Verizon Wireless Arena
Encyclopedia
The Verizon Wireless Arena is an indoor events arena in Manchester, New Hampshire
, and seats 9,852 for ice hockey
and just under 10,000 for basketball
and some concerts.
Verizon Wireless
paid for the arena's naming rights
. The facility was originally known during construction as Civic Arena, and this name still appears on most of the directional signs around town.
of the American Hockey League
and the former home of the Manchester Wolves
of the now disbanded af2
. The University of New Hampshire
men's hockey team also plays some of their home games there, annually against Dartmouth College
in the Battle for the Riverstone Cup
, and less frequently in Hockey East
conference play. The Verizon has hosted the 2005 AHL All-Star Game
, WWE Backlash
in 2005, and the NCAA Men's Frozen Four Northeast Regional tournament in 2004, 2007 and 2009. UNH is scheduled to play host to the NCAA Ice Hockey Northeast Regional tournament again in 2011 and 2013. State high school basketball and hockey championships have been held in the arena. Both the Boston Celtics
of the NBA and the Boston Bruins
of the NHL regularly play preseason games at the arena.
In December 2007, then-Senator
Barack Obama
(D-IL) and TV icon Oprah Winfrey
appeared at a campaign rally at the arena, drawing over 8,000 people to one of the largest political events in New Hampshire history. Obama also appeared at the arena in May 2007 to speak at the Southern New Hampshire University
commencement. Hillary Clinton appeared at the arena in June 2007, to speak at the Manchester Central High School
graduation.
The iconic band Phish
appeared at the arena on October 26, 2010, in their first appearance in New Hampshire since May 8, 1993, when they appeared at the University of New Hampshire
Fieldhouse.
The FIRST Robotics Competition
holds its main regional competition, the BAE Systems
Granite State Regional, in the arena every year.
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, and seats 9,852 for 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...
and just under 10,000 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 some concerts.
Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless
Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America....
paid for the arena's naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
. The facility was originally known during construction as Civic Arena, and this name still appears on most of the directional signs around town.
Sporting events
The arena is home to the Manchester MonarchsManchester Monarchs
The Manchester Monarchs are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League . They play in Manchester, New Hampshire at the Verizon Wireless Arena. They have been the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings since 2001.-History:...
of 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...
and the former home of the Manchester Wolves
Manchester Wolves
The Manchester Wolves were a professional arena football team, based at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, which folded at the end of the 2009 season along with the rest of the league...
of the now disbanded af2
Af2
AF2 was the name of the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football rules and style of play. League seasons ran from April through July with the postseason and ArenaCup...
. The University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
men's hockey team also plays some of their home games there, annually against Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in the Battle for the Riverstone Cup
New Hampshire–Dartmouth rivalry
The New Hampshire–Dartmouth rivalry is an intrastate college sports rivalry between the New Hampshire Wildcats and the Dartmouth Big Green. The rivalry is best known for the football and ice hockey games between the two schools. The schools' football teams compete for the Granite Bowl trophy and...
, and less frequently in Hockey East
Hockey East
Hockey East Association is a NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey conference which operates in New England. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a hockey-only conference....
conference play. The Verizon has hosted the 2005 AHL All-Star Game
2004–05 AHL season
The 2004–05 AHL season was the 69th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-eight teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Rochester Americans finished first overall in the regular season...
, WWE Backlash
Backlash (2005)
Backlash was the seventh annual Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by the World Wrestling Entertainment , which took place on May 1, 2005 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire. The show's six matches showcased prominent WWE wrestlers, who acted out...
in 2005, and the NCAA Men's Frozen Four Northeast Regional tournament in 2004, 2007 and 2009. UNH is scheduled to play host to the NCAA Ice Hockey Northeast Regional tournament again in 2011 and 2013. State high school basketball and hockey championships have been held in the arena. Both the Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
of the NBA and the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
of the NHL regularly play preseason games at the arena.
Other events
The arena has hosted dozens of concerts by major "A"-level artists, many of whom have visited the Manchester venue on multiple occasions.In December 2007, then-Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
(D-IL) and TV icon Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
appeared at a campaign rally at the arena, drawing over 8,000 people to one of the largest political events in New Hampshire history. Obama also appeared at the arena in May 2007 to speak at the Southern New Hampshire University
Southern New Hampshire University
Southern New Hampshire University, also known as SNHU, is a private university in Manchester and Hooksett, New Hampshire. The university is accredited by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and also has numerous specialized...
commencement. Hillary Clinton appeared at the arena in June 2007, to speak at the Manchester Central High School
Manchester Central High School
Manchester High School Central is the oldest public high school in the state of New Hampshire. Located in the heart of Manchester, New Hampshire, over 2,400 students attend from communities such as Auburn, Candia, Hooksett, and Manchester. The name was changed from Manchester High School in 1922...
graduation.
The iconic band 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...
appeared at the arena on October 26, 2010, in their first appearance in New Hampshire since May 8, 1993, when they appeared at the University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
Fieldhouse.
The FIRST Robotics Competition
FIRST Robotics Competition
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition organized by FIRST. Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots weighing up to , not including battery and bumpers, that can complete a task, which changes every year...
holds its main regional competition, the BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
Granite State Regional, in the arena every year.