LeRoy A. Ufkes Court at Western Hall is a 5,139-seat multi-purpose arena in Macomb, Illinois . It was built in 1964. It is home to the Western Illinois University Leathernecks men's and women's basketball teams and the women's volleyball team .
90-472: Completed in 1964, its stadium-style seats, combined with bleachers in the upper levels, accommodate 5,139 fans surrounding the maple wood floor. The playing surface in Western Hall has undergone several changes in its history. Originally a wooden floor, the regulation-size court was replaced with a tartan floor in 1973 and, prior to the 1993-94 basketball season, upgraded with a parquet floor similar to that in
180-631: A Reinald Werrenrath concert. Dunn was able to bring the Garden from a deficit to a $ 200,000 profit in his first year as manager. The Boston Garden also promoted events at Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire , including the New England States Fair, automobile races, and Grand Circuit harness racing stakes races . The Garden suffered economically during the Great Depression . Boxing
270-554: A $ 56.8 million, 16,000-seat arena that would be paid for by tax-exempt bonds floated by an Arena Authority and by raising the commonwealth's hotel tax from 5.7% to 8%. The naming rights to the proposed arena were sold to Sheraton for $ 2 million. Tsongas' proposal died in the state legislature . Matthews Arena Matthews Arena (formerly Boston Arena ) is a historic multi-purpose arena in Boston , Massachusetts currently owned by Northeastern University . At over 120 years old,
360-759: A controlling interest in the Boston Garden. In 1936, the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation bought out the remaining stock owned by the Madison Square Garden Corporation. In April 16, 1953, the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation sold the Boston Arena to Samuel L. Pinsly for $ 240,000. He planned on doubling the size of the building and converting it into a garment manufacturing facility, as the purchase agreement included
450-565: A fire escape before a performance. The Grateful Dead have released Dick's Picks Volume 12 and 17 culled from performances at the Garden on June 28, 1974, and September 25, 1991. Detroit rocker Bob Seger recorded a bulk of his 1981 double live album Nine Tonight at The Boston Garden in October 1980. Five years before, The J. Geils Band recorded most of their November 1975 show at The Boston Garden for their 1976 double live album Blow Your Face Out . The Geils band returned again, and had
540-578: A five-year ban on sports or events at building unless it was acquired by a government entity. Three months later, the building was purchased by the Metropolitan District Commission for $ 280,000, which planned on using it for high school sports and other athletic events. Francis Ouimet was named chairman of the MDC's Boston Arena Authority and Clark Hodder was named manager of the Arena. In 1975,
630-418: A legal battle between the two sides that ended in 1933, when Bruins owner Charles F. Adams agreed to pay the arena $ 54,000. Boston Arena general manager George V. Brown was able to keep the venue running with college hockey and figure skating. The Garden ran their shows at a loss in order to keep events away from the Arena. In 1934, the smaller Boston Arena Corporation, led by Henry G. Lapham , purchased
720-535: A new 18,000-seat arena to be built near South Station . Plans for the arena fell through when Storer Broadcasting , then-owner of the Boston Garden and the Bruins, announced they would not be able to pay the $ 24 to $ 28 million required for the new arena. Storer Broadcasting ended up selling the Bruins and the Boston Garden to Jeremy Jacobs who owned Delaware North in 1975. In 1977, the Boston Celtics negotiated with
810-579: A new arena unless the Boston Bruins, who owned the Garden, agreed to lower the rent. The team met with Ogden Corp., owners of Suffolk Downs , who proposed a $ 20 million, 18,000-seat arena to be built near the racetrack. They also met with the Boston Redevelopment Authority , who proposed $ 40 million, 15,000-seat arena that would be built behind the existing Garden and paid for with state bonds. The Bruins meanwhile announced plans to move to
900-538: A new set of banners when they moved to the FleetCenter, which were again replaced after the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals with six new banners, each using the contemporary logo of the Bruins when each Cup victory occurred. The Bruins also raised numerous Adams Division , Presidents' Trophy and Wales Conference championship banners at the old Garden, but due to lack of space, they consolidated them into one single banner each upon moving to TD Garden. The Garden's hockey rink
990-508: A non-railroad building. The Massachusetts General Court passed legislation expanding the corporate powers of the Boston & Maine Railroad which was signed by Governor Alvan T. Fuller on March 6, 1928. Codman's Bill in equity was dismissed by Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice John Crawford Crosby in October 1928. Built at a cost of $ 10 million – over double the cost for New York's arena three years earlier – Boston Garden turned out to be
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#17328523698871080-467: A performance by Irving Brokaw . The arena's first ice hockey game was won by the Harvard Freshmen hockey team, who defeated Newton High School , 4–0. The Harvard varsity squad played later that evening, losing to Crescent H. C. , 1–0. The Arena's original ice surface was larger than the current standard at 220-by-90-foot (67 m × 27 m). The first games of professional ice hockey at
1170-576: A proposed $ 50 million sports complex on the site of the then closed Rockingham Park in Salem, New Hampshire . The plans for the Salem site were eventually killed by the New Hampshire General Court . Meanwhile, the track remained closed until May 26, 1984. In response to the Bruins' plans to leave the state, U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas established a committee to put forward a plan for a new Boston arena. The committee, chaired by Tsongas, proposed
1260-410: A sports arena. A group led by Rickard, John S. Hammond , and William F. Carey of the Madison Square Garden Corporation, as well as Boston businessmen Charles F. Adams and Huntington Hardwick , signed a 25-year lease for the arena. Sheldon Fairbanks was chosen to be the arena's first general manager. Boston & Maine shareholder Edmund D. Codman challenged the legality of the railroad constructing
1350-823: Is debut at the Arena when the Boston Whirlwinds of the American Basketball League played their inaugural home game on November 30, 1925. Unable to meet its financial obligations, the team moved its games first to the Mechanics Hall and then to the Mount Benedict Knights of Columbus Hall in Somerville, Massachusetts . The Arena was also home to the American Basketball League's Boston Trojans during their only season. On November 5, 1946,
1440-515: Is the world's oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, as well as the oldest arena in use for ice hockey . There are current plans to demolish the historic arena and replace it with a new facility. It is the original home of the National Hockey League (NHL) Boston Bruins —the only team of the NHL's Original Six whose original home arena still exists for the sport of ice hockey;
1530-464: The 1928 campaign . The Democratic Party hosted two large rallies at the arena during the 1932 presidential campaign , one headlined by Smith and the other headlined by presidential nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt . Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey spoke at the arena during his 1948 presidential campaign . Malcolm Nichols held a rally at the arena during his 1937 mayoral campaign . The Bruins played their first-ever NHL regular season game at
1620-576: The American Legion 's 1940 national convention. The formal session was held at the Boston Arena and featured speeches from Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation J. Edgar Hoover , Governor Leverett Saltonstall , and Mayor Maurice J. Tobin . In 1946, the arena hosted the national encampment of the Veterans of Foreign Wars . Future U.S. President John F. Kennedy was the general chairman of
1710-406: The Boston & Maine Railroad , announced that the construction of a new sports arena at their North Station facility. The Madison Square Garden Corporation signed a 25-year lease for the arena. The Boston Garden opened in 1928 and replaced the Arena as the city's venue for premier boxing, wrestling, and track events. The Bruins broke their contract the Arena to move to the Garden, which led to
1800-474: The Boston Arena , groundbreaking took place on October 11, 1909. The 1896 United States skating champion Herbert S. Evans dug the first portion of earth. The arena was to have a capacity of 5,000 and was to be used for ice skating, curling, horse shows, and a variety of sporting events. The arena had its own power plant, which powered the two 100-ton ice machines and all of the arena's lighting. Charles C. Abbey
1890-575: The Boston Garden-Arena Corporation . George V. Brown served as general manager of the Garden under the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation until his death in 1937, when he was succeeded by his son, Walter A. Brown . During the Depression, Sonja Henie 's Hollywood Ice Revue and the Ice Follies were successful draws and kept the Garden afloat. In 1939, a financial dispute between Henie and her managers led Walter Brown and eight other arena managers to found
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#17328523698871980-664: The Boston Pops , U2 , Bruce Springsteen , Guns N' Roses , Nine Inch Nails , Tom Petty , Grace Slick with Jefferson Airplane , Jethro Tull (who had 15 headlining performances there between 1971 and 1980 which is the most for a band, their last being on 1980's A Tour before switching to the Worcester Centrum in 1982), Bob Dylan with The Band , Diana Ross & the Supremes , The Jackson 5 , Queen , Rush , Styx and George Burns and Gracie Allen among others. The opening of
2070-574: The Hollywood Victory Caravan came through town, a Jewish anti-Nazi rally was held at the Garden. The United War Fund hosted a rally headlined by Jimmy Durante , Greer Garson , and the Boston Symphony Orchestra . The day before the 1960 presidential election, a rally for John F. Kennedy drew 20,000 while police estimated that there were another 100,000 people in the streets outside the Garden. Other politicians to hold rallies at
2160-581: The Hotel Manger , a 500-room hotel connected to the Boston Garden through an elevated skyway , was completed. The hotel (later known as the Hotel Madison) closed in 1976 and was demolished in 1983. Under the leadership of manager Dick Dunn , the Boston Garden booked a wide variety of events, including an Aimee Semple McPherson revival , a welterweight championship bout between Young Jack Thompson and Lou Brouillard , New England's first rodeo event, and
2250-526: The Ice Capades . Rudy Vallée and his orchestra performed at the Garden on April 21, 1932. Vallée returned to the Garden on October 23–24, 1938 for a "battle of the bands" with Benny Goodman that drew 25,000. The first rock concert held at the Garden was on November 30, 1956, when the building hosted Alan Freed 's "Biggest Show of 1956". The Beatles played a show at the Garden during their first US/Canada tour on September 12, 1964, staying at
2340-602: The Worcester Centrum and the Great Woods Amphitheater caused a massive drop in concerts at the Garden from the early 1980s until the early 1990s. The age of glam metal practically passed the Garden by completely, as most bands from that era played the Centrum in the winter and Great Woods in the summer. Poor acoustics, a busy sports schedule, expensive booking fees, and difficulty with local unions all contributed to
2430-506: The 1976 tour. The Who's last performance at the Garden was in December 1979 on their first tour following Moon's death. That performance was almost canceled after several fans at a Who show in Cincinnati died while trying to get in early for a general admission show. The Boston City Council held a televised hearing on whether to allow the show to go forward and decided to permit it because there
2520-519: The Arena on Monday, December 1, 1924. with the Bruins' most historic rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens being initiated only one week later. The Bruins left for the Boston Garden in 1928, but returned for one game in 1952 after a wooden awning in North Station collapsed and damaged some pipes in the Garden. The Detroit Red Wings beat the Bruins 4–3 in front of only 4,049 fans. In 1952,
2610-616: The Arena served as the first home to the annual Beanpot tournament between Boston's four major college hockey programs. From 1953 to 1970, it hosted the Boston Arena Christmas Tournament . The 1960 NCAA men's ice hockey tournament was held at the Boston Arena. From 1972 to 1974, the venue was home to the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association . In 1925, professional basketball made
2700-633: The Arena took place in March 1911 when a two-game $ 2,500 competition between two NHA teams, the Montreal Wanderers and the Ottawa Senators took place. The Arena was the home ice for a number of amateur and college hockey teams, including the Boston Athletic Association , Boston Arenas , Westminster Hockey Club , Boston College , Boston University , Harvard , and MIT . The Arena
2790-425: The Arena will be presented over my dead body". Freed charged with inciting a riot, but the case was dropped due to the death of the chief investigator and difficultly of bringing in witnesses from outside Massachusetts. The Doors were booked to perform two shows at the Boston Arena on April 10, 1970. The second concert did not begin until after midnight and went on for two hours before arena management turned off
Western Hall - Misplaced Pages Continue
2880-457: The Boston Arena had had a 220-by-90-foot (67 m × 27 m) ice surface; this was reduced so as to add more seats. The Boston Arena, later renamed the Matthews Arena, modified its ice surface in 1995 to the standard-length 200-by-80-foot (61 m × 24 m) rink, still in use in the 21st century for college hockey . Visiting players were frequently thrown off their games by
2970-532: The Boston Celtics played their first ever game in front of 4,329 fans at the Boston Arena. . The team split its home games between the Garden and the Arena until 1955. On May 4, 1958, the Boston Arena hosted a rock 'n' roll concert headlined by Alan Freed and Jerry Lee Lewis . After the show, one man was stabbed and a dozen others were robbed, which led to Mayor John Hynes declaring that he would not authorize anymore licenses for rock concerts and arena manager Paul Brown stating that "the next rock 'n' roll show at
3060-737: The Boston Planning & Development Agency, it will result in the loss of the oldest hockey arena in the United States, that was the first home of the Boston Bruins , Boston Celtics , Carolina Hurricanes (then the New England Whalers) and numerous college hockey teams. On October 10, 1910, former president Theodore Roosevelt delivered a speech before a crowd of 8,000 spectators. In it, he endorsed Governor Eben Sumner Draper and U.S. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge for reelection. Draper, who
3150-503: The Boston area, was held at the Garden annually on the first week of February. Boston Garden was the first arena to host the Stanley Cup Finals and NBA Finals at the same time in 1957. It occurred again in 1958 and 1974. The Boston Garden was a frequent host of Vince McMahon's WWF for many years throughout the 1970s and 1980s, in the form of wrestling " house shows " (non-televised matches), and superstars like Hulk Hogan , André
3240-463: The Bruins and the archrival Montreal Canadiens , won by the Canadiens 1–0. The game was attended by 17,000 fans, 2,000 over capacity, as fans without tickets stormed their way in. The game started 25 minutes late. Windows and doors were broken by the fans in the action. The first non-sporting event, a conclave featuring evangelist Rodney "Gipsy" Smith , was held on March 24, 1929. The Boston Garden
3330-569: The Finals between the Bruins and the Edmonton Oilers , causing the game to be suspended; game four was replayed in its entirety in Edmonton two days later. Two years later, on May 15, 1990, the lights went out during an overtime finals game between the same two teams. However, the lights were on an automatic timer and could be turned back on this time with the game ending with a 3–2 triple overtime win for
3420-509: The Garden audience and the city to peacefully remember King, and James Brown's words and presence was credited with helping to keep the peace in Boston. WGBH rebroadcast the concert twice that night, an action which helped keep people off of the street at a time other major cities were erupting in riots. The performance was released on DVD as Live at the Boston Garden: April 5, 1968 . Elvis Presley performed in Boston only once, at
3510-529: The Garden early in the 1940s, and essentially identical in appearance and function to the one used in the Chicago Stadium until September 1975, was removed and replaced by an all-digital-display unit created by the Day Sign Company of Toronto in time for the 1970 Stanley Cup playoffs , and remained in use until the Garden's closure. The Garden had no air conditioning, resulting in fog forming over
3600-405: The Garden include Aimee McPherson (1931), Billy Graham (1950) Bishop Fulton J. Sheen (1953), and Jimmy Swaggart (July 29–31, 1983). The Garden was also the site of a number of political rallies. 20,000 people attended a 55th birthday celebration for President Franklin D. Roosevelt on January 29, 1937. FDR also drew another 20,000 for a political rally 1940. On May 2, 1943, the night after
3690-477: The Garden include presidential candidates Thomas Dewey and Dwight D. Eisenhower and former Boston mayor and Massachusetts governor James Michael Curley . Former Irish Prime Minister and President Éamon de Valera spoke at the Garden On March 24, 1948 (Easter Sunday). British Prime Minister Winston Churchill spoke there March 31, 1949 as part of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Convocation. By
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3780-414: The Garden on November 10, 1971, pulling a full crowd of about 16,500 and receiving high praise from Rolling Stone journalist Jon Landau for his performance. In 1972, The Rolling Stones were scheduled to perform at the Garden when two members were detained by Rhode Island police. Fearful that angry Stones fans (already in the Garden awaiting the show) would riot, mayor Kevin H. White intervened with
3870-401: The Garden, with six shows scheduled for September 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, and 19, 1995, which were canceled due to the death of Jerry Garcia on August 9, 1995. The ticket for the 19th stated "we’re gonna tear this old building down" referencing the song " Samson and Delilah ". The Dead did not play at the Garden for a number of years following an incident in which they were caught grilling lobsters on
3960-653: The Garden. The 1932 series did not involve the Bruins; Game 2 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and New York Rangers was played there due to a scheduling conflict at MSG III. The facility has also hosted games in the 1957 , 1958 , 1959 , 1960 , 1961 , 1962 , 1963 , 1964 , 1965 , 1966 , 1968 , 1969 , 1974 , 1976 , 1981 , 1984 , 1985 , 1986 , and 1987 NBA Finals , in which the Celtics won nine of their championships on home court in 1957, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1984, and 1986. The only visitor to claim
4050-485: The Garden. The parquet floor was built and installed in the Boston Arena (first home of the Bruins hockey team) and moved to the Garden in 1952. It is said the Celtics knew which way the basketball would bounce off any section of the floor; this was one contributing factor to the Celtics' many NBA championships. The floor became as much a part of Boston sports lore as the Green Monster of Fenway Park . The parquet floor
4140-477: The Giant , Randy "Macho Man" Savage , Tito Santana , Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and many others would regularly appear there. But despite this relationship, the Boston Garden was host to only one pro wrestling pay-per-view in its history: the 1993 Survivor Series . The WWF held their final house show in the Boston Garden on May 13, 1995. The Boston Garden hosted many religious conclaves. Evangelists who appeared at
4230-402: The MDC offered to sell the Arena to the city of Boston for $ 450,000. The city leased the building from the MDC pending completion of the purchase. The sale never took place and in 1977, the MDC leased the Arena at no cost to Northeastern University. The Arena was purchased by Northeastern University on October 3, 1979. The arena was known as Northeastern Arena until November 14, 1982, when it
4320-674: The NBA championship at the Garden were the Los Angeles Lakers , who won the 1985 Finals. In addition to championship rounds, the Garden also hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 1951, 1952, 1957, and 1964, and the NHL All-Star Game in 1971. The NCAA Frozen Four was contested there from 1972 to 1974. Starting in 1955, the Beanpot tournament, featuring the four major college hockey programs in
4410-483: The NBA record for home court mastery (before the San Antonio Spurs tied the record 30 years later in the 2015–16 season). They also finished the post-season undefeated at home. Combined with the following regular season, the Celtics' Garden record was 79–3 between the 1985–86 and 1986–87 regular seasons. While the parquet floor was an important part of the history of the Celtics, it was not originally part of
4500-530: The Rhode Island authorities and secured the musicians' release so they could play their set in Boston. The band had also played at the venue in 1965 and 1969 and would again in 1975. In 1973, The Who was scheduled to perform at the Garden and nearly didn't perform due to the band being detained by police after destroying a hotel room in Montreal, Quebec , Canada, where they'd appeared the previous evening. The band
4590-608: The WHA New England Whalers (now the NHL Carolina Hurricanes ); and the NBA's Boston Celtics . Today is used by the Northeastern Huskies men's and women's ice hockey teams, and men's basketball team as well as various high school ice hockey programs in the city of Boston. The venue also hosts Northeastern's graduation ceremonies, its annual Springfest concert, and other events. Originally named
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#17328523698874680-479: The band escaped being arrested. The band decided not to play at the venue again, instead opting for the Providence Civic Center and Foxboro Stadium on their 1987/1988 and 1994 tours, respectively. Grateful Dead performed at the Boston Garden more times than any other band, with 24 performances from 1973 to 1994 (as an opener or middle of bill or headliner), and were intended to be the last band to play
4770-532: The band rode a giant hot dog float above the audience; the hot dog is now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland . The facility hosted games in the 1929 , 1930 , 1932 , 1939 , 1941 , 1943 , 1946 , 1953 , 1957 , 1958 , 1970 , 1972 , 1974 , 1977 , 1978 , 1988 , and 1990 Stanley Cup Finals where the Bruins won two of their championships at the Garden in 1939 and 1970. The 1929 Stanley Cup championship
4860-456: The band's show. Turning on the generosity of their hosts, some of the fans rioted, broke into the Garden and trashed the seating area, the ice, and most of the refreshment stands, leading then-mayor White to cancel the upcoming show and ban the group for five years. In 1976, KISS was banned from performing at the Garden because the band refused to comply with the venue's no pyrotechnic policy after fire marshals had watched their flamethrowers hit
4950-448: The band, unknown to the venue's owners, used pyrotechnics during their performance (the exploding pig for " Pigs (Three Different Ones) " and firework displays on " Sheep " and " Money "). However, the band's road crew outsmarted the fire marshals by removing the pyro props quickly after they used them in the shows to prevent the band from being banned and also according to Mason's book since their manager had an Irish name ( Steve O'Rourke ),
5040-484: The ceiling at the Orpheum. Pink Floyd was the first band to perform at the Boston Garden with a stage set that cost over $ 1 million on their 1977 Animals tour (they first played there in 1975 on the band's Wish You Were Here tour). According to Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason 's book Inside Out: A Personal History of Pink Floyd , Pink Floyd almost got banned from the Boston Garden after their 1977 performances because
5130-594: The city of Quincy to have a $ 30 million, 21,000-seat arena built there. Partially due to the deteriorating conditions in the Boston Garden, the Celtics did not play a full 41-game home schedule at the arena during its final 21 seasons. Between the 1974–75 and the 1994–95 seasons, the Celtics played a few home games at the Hartford Civic Center (now XL Center ) in Hartford, Connecticut . In 1979, Boston Celtics owner Harry T. Mangurian, Jr. threatened to build
5220-505: The convention. Speakers included fleet admiral Chester W. Nimitz , Governor Maurice J. Tobin, and Congressmen Joseph W. Martin Jr. and John W. McCormack . Paul Bowser , Price and Dellamano Promotions, and Tony Santos promoted wrestling cards at the arena. Boxing was once a mainstay at the arena and hosted bouts with Jack Sharkey and Marvelous Marvin Hagler . In 1993, the arena hosted
5310-418: The differing setup of the players' benches being on opposing sides of the ice, as well as the non-standard penalty box locations. This also was the setup in the Boston Arena. This setup, still occasionally seen in college hockey, was done to ensure that each team could have a bench connected to their dressing room. Towards the end of the Garden's life as an arena, the NHL required all rinks to have both benches on
5400-531: The early 1970s, Boston Garden was deteriorating. The building had no air conditioning and some seats were obstructed by structural pillars. The seats were decades old and terribly cramped. With a capacity of less than 15,000, it was one of the country's smallest major league sports arenas. The Garden also lacked luxury suites, which had become an important and much-needed source of revenue for teams in professional sports. In 1972, Boston Mayor Kevin White announced plans for
5490-650: The following day) on WBCN . The arena has hosted receptions for Jess Willard (1915), Clarence Ransom Edwards (1918), Harry Boland (1921), Charles Lindbergh (1927), the crew of the Bremen (1928), and Amelia Earhart (1928). For many years, the arena hosted Boston University's graduation ceremonies. Commencement speakers included Hamilton Holt , Harry Emerson Fosdick , Garfield Bromley Oxnam , Basil Joseph Mathews , Karl Taylor Compton , Roscoe Pound , George F. Zook , John Erskine , Alessandro Ghigi , Alf Landon , and Paul V. McNutt . Boston hosted
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#17328523698875580-436: The gaff where the doors we smashed" to "remember Montreal at the hotel we trashed" or variations of the band being arrested. Almost three years later in March 1976, Moon collapsed at his drum kit during the second song "Substitute" after downing muscle relaxers and brandy before the show. The band had to reschedule the performance for early April and the rescheduled performance turned out to be one of The Who's best performances of
5670-605: The highlights of the 1999-2000 BCA season was an appearance by Bill Cosby . This article about a sports venue in Illinois is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Boston Garden The Boston Garden was an arena in Boston, Massachusetts . Designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard , who also built the third iteration of New York's Madison Square Garden , it opened on November 17, 1928, as "Boston Madison Square Garden" (later shortened to just "Boston Garden") and outlived its original namesake by 30 years. It
5760-423: The historic Matthews Arena. This came as concerns surrounding the structural integrity of Matthews Arena increased: scaffolding was erected to support the east end of the arena in 2024, part of the student section as well as the Varsity Club (home to the arena's only licensed bar) were closed, and the foundation, built on reclaimed land once part of a wharf, was found to be sinking. If the plans are approved by
5850-496: The historical distinction of being the first band in history to sell out a three-night stand in 1982 at the Garden featuring hometown favorites Jon Butcher Axis as opening act. Hometown band Aerosmith performed at the Boston Garden ten times from 1975 to 1995 and twice played New Year 's shows there, ringing in the 1990 and 1994 New Years. Other acts that performed at the Garden include Pavarotti , Frank Sinatra , Liberace , Duke Ellington , Judy Garland , Arthur Fiedler and
5940-434: The ice during some Bruins' playoff games. During Game 5 of the 1984 NBA Finals , the 97 °F (36 °C) heat in the facility was so intense that oxygen tanks were provided to exhausted Lakers players. The Bruins' Stanley Cup finals appearances in 1988 and 1990 were both disrupted by power outages. On May 24, 1988, a 1930s vintage 4160V switchgear failed and the emergency generator did not start during game four of
6030-429: The last of Rickard's proposed series, a decision fueled by rising costs and Rickard's untimely death in early 1929 due to a ruptured appendix, the arena was only 2 months old when Rickard died. The Garden's first event was on November 17, 1928, a boxing card headlined by Boston Native "Honey Boy" Dick Finnegan's defeat of Andre Routis . The first team sporting event was held three days later, an ice hockey game between
6120-410: The mall began to undergo renovations. The Celtics' old championship banners and retired numbers now hang at the team's now-former practice facility in Waltham ; a new set of banners were made for the move to the FleetCenter (now TD Garden ). The Celtics used to raise Eastern Division championship banners at Boston Garden in the 1960s, but stopped this practice by the 1970s. Likewise, the Bruins made
6210-433: The migration to more modern venues outside of Boston. Under new Garden President Larry Moulter, bands started returning to the Garden in the late 1980s and early 1990s, highlighted by Pearl Jam 's multi-night stand in 1994, and the Dead's lengthy residences there before the Garden finally closed. The final New Year's Eve show at the Boston Garden was performed by the Vermont band Phish on December 31, 1994. On that night,
6300-449: The old Boston Garden . In 2014, the parquet floor was replaced with a maple wood floor. The court is surrounded by a Chem-turf jogging track. The building underwent massive construction in 1997 with the addition of the $ 8 million Student Recreation Center to its south. The SRC serves as host to all intramural and club sports, and houses a swimming pool, racquetball courts, suspended jogging track and state-of-the-art exercise equipment. In
6390-406: The players during Bruins and Celtics games than in most arenas, leading to a distinct hometown advantage. This physical proximity also created spectacular acoustic effects, much like the Chicago Stadium . Due to the success of the Celtics in the 1980s, the Boston Garden was one of the most difficult buildings for visiting NBA teams. During the 1985–86 season, the Celtics were 40–1 at home, setting
6480-433: The popularity of Gus Sonnenberg . Sonnenberg defeated Ed "Strangler" Lewis at the Garden in 1929 in a fight that set an attendance record for a wrestling match (19,500) and drew a record gate ($ 77,000). Paul Bowser promoted wrestling in Boston at this time and when the sport began to lose popularity, he brought Danno O'Mahony from Ireland to Boston. O'Mahony became a popular draw at the Garden. In 1930, construction on
6570-419: The power. Lead singer Jim Morrison , who appeared to be intoxicated during the entire latter show, wanted to continue and smashed a microphone stand into the floor before being escorted off the stage. The shows were released as a live album, Live in Boston , in 2007. Phish 's New Year's Eve concert on December 31, 1992 was the band's highest attended concert to date and was broadcast live (and rebroadcast
6660-411: The same side: the Garden obliged by moving the penalty boxes (formerly adjacent to the Bruins' bench) to the side vacated by the visitor's bench, and as such visiting teams were required to skate across the ice to head back to their rooms. The Garden's earlier Bulova -crafted "Sports Timer" game clock system using the typical analog dial-type game clock design of that era, said to have been installed at
6750-846: The summer of 1999, the court received a face lift with a new floor design featuring Rocky, the WIU mascot, and it was refinished during the summer of 2000. The latest addition to Western Hall, a new training facility for all WIU athletic programs and locker room for the Leatherneck football program which was added onto the East Arena, was completed in July 2000. Besides serving as the home for varsity basketball and volleyball, Western Hall houses numerous athletic and physical education activities and many major Bureau of Cultural Affairs events, including concerts, musicals and multi-cultural entertainment events for all ages. One of
6840-528: The then-attached Hotel Madison . James Brown played a notable show at the Garden on April 5, 1968, the night after Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated . Only 2,000 attended the sold-out show, because the mayor, Kevin White , and community leaders had encouraged people to obtain refunds on their tickets and instead to watch a hastily arranged television broadcast of the concert on the local public station WGBH-TV . Mayor White appeared on stage, asking
6930-429: The visiting Oilers. Tex Rickard, the noted entrepreneur and boxing promoter who built and operated the third Madison Square Garden , sought to expand his empire by building seven "Madison Square Gardens" around the country. On November 15, 1927, Homer Loring , chairman of the Boston & Maine Railroad , announced that plans had been finalized for the construction of a new North Station facility, which would include
7020-580: Was above North Station , a train station which was originally a hub for the Boston and Maine Railroad and is now a hub for MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak trains. The Garden hosted home games for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as rock concerts, amateur sports, boxing and professional wrestling matches, circuses, and ice shows. It
7110-474: Was also used as an exposition hall for political rallies such as the speech by John F. Kennedy in November 1960. Boston Garden was demolished in 1998, three years after the completion of its successor arena, TD Garden . Rickard built the arena specifically with boxing in mind, believing every seat should be close enough to see the "sweat on the boxers' brows". Because of this design theme, fans were much closer to
7200-602: Was at a low point in Boston, as fighters chose to work in other cities, wrestling attendance was down, and hockey attendance waned after Ace Bailey suffered a severe head injury at the hands of Bruin Eddie Shore in 1933. In 1934, the Madison Square Garden Corporation sold its interest in the Boston Garden to the Boston Arena Corporation, led by Henry G. Lapham . This resulted in the creation of
7290-450: Was destroyed by fire on December 18, 1918. It was rebuilt, and the new facility opened January 1, 1921, with an ice show. The NHL 's first US-based franchise, the Boston Bruins , made the Boston Arena their home from 1924 to 1928. Before the team began play, the Arena reduced its ice surface from 190 feet to 80 feet to conform to NHL regulations. This also allowed the Arena to add 1,000 seats. In 1927, Homer Loring , chairman of
7380-530: Was eventually released from jail and managed to arrive at the Garden in time for their show and took out their frustrations for being arrested the night before by delivering a blistering set and taunting the Montreal police, dedicating their performance of " Won't Get Fooled Again " to them. Who drummer Keith Moon (for the rest of the Quadrophenia tour) changed one of the lyrics to the song "Bell Boy" from "remember
7470-435: Was no general admission seating in Boston. The show was marred by a fan throwing a firecracker on stage, causing Pete Townshend to scream obscenities in the general direction of the source before getting on with the tension-filled show. In 1975, Led Zeppelin was banned from performing at the Boston Garden after concert fans were allowed in the lobby due to sub-freezing temperatures while waiting for tickets to go on sale for
7560-463: Was originally owned by the Boston and Maine Corporation and controlled by Rickard and the Madison Square Garden . During the early years of the Boston Garden, the building's main draws were boxing, wrestling, and Bruins hockey. Johnny Indrisano , Lou Brouillard , Ernie Schaaf , Al Mello , and Jack Sharkey were among the boxers who fought at the Boston Garden. Wrestling became big due to
7650-476: Was present for the speech, spoke after Roosevelt. During the 1912 United States presidential campaign , the arena hosted a rally for President William Howard Taft and two rallies for the Bull Moose Party ticket, one headlined by presidential nominee Theodore Roosevelt and the other headlined by vice presidential nominee Hiram Johnson . Herbert Hoover and Al Smith both delivered speeches here during
7740-495: Was renamed Matthews Arena in honor of the university's chairman emeritus George Matthews. A 1995 renovation expanded the ice surface from 200 by 80 to 200 by 90 feet (61 m × 24 m to 61 m × 27 m). In May 2024, Northeastern University filed a letter of intent to the Boston Planning & Development Agency to construct a new multi-purpose athletics facility designed that would tear down and replace
7830-524: Was the first president and treasurer of the Boston Arena Company and William T. Richardson was the building's first general manager. The arena was scheduled to open on Christmas Day 1909, but construction delays pushed back the opening until April 25, 1910. The arena's inaugural event was an ice carnival to benefit the Sharon Sanatorium. Skating events were held throughout the day, including
7920-410: Was undersized at 191 by 83 feet (58.2 m × 25.3 m), some nine feet shorter and two feet narrower than standard (200 ft × 85 ft or 61 m × 26 m), due to the rink being built at a time when the NHL did not have a standard size for rinks. This size matched the size of the Boston Arena ice surface, the original home of the Bruins. When the Bruins moved in as tenant,
8010-591: Was used at the FleetCenter until December 22, 1999. Portions of the original floor are integrated with new parquet. The floor was cut into small pieces and sold as souvenirs along with seats and bricks. The Naden/Day Industries overhead scoreboard (which was electro-mechanical, not electronic, as more recent arenas used) hung in the Boston Garden-themed food court of the Arsenal Mall in Watertown until 2018, when
8100-530: Was won at New York's Madison Square Garden (III) . The 1941 Stanley Cup championship was won at Detroit's Olympia Stadium . The 1972 Stanley Cup championship was won at New York's Madison Square Garden . The Montreal Canadiens claimed the Stanley Cup at the Garden in 1958, 1977 and 1978, while the Detroit Red Wings won the cup there in 1943. In 1990, the Edmonton Oilers claimed their fifth Stanley Cup at
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