The MassMutual Center (formerly Springfield Civic Center) is a multi-purpose arena and convention center complex located in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, in the city's Metro Center. The arena opened in 1972 and the convention center opened in 2005. It serves as a venue for meetings, conventions, exhibitions, sporting and entertainment events. Previously owned and operated by the City of Springfield and various management groups until 1997, the city transferred ownership of the facility to the Massachusetts Legislature. Shortly after, ownership was given to the

Massachusetts Convention Center Authority The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) owns and oversees the operation of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center (BCEC), the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, The Lawn on D, the MassMutual Center in Springfiel ...

(MCCA) who in turn began working on plans to renovate and expand the facility. The two-year project, which began in 2003, included renovations to the 8,000-seat arena and the addition of a convention center. Its unique design allows for 3 to 4 concurrent events or one large event.

MGM Springfield MGM Springfield is a hotel and casino complex situated in the heart of Metro Center, Springfield, Massachusetts, United States. Opening on August 24, 2018 in a block of buildings that are historically or culturally influential to Springfield, it ...

began operating the venue on behalf of the MCCA in July 2017 in advance of its casino/hotel/retail development opening the next year. In 2005, the venue was renamed when

Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company The Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, also known as MassMutual, is a Springfield, Massachusetts-based life insurance company. MassMutual provides financial products such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term c ...

entered into a 15-year naming rights agreement for the arena and convention center. The name change took place on September 29, 2005. The venue is home to the

Springfield Thunderbirds The Springfield Thunderbirds are a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League that began play for the 2016–17 season. They are the affiliate of the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues. Based in Springfield ...

of the American Hockey League and

American International Yellow Jackets The American International Yellow Jackets is composed of 22 teams representing American International College in intercollegiate athletics, including men’s and women's basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, track and field, and vol ...

who compete in

NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey College ice hockey is played principally in the United States and Canada, though leagues exist outside North America. In the United States, competitive "college hockey" refers to ice hockey played between colleges and universities within the g ...

Renovations

Arena

In the fall of 2003, the renovation project was publicly announced and demolition of the bank sitting next to the building, along with the facility's plaza and exhibit hall began. In the fall of 2005, the $71 million renovation project was completed. The renovation included a new arena floor with new pipelines for the ice rink and new chillers installed. Upgrades to the buildings electrical system as well as the heating and air conditioning system with a new dehumidification system were also installed. Audio and Video upgrades were made with a new four-sided center hung scoreboard with video display and a new sound system. The project also included a new seating arrangement with 6,455 permanent seats and 222 club seats. New amenities to the arena include a bar and lounge, clubroom, an executive suite, new larger restrooms, and 11 newly refurbished concession stands. The main entrance was relocated from Main Street to Bruce Landon Way where a new box office and lobby were added. The arena was still operational during the two-year project which was funded by city and state tax payers and other state funds. The main entrance for the arena is located on Bruce Landon Way. The arena has 3 levels: *Event Level: Box Office, Administrative Offices, Thunderbirds Office and Team Store. *Concourse Level: Lower and Upper Bowl Seating, Center Grille Restaurant, Breakaway Bar & Lounge. *Upper Level: Broadcast booths, The Executive Perch, VIP suites In the summer of 2015 the MCCA approved a multimillion-dollar technology upgrade to the venue. This project consisted of a new 4 sided center hung LED video board that replaced the existing scoreboard in the arena as well as the replacement of the arena lighting system to new LED lighting.

Convention Center

With renovations to the existing arena, a new convention center was added. With , it is the largest convention center in Western Massachusetts. It includes two exhibition halls, which total over , three ballrooms that total with back of house kitchen, five meeting rooms that total some , and of pre-function space. It connects both the convention center and arena to add an additional of floor space. Additionally, the pre-function space overlooks the city skyline, including a viewing area known as the glass alcove which gives panoramic views of downtown. The convention center is able to host galas, weddings, consumer and trade shows, concerts, conventions, conferences, and many other functions of various sizes. The main entrance for the convention center is located on Main Street and Bruce Landon Way. There are 2 levels: *Event Level: Meeting Rooms 1–5, Exhibition Halls A & B *Upper Level: Ballrooms A, B, and C, Glass Alcove

History

The arena hosted the Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League, while the Hartford Civic Center was undergoing renovations, because of a 1978 roof collapse. The arena hosted World Wrestling Federation's '' Saturday Night's Main Event XVI'' (the first episode following Wrestlemania IV, taped on April 22, 1988, aired on April 30). It also hosted the 19th WWF In Your House pay-per-view in 1997. The center has also hosted WWE

Monday Night RAW ''WWE Raw'', also known as ''Monday Night Raw'' or simply ''Raw'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that currently airs live every Monday at 8 p.m. ET on the USA Network in the United States. The show ...

and two WWE SmackDown! shows; the first one was on October 26, 1999, aired for that Thursday, and the second was on December 13, 2005, aired for that Friday. The center was also where The Mountie (Jacques Rougeau) defeated

Bret "Hitman" Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling backg ...

for the WWF Intercontinental Championship on January 17, 1992. He would lose the title two days later to

Rowdy Roddy Piper Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for his ...

at the Knickerbocker Arena in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York Cit ...

at the Royal Rumble. The building has hosted an American Hockey League franchise, since it opened in 1972. Between the 1972–73 AHL season and 1993–94 AHL season, the building hosted the

Springfield Indians The Springfield Indians were a minor professional ice hockey franchise, originally based in West Springfield, Massachusetts and later Springfield, Massachusetts. The Indians were founding members of the American Hockey League. They were in exi ...

franchise. Since

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nels ...

, the center was the home of the Springfield Falcons. The Falcons won the Northeast Division Championship in the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons while serving as the AHL affiliate of the

Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...

. The team was sold in May 2016 to the

Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mu ...

and relocated to

Tucson, Arizona , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

. The Falcons were immediately replaced with the

for the 2016–17 season. The building, located in the "Birthplace of Basketball", has also hosted numerous NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championships, first in 1977, then from 1980 to 1994, and finally 2006 through 2011. The tournament moved to the Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati in 2012 and 2013. It also hosted the first six NCAA Women's Division II Basketball Championships from 1982 to 1987. The UMass Minutemen basketball team, formerly under head coach and Springfield native

Derek Kellogg Derek William Kellogg (born June 20, 1973) is an American college basketball coach who currently serves as an assistant coach for UMass. Kellogg previously served as head coach of the Minutemen, his alma mater, being named to the position on Apri ...

, has used the building for a home game since 2010. In 2011, the Basketball Hall of Fame created the Holiday Showcase which feature the UMass Minutemen basketball team. Brigham Young University visited the UMass Minutemen during the 2013 showcase with a sold-out crowd of 7,331. The

Springfield Armor Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queensl ...

of the NBA D-League joined the building's roster of home tenants in the fall of 2009. The franchise was purchased by the HWS Group in early 2009, and was quickly moved to Springfield for the start of the 2009–2010 season. It was affiliated with the NBA's New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the New Jersey Nets for two years. The New Jersey Nets, now known as the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The ...

as of 2012, became the sole affiliate of the Armor in the start of the 2011–2012 season. The Armor received their first Eastern Division Championship during the 2011–2012 season under its new head coach Bob MacKinnon. They won their final home game on March 21, 2014, in front of a sold-out crowd of 7,111.

NHL games

International hockey

Notable events

The MassMutual Center has hosted numerous events over the years ranging from professional and college sporting events, concert and comedy tours, ice skating and family shows, commencement ceremonies, and other functions both private and public. On April 6, 1986, the KISS "Asylum" tour concert overloaded the power system and the concert was halted after the first song. The band exited the stage, but returned 30–40 minutes later and resumed the show without incident.

Sports

* The

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

s (NCAA) men's

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

Division I ECAC New England Region tournament organized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) in

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

and 1976. *NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championships (1980–1994, 2006–2011) *Freestyle Motorcross 2008 *North American Grappling Association East Coast Championship (2010 and 2011) * Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic 2010 *

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC, ) is a collegiate athletic conference affiliated with NCAA Division I. Of its current 11 full members, 10 are located in three states of the northeastern United States: Connecticut, New Jersey, and ...

Men's and Women's Basketball Championships (2012–2014) * 1996 edition of the Skate America

figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic disciplines are me ...

competition * 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships Group Stage games *2019 AHL All-Star Game

Concerts

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

– News of the World Tour 1977 *

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

– Point of Know Return Tour 1977 *

Bon Jovi Bon Jovi is an American rock band formed in 1983 in Sayreville, New Jersey. It consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarist Phil X, and bassist Hugh McDonald. Original bassist Alec John such qu ...

–

Slippery When Wet Tour Slipperiness is when a surface has a low coefficient of friction, allowing objects to glide across the surface. People walking on slippery surfaces are likely to slip or fall. A surface can for example be slippery due to it being wet, or due to ...

1987 *

Yes Yes or YES may refer to: * An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no Education * YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US * YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talent ...

–

90125 ''90125'' is the eleventh studio album by the English progressive rock band Yes, released on 11 November 1983 by Atco Records. After Yes disbanded in 1981, following the ''Drama'' (1980) tour, bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White forme ...

1984 *

Van Halen Van Halen ( ) was an American rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. Credited with "restoring hard rock to the forefront of the music scene", Van Halen was known for its energetic live shows and for the virtuosity of its lead gu ...

– World Vacation Tour 1979 *

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

– The Who By Numbers Tour 1975 *

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

in Concert 1975 and 1976 *

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

– Rolling Thunder Revue Tour 1975 *

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originato ...

– Darkness on the Edge Tour 1978 *

KISS A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...

– Destroyer Tour 1976, Alive II Tour 1978, Dynasty Tour 1979, Asylum Tour 1986, and Alive/Worldwide Tour 1997 * Grateful Dead in Concert 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, January and October in 1979, 1980, and 1985. * Earth, Wind & Fire in Concert 1978 * The Jacksons – Destiny Tour 1979 *

Black Sabbath Black Sabbath were an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. They are often cited as pioneers of heavy metal music. The band helped def ...

– Born Again Tour 1984 (Last show with Deep Purple's Ian Gillan on vocals and rebroadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour FM broadcast.) * AC/DC- 'Blow Up Your Video' Tour 1988 *

Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis''. It can occur in four forms: skin, lungs, intestinal, and injection. Symptom onset occurs between one day and more than two months after the infection is contracted. The s ...

Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * E ...

and Helloween –

Headbangers Ball Tour The Headbangers Ball Tour was a North American tour presented by MTV's Headbangers Ball, which took place in April and May 1989. It was headlined by American thrash metal band Anthrax, and supported by Exodus and Helloween. History The tour beg ...

1989 *

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues ...

– Pump Tour 1989 and 1990 featuring Skid Row *

Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colomb ...

in Concert 1993 * Pantera- Far Beyond Touring the World 1994 * Mötley Crüe – Carnival of Sins Tour 2006 *

Celtic Woman Celtic Woman is an all-female Irish musical ensemble conceived and created by David Kavanagh, Sharon Browne and David Downes, a former musical director of the Irish stage show ''Riverdance.'' In 2004, Downes recruited five Irish female music ...

– A New Journey Tour 2007 and Voices of Angels World Tour 2017 *

Martina McBride Martina Mariea McBride (née Schiff, born July 29, 1966) is an American country music singer-songwriter and record producer. She is known for her soprano singing range and her country pop material. McBride was born in Sharon, Kansas, and rel ...

– Waking Up Laughing Tour 2007 * Sugarland – CMT on Tour 2007 featuring Little Big Town and Jake Owen *

Blue Man Group Blue Man Group is an American performance art company formed in 1987. It was purchased in July 2017 by the Canadian company Cirque du Soleil. Blue Man Group is known for its stage productions, which incorporate many kinds of music and art, bot ...

– How to Be a Megastar Tour 2008 * Three Days Grace – Life Starts Now Tour 2010 featuring Chevelle and Adelitas Way *

Avenged Sevenfold Avenged Sevenfold (abbreviated as A7X) is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1999. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist M. Shadows, rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist Zacky Vengeance, ...

– Welcome to the Family Tour 2011 featuring Three Days Grace and Bullet for My Valentine *

Wisin y Yandel Wisin & Yandel is a Puerto Rican reggaeton duo consisting of Wisin and Yandel. They started their career in the late 1990s and have been together since, winning several awards including a Grammy Award in 2009. They became the first and the onl ...

– Los Vaqueros:El Regreso Tour 2011 *Mid-West Rock and Roll Express Tour 2013 featuring Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Ted Nugent * Shinedown in Concert 2013 featuring Bush and Airbourne * Pitbull – Global Warming Tour 2013 * Justin Moore – Off the Beaten Path Tour 2014 featuring Josh Thompson and Randy Houser *

Alan Jackson Alan Eugene Jackson (born October 17, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for blending traditional honky-tonk and mainstream country pop sounds (for a style widely regarded as "neotraditional country"), as well as penning many ...

– Keepin' It Country Tour 2015 featuring Jon Pardi and

Brandy Clark Brandy Lynn Clark (born October 9, 1975) is an American country music singer-songwriter. Her songs have been recorded by Sheryl Crow, Miranda Lambert, the Band Perry, Reba McEntire, LeAnn Rimes, Billy Currington, Darius Rucker, and Kacey Musgrav ...

Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, pop, s ...

– The Stevie Wonder Song Party: A Celebration of Life, Love & Music Tour 2018 *

Cher Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...

– Here We Go Again Tour 2019 featuring

Nile Rogers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...

and Chic *

– Deuces Are Wild East Coast Tour 2019

Other events

* WWE – In Your House Degeneration X PPV 1997 * Larry the Cable Guy – 2008 Tour * Louis C.K. – 2016 Tour * Amy Schumer – 2016 Tour * Bill Burr – 2018 Tour * George Lopez, Cedric 'the Entertainer', Eddie Griffin, and D.L. Hugley – The Comedy Get Down Tour 2018 *Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinement Class of 2021 * John Mulaney – 2022 From Scratch Tour

Conventions and conferences

*Daughters of the Nile 2007 Convention *Market America Northeast Convention 2010–2012 *Brewery Collectibles Club of America CANvention 2012 *Bay Path University Women's Leadership Conference *64th National Square Dance 2015 Convention *Democratic State Convention 2019 *Red Sox Winter Weekend 2020 *Bernie Sanders rally the weekend ahead of Massachusetts Democratic Primary 2020

References

External links

*
Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Website
{{Authority control 1972 establishments in Massachusetts College basketball venues in the United States Convention centers in Massachusetts Defunct National Hockey League venues Defunct NBA G League venues American Hockey League venues Indoor ice hockey venues in the United States Sports venues in Springfield, Massachusetts Springfield Armor Springfield Falcons Springfield Indians Springfield Thunderbirds Sports venues completed in 1972 Basketball venues in Massachusetts Indoor ice hockey venues in Massachusetts College ice hockey venues in the United States