Tampere Ice Stadium

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Tamperee Ice Stadium
Tampereen jäähalli
Hakametsä
Location Keltinkatu 2
Tampere, Finland
Coordinates 61°29′45″N 023°49′27″E / 61.49583°N 23.82417°E / 61.49583; 23.82417Coordinates: 61°29′45″N 023°49′27″E / 61.49583°N 23.82417°E / 61.49583; 23.82417
Opened 1965
Owner City of Tampere
Construction cost €1.2 million
(in 2005 currency)
Architect Jaakko Tähtinen
Capacity 7,800 (ice hockey)
Website www.tampere.fi/...
Tenants
Ilves (1965–)
Tappara (1965–)
Koovee (1965–83, 1994–97)

Tampereen Ice Stadium[1] (Finnish: Tampereen jäähalli, often called Hakametsä) is a sports arena in Tampere, Finland. It is primarily used for ice hockey, and is the home arena of Ilves and Tappara of the SM-liiga. It was built in 1965, and currently the capacity for hockey games is 7,800 spectators (6,600 seats, 1,200 standing).

As there are several ice hockey venues in Tampere, this primary one is usually called "Hakametsän jäähalli" (after the district where it is located) or, more precisely, "Hakametsä 1" to distinguish it from the two smaller halls nearby.

History

Tampereen jäähalli is the oldest ice hockey arena in the country.

Finland was awarded the opportunity to host the 1965 ice hockey World Championships, and Helsinki was to build an arena for the tournament. However, Helsinki did not manage to finish the project in time, and Tampere was asked to build an arena and host the games instead.

The first game in the arena was an all-star game between Tampere and the rest of Finland, played on January 29, 1965. The score was tied at 4–4. The first league game was played by the local teams Ilves and Tappara on January 31, with Ilves taking a 5–3 win.

Originally, the spectator capacity of the Tampereen jäähalli was 10,200 people, with only 1,573 seats on the eastern side of the rink.

Features

An inside view.
The stands in the arena are of a rather rectangular shape, and are composed of a single level main stand and an overhanging balcony on the western side. On the eastern side there are 20 suites as well as facilities for the media. The last remaining standing places are located in the far corners of the stands. Currently the majority of the seats are padded, with some unpadded plastic seats remaining in both ends and on the balcony.

In 2007, a new video screen cube was installed in the arena. Of note is the fact that the balcony hanging over the B stand blocks the view to the screen from there. This has been augmented by placing TV monitors under the balcony that mirror the output of the scoreboard.

Around the concourse under the stands there are several bars, restaurants and fast food stalls, as well as merchandise shops and the VIP clubs of the two local hockey teams.

Other uses

Besides hockey, the venue has been used to host several other sports events, including the European and World Championships of boxing, wrestling, judo, and karate, and international matches of volleyball. Over the years there have also been several concerts by both domestic and international artists in the hall.

Future

In the late 1990s and the early 2000s there were plans to build a new multi-purpose arena in Tampere, following the example of the Hartwall Areena built in Helsinki in 1997. However, these plans did not come to fruition, and the Hakametsä arena continues to serve as the primary hockey venue in the city. In May 2010, the Tampere City Council approved plans for the Tampereen Keskusareena to start.

References

  1. ↑ "Tampere Ice Stadium". Tampere: City of Tampere. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2013. 

External links

IIHF World Championship venues
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