Metropolitan Sports Center

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Metropolitan Sports Center
Met Center
Location
Opened	1967
Owner
Tenants
Minnesota North Stars (NHL) (1967-1993) Minnesota Muskies (ABA) (1967-1968) Minnesota Pipers (ABA) (1968-1969) Minnesota Strikers (MISL) (1984-1988)
Capacity
15,000

The Metropolitan Sports Center (also known as the Met Center) was an indoor arena that formerly stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The arena, which was completed in 1967, seated 15,000. It was home to the Minnesota North Stars of the NHL from 1967-1993 and ABA's Minnesota Muskies. The Muskies played just one season, before moving to Miami. They were replaced by the Minnesota Pipers, who also played only one season. The MISL Minnesota Strikers played indoor soccer at the Met Center from 1984-1988. The Boys' High School Hockey Tournament was also held there.

The Met Center also held entertainment-related shows, including the very first performance of Sesame Street Live in September 1980.

The Met Center was considered to be one of the finest arenas in the NHL for many years, both for its sightlines, and its ice surface. Among NHL players, the Met was known for fast ice, the best lighting, great locker rooms and training facilities. Among fans it was beloved as a palace for purist hockey fans. The Met never boasted fancy amenities, and by comparison to modern arenas it had cramped concourses, no luxury suites, and no frills. As a sports facility, it could best be described as utilitarian, a theme which repeats itself in most Minnesota sports facilities built before 1988. Despite these shortcomings, die-hard Minnesota Hockey fans came to love The Met for living up to its primary objective, providing a place to watch NHL hockey, better than most.

The most notable and unique feature of the Met Center for many years was its multi-coloured seats. The seats were upholstered in white, black, green and gold - the colours of the North Stars. In the summer of 1991, the Met Center underwent a "renovation" called by owner Norm Green. Included in the renovation was a new center-ice logo, an addition of a couple luxury boxes, and reupholstering of the infamous coloured seats to a standard maroon colour.

The Met Center was demolished in 1994 after the North Stars moved to Dallas, Texas, becoming the Dallas Stars. Three attempts were made to undertake a controlled implosion of the building, but none was sufficient to bring it down. As a result, the arena had to be demolished using the usual heavy equipment.

For several years after the arena was demolished, the property served as an overflow lot for the Mall of America. In 2004, an IKEA store opened on the west end of the property, and the new American Boulevard was rerouted through the east end of the property. The remainder of the site is planned long-term to become the site of Mall of America Phase II, of which the IKEA would be an anchor store.

Preceded by first arena

Home of the Minnesota North Stars 1967–1993

Succeeded by Reunion Arena 1993–2001