Joe Louis Arena
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Joe Louis Arena | |
|---|---|
| Hockeytown, The Joe, JLA | |
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| Location | 600 Civic Center Drive Detroit, Michigan |
| Broke ground | 1977 |
| Opened | December 12, 1979 |
| Owner | City of Detroit |
| Operator | Ilitch Holdings, Inc. |
| Construction cost | $57 million |
| Architect | Smith, Hinchmen and Grylls Associates |
| Tenants | |
| Detroit Red Wings (NHL) (1979–present) Detroit Drive (AFL) (1988-93) Detroit Compuware Ambassadors (OHL) (1991-92) Detroit Junior Red Wings (OHL) (1992-95) Detroit Rockers (NPSL) (1996–01) Detroit Turbos (MILL) (1989-94) |
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| Seats | |
| Ice hockey: 20,066 | |
Joe Louis Arena, nicknamed Hockeytown, The Joe, and JLA, is a hockey arena located at 600 Civic Center Drive in Detroit, Michigan. It is the home of the National Hockey League franchise, the Detroit Red Wings. Completed in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, Joe Louis Arena is named after boxer and former heavyweight champion, Joe Louis, who grew up in Detroit.
Joe Louis Arena is owned by the city of Detroit and operated by Olympia Entertainment, Inc., an Ilitch Holdings, Inc.-owned company. JLA replaced Olympia Stadium. It sits adjacent to Cobo Hall on the bank of the Detroit River and is accessible through its own stations on the Detroit People Mover.
The Red Wings have been very successful since the move to JLA, winning three Stanley Cups (with two of them, 1997 and 2002, taking place with the Cup clinching victory at JLA). Budd Lynch is the arena's public address announcer.
Joe Louis Arena hosts college hockey events as part of College Hockey at The Joe and Great Lakes Invitational. It also played host to the 1980 Republican National Convention. Most recently, WWE held their 19th annual Survivor Series on November 27, 2005.
Joe Louis Arena was the site of the decisive Game 5 of the 2006 WNBA Finals between the Sacramento Monarchs and Detroit Shock on September 9, due to the Palace of Auburn Hills (the Shock's usual home arena) already being used for a Mariah Carey concert on the same day. The Shock won the game 80-75 to clinch the championship.
The Detroit Pistons of the NBA used this arena for some part of the 1984-85 seasons after the roof of their home, Pontiac Silverdome was destroyed by a snowstorm during the season.
Several plans for a replacement arena have been raised for years; presently, JLA is considered somewhat outdated due to its lack of luxury boxes and other revenue-generating amenities. In addition, some proposals for the expansion of Cobo Hall have required JLA to be demolished. No firm plan for a replacement is in place.
A television screen for the scoreboard was installed and debuted November 22, 2006, when the Red Wings played the Vancouver Canucks. That same day, the arena's West Entrance was named the "Gordie Howe Entrance" in honor of legendary Red Wings player Gordie Howe.
[edit] Statistics
- Built: 1979.
- Construction Cost: $57 million.
- Seating Capacity: 20,066 (including suites); 20,338 for end-stage concerts and 21,152 for center-stage concerts.
- Dimensions: 328 x 550 x 85 (ft), approximately 12 million ft³ (340,000 m³).
- Home Team: Detroit Red Wings (NHL).
- Former Teams: Detroit Rockers (NPSL) 1996-01, Detroit Pistons (NBA) for one playoff game in 1984 because of venue unavailability, and 15 games in 1985 after the roof collapsed at the Pontiac Silverdome, Detroit Compuware Ambassadors (OHL) 1991-92,Detroit Junior Red Wings (OHL) 1992-95, Detroit Drive (AFL) 1988-93, Detroit Turbos (MILL) 1989-94, Detroit Shock, (WNBA) for playoff games in 2004 and the 2006 WNBA Finals Game 5 when The Palace of Auburn Hills was unavailable because of a concert.
- Opening event: December 12, 1979, basketball game between the University of Michigan and the University of Detroit.
- Opening hockey event: December 27, 1979, the Detroit Red Wings versus the St. Louis Blues. St. Louis won that particular night.
- Other events: concerts, John Hancock (Insurance) Champions On Ice, three NCAA Frozen Four college hockey finals, college basketball, others.
- Championships: Detroit Red Wings (1997, 1998 & 2002), Detroit Rockers (1991).
- Site of Survivor Series 1991, Survivor Series 1999, and Survivor Series 2005, as well as Vengeance 2002.
- Site of WCW Halloween Havoc in 1994 and 1995.
- Site of the annual Great Lakes Invitational, in college hockey.
| Preceded by: Olympia Stadium 1927–1979 |
Home of the Detroit Red Wings 1979–present |
Succeeded by: current |
Categories: Buildings and structures in Detroit | Skyscrapers in Detroit | Detroit Red Wings | 1979 establishments | Indoor arenas in the United States | Indoor ice hockey venues in the United States | National Hockey League venues | Ontario Hockey League arenas | Sports in Detroit | Sports venues in Michigan | Professional wrestling venues | NCAA Men's Frozen Four venues | Republican National Convention venues | Detroit culture
