| Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza | |
|---|---|
| Mohegan Sun Arena or The Arena | |
| Former names | Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Arena and Convention Center (1998–2000) First Union Arena (2000–2003) Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza (2003–2010) |
| Location | 255 Highland Park Boulvevard Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18703, United States |
| Broke ground | September 15, 1997[1] |
| Opened | November 13, 1999[2] |
| Owner | Luzerne County |
| Operator | SMG |
| Surface | Ice, Turf |
| Construction cost | $44 million ($58 million in 2012 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Heinlein Schrock[4] |
| Project Manager | Hammes Company[1] |
| General Contractor | Oscar J. Boldt Construction Company[5] |
| Capacity | 8,050 (Hockey)[6] 7,950 (Arena Football) 10,000 (Concerts) |
| Tenants | |
| Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) (1999–present) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (af2) (2002–2009) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Shamrocks (NALL) (2012-present) |
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Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza (originally Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Arena and Convention Center, formerly First Union Arena and Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza) is an 8,300-seat multi-purpose arena located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, managed by SMG.
Built in 1998 due to the instrumental work of Pennsylvania Governor Robert P. Casey, Sr. and his successor, Tom Ridge and due to the dedication and support of State Representative Kevin Blaum, the arena was originally named the Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Arena and Convention Center. In 2000, the naming rights were sold to First Union Bank, becoming First Union Arena, until the summer of 2003, when First Union Bank merged into Wachovia, at which point it became Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza. On January 20, 2010, the arena became Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, as part of a 10-year naming rights contract with the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs racetrack and casino.[7]
It is home to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, of the AHL and the former home of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers, of the AF2 League. Starting in January 2012 it will be home to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Shamrocks of the North American Lacrosse League.
The Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza has been recognized by many entertainment magazines as one of the best in the country for arenas under 10,000 in capacity, especially for its attendance and ease of show setup and teardown. The Penguins hold the American Hockey League record for most sellouts in a season, selling out all 40 home games in 2002-03 and 2003–04, and ran a streak of 144 consecutive sellouts in the building from 2000-2004. The team is consistently among the AHL's leaders in attendance.
Other than Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey games, other events that occur at the arena include concerts, circus performances, an annual Christmas-time Trans-Siberian Orchestra performance, professional ice-skating shows, WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown!, professional wrestling live events, concerts, Harlem Globetrotters and the annual graduation ceremonies for nearby King's College, University of Scranton, Luzerne County Community College, and Marywood University. It also was host to the 2007 WWE Draft that was live on Monday Night Raw on June 11, 2007.
President George W. Bush spoke at the arena on October 22, 2004, during his campaign for re-election to the presidency of the United States.
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