| Honda Center | |
|---|---|
| "The Pond", "The Duck Pond" | |
| Former names | Anaheim Arena (1990–1993) Pond of Anaheim (1993) Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (1993–2006) |
| Location | 2695 E. Katella Avenue, Anaheim, California 92806 |
| Broke ground | November 8, 1990 |
| Opened | June 19, 1993 |
| Owner | City of Anaheim |
| Operator | Anaheim Arena Management, LLC (a Anaheim Ducks subsidiary) |
| Construction cost | $123 million ($187 million in 2012 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | Populous (formerly HOK Sport) |
| Structural engineer | Thornton Tomasetti[2] |
| General Contractor | Huber, Hunt & Nichols[3] |
| Capacity | Concerts (center stage) 18,900; (end stage) 18,325 Basketball: 18,336[4] Ice hockey: 17,174 Theatre: 8,400 |
| Tenants | |
| Anaheim Ducks (NHL) (1993–present) UCLA Bruins (NCAA ) (2011–present) Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) (1994–1999) Anaheim Bullfrogs (RHI) (1993–1997) Anaheim Splash (CISL) (1994–1997) Anaheim Piranhas (AFL) (1996–1997) Anaheim Storm (NLL) (2004–2005) |
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The Honda Center, previously known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim and colloquially called The Pond or The Ponda, is an indoor arena in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the National Hockey League's Anaheim Ducks and was home of the former National Lacrosse League's Anaheim Storm, which folded in 2005. Originally named the Anaheim Arena during construction, it was completed in 1993 at a cost of $123 million. Arrowhead Water paid $15 million for the naming rights over 10 years in October 1993.[5] In the short period of time between the enfranchisement of the Mighty Ducks and the naming rights deal with Arrowhead, Disney referred to the Arena as the Pond of Anaheim.[6] Honda, in October 2006 acquired the naming rights for $60 million over 15 years.[7]
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The arena opened on June 19, 1993, with a Barry Manilow concert as its first event. Since then, it has been host to a number of events, such as the 2003 and 2007 Stanley Cup Finals. On June 6, 2007, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Ottawa Senators, 6–2, in Game 5 of the Finals at Honda Center to clinch the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup championship. The Ducks have never lost a Finals game played at the arena.[8]
Various World Wrestling Entertainment major events have been held at the venue such as WrestleMania XII and WrestleMania 2000 (XVI), and the Royal Rumble in 1999. UFC 59, UFC 63, and UFC 76, UFC 121 have been at Honda Center and with UFC on FOX next as well. It hosted the 2005 IBF World Championships for badminton in 2005.
From 1994 to 1998, it served as a second home for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. It was the home arena for the Anaheim Bullfrogs of Roller Hockey International from 1993 to 1999 and for the Anaheim Piranhas of the Arena Football League from 1996 to 1997. This arena has also hosted a PBR Bud Light Cup (later Built Ford Tough Series) event annually since 1998. Since 1994, the arena has hosted the annual John R. Wooden Classic. In 2011, the arena will begin hosting the Big West Conference Men's and Women's Basketball tournaments. The arena has also hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament five times, as the West Regional site - 1998, 2001, 2003, 2008, and 2011. It even hosted the Frozen Four, the semifinals and final of the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship, in 1999, underscoring the popularity of hockey in the region. On December 6, 2000, music legend Tina Turner played her last concert at the arena for the record breaking Twenty Four Seven Tour, but after popular demand, Turner returned to the arena before a sellout crowd on October 14, 2008, for her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour.
The Honda Center lies northeast across California State Route 57 from Angel Stadium (where Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim play) and roughly 3 miles (4.8 km) from Disneyland Park. It is also walkable from Amtrak and Metrolink's Anaheim station, which is located on Angel Stadium's parking lot.
The arena seats up 17,174 for its primary tenant, the Ducks. It takes only five hours to convert Honda Center from a sporting arena to an 8,400-seat amphitheater. There are 84 luxury suites in the building, which has hosted 17.5 million people, as of 2003. In 2005, the arena became the first in the U.S. to have two full levels of 360-degree ribbon displays installed. Daktronics out of Brookings, South Dakota designed, manufactured and installed the 1,800 feet (550 m) of full-color LED technology. Outside the venue, the marquee was upgraded with two large video displays measuring 8 feet (2.4 m) high by 21 feet (6.4 m), and a new marquee was built with more LED video displays.[9]
Broadcom chairman and billionaire, Henry Samueli, owns the company that operates the arena, Anaheim Arena Management, LLC, and the arena's primary tenant, the Ducks, giving him great flexibility in scheduling events and recruiting new tenants. Samueli hopes to bring an NBA franchise to the arena, and the Sacramento Kings have expressed an interest in relocating to Anaheim from their current stadium, Power Balance Pavilion (formerly ARCO Arena).[10] On March 3, 2011 a lawyer representing the Maloof brothers, owners of the Kings, filed applications to trademark possible names for a new basketball team at the Honda Center, including the Anaheim Royals, Los Angeles Royals, Orange County Royals, and Anaheim Royals of Southern California.[11] The Maloof brothers have until May 2, 2011 to file paperwork officially requesting a relocation to the Honda Center.[12]
The Honda Center has the second highest gross ticket sales from special events on the West Coast, following only the Staples Center.[13] These events have included the following over the years: