $ in dollars) renovation took place after the 1970–71 inauguration of the SabresBuffalo 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 Braves
Buffalo Braves
The Buffalo Braves were a team in the National Basketball Association. They later moved to San Diego, California to become the San Diego Clippers then subsequently the Los Angeles Clippers....
franchises. The arena's roof was raised 24 feet, making room for a new upper Orange level. This raised the total capacity of the arena to over 17,000 for basketball and 15,858 for hockey, making it a more suitable home for 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...
and NHL
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...
. A new scoreboard was installed, which would be the Aud's final scoreboard upgrade. The exterior structure required for the new upper level also added extra stairways and escalators, as well as new upper exits for the top of the lower bowl. The original gray seats at the top of the lower bowl were painted blue, and all seats in the lower sections were replaced with new cushioned seats in the Red and Gold sections. Other changes from the Aud's original design included the removal of the exit tunnels in Red sections 6, 7, 14, 15, 22, 23, 30, and 31, and Blue sections 2, 3, 10, 11, 18, 19, 26, 27, 34, and 35. The areas occupied by those tunnels were replaced with seats, and the continuous wall separating the Red and Blue sections was opened at each stairway. The removed exit tunnel openings in the wall separating the Red and Upper Gold sections were closed into a continuous wall between the remaining Red exit tunnels.
In the summer of 1974, five permanent seats were added, increasing capacity for hockey in the 1974-1975 season to 15,863. After the hockey season ended, the walls and aisle separating the Upper Gold and Red seating sections were removed and replaced with 570 gold seats, which raised the total capacity of the arena to 16,433 for hockey and over 18,000 for basketball.
In an effort to keep the Sabres in Buffalo, plans began to be made by the Buffalo Common Council and then mayor James Griffin to extensively renovate the Aud in the late 1980s and into the early 1990s. A multi-million dollar plan was drafted but was scaled back when the Sabres owners (the Knox family) made it clear that the long term viability of the franchise was dependent upon a new multi-purpose Arena being constructed. Finally in 1990, the scaled back Aud renovation and rehabilitation took place. Along with minor structural and cosmetic improvements, handicap-accessible seating areas were installed (lowering the total 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...
to 16,325 for hockey), and air conditioning and elevators were added to the Aud to help keep the building functional until discussions and decisions on a new Buffalo arena could be completed. The money borrowed to pay for these improvements was not paid back until well after the year 2000, years after the Aud had closed.
At the time of its closing, the Aud's concessions included The Aud Club, a sports bar; BBQ Pit, a sports bar and restaurant; and Sport Service bar. Seats at the Aud were mostly made of white ash, but the gold seats were converted to padded cushion seating. From top to bottom (floor level), the colors of the seating went orange, blue (originally grey), red, and gold.
Closing and vacancy
The Aud closed in 1996, at which time the Sabres, BanditsBuffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, until the MILL turned into the NLL in 1998....
, and Blizzard
Buffalo Blizzard
The Buffalo Blizzard was an indoor soccer team based in Buffalo, New York. The team was a member of the now defunct NPSL from 1992 to 2001. From 1992-1996, the team played at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, and they moved to HSBC Arena in 1996 where they played until 2001.The team was originally...
moved a few blocks south to the new Marine Midland Arena (now First Niagara Center). Since 1996, the building remained closed to the public although Buffalo's Studio Arena Theatre was at times allowed to use the large floor surface to paint backgrounds for its productions. During the 2001–02 season, Sabres officials and the city of Buffalo entered the building to relocate some items from the main concourse of The Aud to HSBC Arena, including a sign for the "Pour Man's Aud Club" which was re-incarnated by popular demand. In 2003, the Sabres produced a 30-minute infomercial to boost season ticket sales inside the closed Aud. Footage from this production showed the building still very much intact. However, the building was without major utilities and the crew thus had to supply all light and electrical sources.
The building continued to deteriorate following the 2003 production visit. Water pipes began to break and moisture began to take its toll. The city of Buffalo became lax in their monitoring of the building, which allowed the general public to find ways of breaking into the building and resulted in graffiti and vandalism. Many artifacts were stolen or destroyed. While obviously suffering from neglect, the major aspects of the building remained intact. During the CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada
Hockey Night in Canada is the branding used for CBC Sports' presentations of the National Hockey League...
broadcast of the 2008 NHL Winter Classic, the inside of The Aud was shown during a segment featuring the arena. The video showed that the seating bowl and arena floor had remained virtually untouched. Most notably, the advertisements that were on the boards during the final Sabres home game in 1996 were still present and the scoreboard hanging above center ice remained in the rafters.
Demolition
In the mid-2000s, plans were in the works to renovate The Aud and re-purpose it as a Bass Pro ShopsBass Pro Shops
Bass Pro Shops is a privately held retailer of hunting, fishing, camping and related outdoor recreation merchandise. Bass Pro Shops is known for a large selection of hunting, fishing, and other outdoor gear.-History:The owner, John L...
store; however on March 29, 2007, these plans were officially abandoned. Instead, it was announced that Bass Pro was to construct a new building on the site of the to-be-demolished auditorium. In December 2007, the Aud was sold by the city of Buffalo to the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation for $1 in hopes that it would move along asbestos removal and demolition. All salvageable items were to be sold, stored, or removed before demolition began. The sales of these artifacts, especially of seats, will help pay for a memorial to the Aud. The salvaged items include art deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
flag holders, limestone eagles, and a time capsule
Time capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
. Also salvaged from the Aud were a number of "blue" and "orange" level seats, which were then auctioned off.
Asbestos removal and other environmental remediation was performed in preparation for the demolition in late 2008. Major demolition of the Aud began in January 2009. On February 9, 2009, the "Buffalo Memorial Auditorium" edifice that sat above the main entrances was torn down. Much of the front of the Aud was torn down that same month. The entirety of the demolition is expected to cost $10 million The formal "Farewell Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Ceremony" was held on June 30, 2009 at 1:30 PM. The copper box time capsule was also opened. The final standing pieces of the Aud came down in early July 2009. Bass Pro announced in February 2010 that it was no longer pursuing a superstore in Buffalo, leaving the former site of the Aud vacant.
College basketball
Before the National Basketball AssociationNational 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...
and 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...
came to Buffalo, college basketball was Memorial Auditorium's most popular sporting event. On December 11, 1940, the Auditorium hosted its first college basketball game when Canisius College
Canisius College
Canisius College is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York, United States. The college was founded in 1870 by members of the Society of Jesus from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. The college is one of 28 institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and...
played the University of Oregon
Oregon Ducks men's basketball
Oregon Ducks men’s college basketball is an intercollegiate basketball program that competes in the NCAA Division I and is a member of the Pac-12 Conference, representing the University of Oregon. The Ducks play their home games at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon, then coached by Howard Hobson, won...
.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the era of college basketball doubleheaders began. While the participants were typically from Western New York—Canisius, Niagara University
Niagara Purple Eagles men's basketball
The Niagara Purple Eagles men's basketball team is the college basketball team that represent Niagara University in Lewiston, New York, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference...
, St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
, the University at Buffalo
Buffalo Bulls men's basketball
The Buffalo Bulls men's basketball team is the basketball team that represent the University at Buffalo in Buffalo, New York. The school's team currently competes in the Mid-American Conference. The team has never played in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament. The Bulls are currently...
, and Buffalo State College
Buffalo State College
The State University of New York College at Buffalo, referred to as Buffalo State College, often referred to colloquially as Buff State, is a public, liberal arts college in Buffalo, New York, United States and is part of the State University of New York. Buffalo State was founded in 1871 as the...
—teams from outside the area such as Cornell University
Cornell Big Red men's basketball
The Cornell Big Red men's basketball team represents Cornell University , located in Ithaca, New York, in NCAA Division I men's competition. The Big Red's appearance in the 2008 NCAA Tournament was their first trip to "The Big Dance" since 1988...
also took part. Over time, the rivalry among the "Little Three" colleges—Niagara, Canisius, and St. Bonaventure—came to dominate the Auditorium's college basketball schedule. Throughout the 1950s, the three schools were each national powers, and their games at Memorial Auditorium drew strong local and national interest.
In 1991, a visit from Buffalo native Christian Laettner
Christian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
and the national champion Duke University
Duke Blue Devils men's basketball
The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team is the college basketball program representing Duke University in the Atlantic Coast Conference of NCAA Division I...
Blue Devils drew an Aud collegiate record crowd of 16,279.
A 1996 Buffalo News article named Memorial Auditorium's all-time all-visitors team: Ed Macauley
Ed Macauley
Charles Edward "Ed" Macauley was a professional basketball player in the NBA. His playing nickname was "Easy Ed."...
(Saint Louis University
Saint Louis Billikens men's basketball
The Saint Louis University Billiken's men's basketball team is the intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Saint Louis University. The school competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Rick Majerus is the current head coach. Chaifetz Arena is home to the Billikens. The Billikens have...
), Tom Gola
Tom Gola
Thomas Joseph Gola is a retired American basketball player.-Early Life:Gola was praised as a great all-around player as a high school student at La Salle College High School, where he led the Explorers to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship...
(La Salle University
La Salle Explorers men's basketball
The La Salle Explorers Men's Basketball Team is the college basketball program representing La Salle University.-History:The program has been rated the 53rd "Greatest College Basketball Program of All-Time" by Street & Smith's magazine and 71st by the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia.La Salle...
), Tom Heinsohn (College of the Holy Cross
Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball
The Holy Cross Crusaders men's basketball team represents the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, in NCAA Division I competition. The team competes in the Patriot League and plays their home games in the Hart Center...
), Jerry West
Jerry West
Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
(West Virginia University
West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball
The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. It is a member of the Big East Conference. West Virginia most recently reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, led by...
), Willie Somerset
Willie Somerset
Willard F. Somerset is an American former professional basketball player.A 5'8" guard from Duquesne University, Somerset played eight games for the Baltimore Bullets during the 1965-66 NBA season, averaging 5.6 points per game...
(Duquesne University
Duquesne Dukes men's basketball
The Duquesne Dukes represent Duquesne University in college basketball. The team, which started in 1914, has only ever played in NCAA Division I and has had five appearances in the NCAA Tournament...
), Dave Bing
Dave Bing
David "Dave" Bing is the mayor of Detroit, Michigan, a businessman, and a retired American professional basketball player who played 12 seasons in the National Basketball Association , primarily for the Detroit Pistons...
(Syracuse University
Syracuse Orange men's basketball
The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
), Sonny Dove
Sonny Dove
Lloyd "Sonny" Dove was an American professional basketball player, who was of Native American Mashpee Wampanoag descent. As a star at St. John's University in New York, in his last season of 1967, he received the Haggerty Award...
(St. John's University
St. John's Red Storm men's basketball
The St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team represents the St. John's University in Queens, New York. The team participates in the Big East Conference. The men’s coach Norm Roberts was fired on March 19, 2010...
) and Bob Lanier
Bob Lanier (basketball)
Robert Jerry "Bob" Lanier, Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player who played for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA.Lanier was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992....
(St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University
St. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
).
Professional basketball
The first professional basketball franchise to call Memorial Auditorium home were the National Basketball LeagueNational Basketball League (United States)
Founded in 1937, the National Basketball League, often abbreviated to NBL, was a professional men's basketball league in the United States. The league would later merge with the Basketball Association of America to form the National Basketball Association in 1949.- League history :The...
's Buffalo Bisons. The Bisons featured center Don Otten
Don Otten
Donald F. Otten was an American professional basketball player.A 6'10" center from Bellefontaine High School and Bowling Green State University, Otten began his professional career in 1946 with the Tri-Cities Blackhawks of the National Basketball League...
and coach Nat Hickey
Nat Hickey
Matthew "Nat" Hickey was an American professional basketball player and coach.A 5'11" guard/forward, Hickey played during the 1920s through 1940s as a member of multiple professional teams, including the Cleveland Rosenblums of the American Basketball League and the Pittsburgh Raiders,...
, but on December 27, 1946—only thirteen games into their inaugural season—owner Ben Kerner moved the team to Moline, Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
. After stops in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, and St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, the team became the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
.
Professional basketball returned to Buffalo and the Aud in the form of the National Basketball Association
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...
's Buffalo Braves
Buffalo Braves
The Buffalo Braves were a team in the National Basketball Association. They later moved to San Diego, California to become the San Diego Clippers then subsequently the Los Angeles Clippers....
in 1970. Like the Bisons before them, the Braves ultimately left Buffalo for San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, in 1978. The team later moved to Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
and became the Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
.
Professional ice hockey
The American Hockey LeagueAmerican 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...
's Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons (AHL)
The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed...
played 30 seasons at the Memorial Auditorium, beginning with the 1940–41 season
1940–41 AHL season
The 1940–41 AHL season was the fifth season of the American Hockey League, which had operated the previous four seasons as the "International-American Hockey League." Nine teams played 56 games each in the schedule.The Cleveland Barons won their second F. G...
. The Bisons won five Calder Cup
Calder Cup
The Calder Cup is awarded annually to the playoff champion of the American Hockey League. The trophy is the world's second oldest continuous professional ice hockey championship, having first been awarded in 1937 following the 1936-37 AHL season, and continuously being awarded every year.The cup...
championships, with the last coming in 1970
1969–70 AHL season
The 1969–70 AHL season was the 34th season of the American Hockey League. Nine teams played 72 games each in the schedule. The Montreal Voyageurs became the second Canadian-based team in the league, and finished first overall in the regular season...
in the franchise's final game. When Buffalo was awarded an expansion team in 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...
—the 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:...
—in 1970, the Bisons folded.
The Buffalo Sabres played their first home opener at Memorial Auditorium on October 15, 1970. They occupied the Auditorium through the 1995–96 season, when they moved a few blocks away to the Marine Midland Arena. Michael Peca
Michael Peca
Michael Anthony "Mike" Peca is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey forward in the National Hockey League . He most recently played for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL. He has also played for the Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple...
scored the last in-game goal at the Aud while Pat LaFontaine
Pat LaFontaine
Patrick Michael LaFontaine is an American former ice hockey center in the National Hockey League who spent his entire career playing for the league's New York-based teams; LaFontaine skated for the New York Islanders from 1983 until 1991, the Buffalo Sabres from 1991 until 1997, and the New York...
put in a ceremonial goal after the 4–1 win over the 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...
. It was the last arena in which the ice sheet fell short of the league-mandated 200 ft. by 85 ft. size (though Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens
Maple Leaf Gardens is an indoor arena that was converted into a Loblawssupermarket and Ryerson University athletic centre in Toronto, on the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto's Garden District.One of the temples of hockey, it was home to the Toronto Maple Leafs of the...
still had irregularly shaped corners).
Many Sabres players noted Memorial Auditorium's atmosphere:
On May 15, 1973, the Cincinnati Swords
Cincinnati Swords
The Cincinnati Swords are a defunct American Hockey League team, founded in 1971, when the newly created NHL expansion team, Buffalo Sabres, exercised their option to create their own AHL farm team to replace the team they forced out of the AHL, the Buffalo Bisons...
, then the Sabres' AHL affiliate, played the final game of the 1973 Calder Cup Finals
1972–73 AHL season
The 1972–73 AHL season was the 37th season of the American Hockey League. Twelve teams played 76 games each in the schedule. The Cincinnati Swords finished first overall in the regular season, and won the Calder Cup championship.-Team changes:...
at the Auditorium. The Swords won the Calder Cup with a 5–1 win over the Nova Scotia Voyageurs
Nova Scotia Voyageurs
The Nova Scotia Voyageurs were a professional ice hockey team, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They played in the American Hockey League, from 1971 to 1984. The Voyageurs played their first two seasons , as the Montreal Voyageurs....
in front of 15,019 fans—at the time the largest playoff crowd in AHL history. 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...
also played several games at the Aud after becoming the Sabres' affiliate, including during their run to the Calder Cup championship in 1987
1986–87 AHL season
The 1986–87 AHL season was the 51st season of the American Hockey League. Thirteen teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The league institutes awarding one point in the standings, for an overtime loss...
.
Memorial Auditorium hosted the 1978 NHL All-Star Game on January 24, 1978. Two members of the Sabres' "French Connection
The French Connection (hockey)
The French Connection was a line of professional ice hockey forwards who played together for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League from 1972 until 1979. The line consisted of Hall of Famer Gilbert Perreault at centre and All-Stars Rick Martin and Rene Robert at left wing and right wing,...
" line—Gilbert Perreault
Gilbert Perreault
Gilbert Perreault is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played for seventeen seasons with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. He was inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990. Known for his ability to stickhandle in close quarters, he was regarded as one of the...
and Rick Martin
Rick Martin
Richard Lionel Martin was a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who played in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres and Los Angeles Kings for 11 seasons between 1971 and 1982...
—played in the game for the Wales Conference. Both had a significant impact on the game's outcome: Martin scored a goal with 1:39 left in regulation to tie the game at 2–2 and force overtime, and Perreault scored the game-winning goal 3:55 into overtime to defeat the Campbell Conference 3–2.
NHL history was made at the Aud on February 24, 1982, when Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
of the visiting Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
scored a natural hat trick in the final seven minutes of the third period to help defeat the Sabres 6–3. Gretzky broke Phil Esposito
Phil Esposito
Philip Anthony Esposito, OC is a former Canadian professional ice hockey centre who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is an Honoured Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the best to have...
's record for the most goals in a season (76) with the first goal of the hat trick, Gretzky's 77th of the season.
In March 2009, Gretzky visited Buffalo as head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
. In an interview with Buffalo News hockey reporter Mike Harrington, he recounted his memories of Memorial Auditorium:
Other sports
During the 1960s, the Aud regularly hosted professional wrestling on Friday nights. The bouts were broadcast on WBEN-TVWIVB-TV
WIVB-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station for Western New York that is licensed to Buffalo. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 39 from a transmitter on Center Street in Colden. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to CW...
at 6:00 PM on the weekend.
The Major Indoor Lacrosse League Buffalo Bandits
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, until the MILL turned into the NLL in 1998....
also played in the Aud beginning with the 1992 season
1992 MILL season
-Awards:-All-Pro Teams:First Team:*Gary Gait, Detroit*Paul Gait, Detroit*Dave Pietramala, Pittsburgh*Rick Sowell, Baltimore*John Tucker, Philadelphia*Sal LoCascio, New York Second Team:*Jeff Jackson, Baltimore*Derek Keenan, Buffalo...
. They won the MILL title in 1992 and in 1993
1993 MILL season
The 1993 Major Indoor Lacrosse League season began on January 9, 1993 and concluded with the championship game on April 10. 1993 saw the only undefeated season in the history of the MILL/NLL; the Buffalo Bandits won all eight of their regular season games, then defeated Boston in the Divisional...
. The Bandits continued to play in the Aud until the building's closure in 1996, and now are a member of the National Lacrosse League
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...
, playing at First Niagara Center.
Memorial Auditorium hosted two soccer franchises. The first was the Buffalo Stallions
Buffalo Stallions
The Buffalo Stallions were a soccer team based out of Buffalo, New York that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979 to 1984. Their home arena was Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.-History:...
of the Major Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
, who played in the Aud from 1979 to 1984. Later, the Aud hosted the Buffalo Blizzard
Buffalo Blizzard
The Buffalo Blizzard was an indoor soccer team based in Buffalo, New York. The team was a member of the now defunct NPSL from 1992 to 2001. From 1992-1996, the team played at Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, and they moved to HSBC Arena in 1996 where they played until 2001.The team was originally...
of the second National Professional Soccer League from 1992 to 1996.
The Buffalo Stampede of Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International
Roller Hockey International was a professional inline hockey league that operated in North America from 1993 to 1999. It was the first major professional league for inline hockey....
also called the Aud home from 1994 to 1995.
In 1974, World Team Tennis
World Team Tennis
World TeamTennis is a coed professional tennis league played with a unique team format in the United States. Each match consists of five sets. Each set features a different configuration . Coaches, before the match, decide the order in which the sets will be played...
came to Buffalo as the Buffalo/Toronto Royals called the Aud home. It lasted one season.
Non-sporting events
In addition to sporting events, the auditorium has hosted concerts by famous artists, spanning many different genres.Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
's album, Buffalo
Buffalo (album)
Buffalo is a live album by Frank Zappa, released in 2007 as a two-CD set. It is the second installment on the Vaulternative Records label that is dedicated to the posthumous release of complete live shows of Zappa's...
, was recorded from a concert held at the auditorium in 1980.
In 2007, the auditorium was one of many targets of Urban Explorers, who visited it during "OPEX 77", an international meet of Urban Explorers. It was described as being one of the best abandoned buildings in the world, and compared to the Paris Catacombs in terms of Urban Exploration
Urban exploration
Urban exploration is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities. Urban exploration is also commonly referred to as infiltration, although some people consider infiltration to be more closely associated with the exploration of active or...
wonders.
External links
- Buffalo Memorial Auditorium History
- The Voice of the Aud: Milt Ellis with Aud Pictures, sounds, and memories by Buffalonian Steve Cichon
- Saying goodbye to The Aud from nhl.com on Sep 5, 2008, 3:32 PM EDT
- The "Aud"
- A tribute site to The "Aud"
- Photos from inside the "Aud" before demolition.
- Farewell, Old Friend: A 2 On Your Side Aud Special Channel 2 WGRZ-TVWGRZ-TVWGRZ, virtual channel 2 , is the NBC-affiliated television station in Buffalo, New York. Its studio is located at 259 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo. Its transmitter is located at 11530 Warner Hill Road in South Wales, New York...
Buffalo, NY - Weekly Photos of the Aud Demolition
- The only interactive full VR panorama of the Aud.
- The book "Buffalo, Home of the Braves", a comprehensive narrative and photo history of the Buffalo Braves
- The Concert Database