Mile One Centre | |
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Former names | Mile One Stadium |
Location | 50 New Gower Street, St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada |
Broke ground | 1999 |
Opened | May 24, 2001 |
Owner | City of St. John's |
Operator | St. John's Sports and Entertainment |
Construction cost | C$20.5 million[1] ($25.2 million in 2012 dollars[2]) |
Architect | PBK Architects, Inc. |
Capacity | Hockey: 6,247 Basketball: 6,750 Full Capacity: 7,000 |
Tenants | |
St. John's IceCaps (AHL) (2011-) St. John's Fog Devils (QMJHL) (2005–2008) St. John's Maple Leafs (AHL) (2001–2005) |
Mile One Centre is an indoor arena and entertainment venue located in downtown St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The centre's name comes from it being located at the beginning of the Trans-Canada Highway. At full capacity the arena can seat 7,000 people.
The arena opened in May 2001, as Mile One Stadium, replacing Memorial Stadium as the home of the St. John's Maple Leafs of the American Hockey League (AHL). The Maple Leafs left the city in 2005, and Mile One became home to the St. John's Fog Devils of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for three seasons. The arena is now home to the St. John's IceCaps of the AHL.[3]
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Although not obvious from the centre's name, Mile One Centre is among the many North American sports venues that have raised funds by selling their naming rights. In the case of Mile One, brewing company Molson initially acquired the naming rights for ten years (2001 to 2011), as well as other privileges such as being the venue's exclusive beer supplier, for $1.5 million.[4] Molson then resold the naming rights to Danny Williams, then-owner of Cable Atlantic (and later premier of Newfoundland and Labrador), for $600,000. Before the centre opened, however, Williams sold Cable Atlantic to Rogers Communications in order to pursue politics, but retained the naming rights. Ultimately Williams chose to name the centre based on the venue's geography.[5] "Mile One" is a trademark owned by the Williams Family Foundation, not the city, meaning that the centre can only use the "Mile One" name so long as it has the foundation's permission to do so. This implies that if and when Williams's rights expire and are not renewed, the centre might be forced to find a new name, regardless of whether or not a new sponsor is found.[6]
Mile One Centre is currently home to the St. John's IceCaps of the American Hockey League. The building was originally home to the St. John's Maple Leafs of the American Hockey League. The Leafs played out of the centre from 2001–2005 before relocating to Toronto, Ontario to become the Toronto Marlies. Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) stated that the relocation was necessary to better monitor prospects for the co-owned Toronto Maple Leafs.[7]
The Dobbin family were granted an expansion Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) franchise in 2004 to be later named the St. John's Fog Devils.[8] The Fog Devils began playing at Mile One Centre in 2005. However, the Fog Devils would relocate to Montreal, Quebec after just three seasons in St. John's to become the Junior de Montreal. Many reasons attributed to the Fog Devils' demise including lack of fan support, a poor lease agreement and high travel costs. The Fog Devils' departure left Mile One Centre without a major tenant for the first time since the building opened.[9]
During the 2010-2011 hockey season, Hockey Canada used the arena as host venue for the Four Nations Cup and the Telus Cup.
On May 20, 2011, The Telegram reported that the Manitoba Moose of the AHL would relocate to Newfoundland for the 2011-12 hockey season. The Moose, who were formerly based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba from 1996–2011, would relocate due to the purchase of the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League by the Moose's parent company True North Sports and Entertainment, and their relocation to Winnipeg as the Jets. True North retains ownership of the St. John's IceCaps but has agreed to lease the local operations to Danny Williams. Both relocations were finalized by the end of June 2011.
The arena hosts the annual Herder Cup tournament, the largest hockey tournament in the province. It hosted the 2002 AHL All-Star Game, and the 2005 Scott Tournament of Hearts.
A National Basketball Association exhibition game between the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, was cancelled on game night due to an excess of condensation built up on the playing surface due to the inside temperature.
Skate Canada International was held in Mile One Centre in October 2005.
In September 2007, the stadium hosted an NHL exhibition game featuring the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders. The arena has hosted the annual Kraft Hockeyville NHL exhibition game, featuring the Winnipeg Jets, the parent organization of the new St. John's IceCaps, against the Ottawa Senators on September 26, 2011.
The Juno Awards were presented at Mile One Centre on April 14, 2002.[10] This marked the first time the awards show officially went on the road and was hosted outside the provinces of Ontario or British Columbia. In January 2009, it was announced that the Junos were returning to Mile One Centre in April 2010. This made St. John's the first city to host the awards show for a second time since they started travelling the country in 2002.[11]
Preceded by MTS Centre (as Manitoba Moose) |
Home of the St. John's IceCaps 2011 – present |
Succeeded by present |
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