Place Bell (Laval, Quebec)

Place Bell is a multi-purpose arena in Laval, Quebec, Canada. The complex includes a 10,062-seat main arena, which is the home of the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL), and two smaller community ice rinks, one of which has Olympic-size ice. The arena was also home to Les Canadiennes de Montréal for the final season of play in the Canadian Women's Hockey League (CWHL). The arena hosted select games for Montréal Victoire of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) during the inaugural 2023–24 season, and became their permanent home for the 2024-25 season.

History

Construction

Then-mayor of Laval, Gilles Vaillancourt, announced the project on February 13, 2012. The facility is managed by Evenko, the same company that operates the Bell Centre in Montreal, home of the National Hockey League's Montreal Canadiens. As in the case of the Bell Centre, the naming rights for the Laval arena were acquired by Bell Canada. The cost of the project roughly doubled after it was first announced. Originally announced to cost $92.6 million, the estimate was revised less than a year later to $150 million. In March 2014, Laval's new mayor, Marc Demers, estimated that the cost of Place Bell would be $200 million, because of costs not factored by the previous administration. The Government of Quebec committed to contributing $46 million; Demers asked that the province assume more of the costs, as it did for other arena projects.

Initial plans called for the arena to be built in the city's Quartier de l'Agora district, next to the Laval courthouse, but the unstable soil in that location led to a move. In October 2012, the city announced that the project would be located adjacent to the Montmorency station of the Montreal Metro Orange Line.François Gagnon
"Laval: la Place Bell changera d'adresse"
''La Presse'', October 10, 2012 (in French). Construction started in late 2014 and was completed in 2017.

Major tenants

On July 11, 2016, the Montreal Canadiens announced that its AHL affiliate, then known as the St. John's IceCaps, would relocate to Place Bell in 2017. On September 8, 2016, the Canadiens announced that the team would be named the Laval Rocket. The Rocket hosted their inaugural game at the arena on October 6, 2017, defeating the Belleville Senators by a score of 3–0. Canadiens owner Geoff Molson and team legend Guy Lafleur both took part in the pre-game ceremonial puck drop; Daniel Audette scored the franchise's first goal, while Charlie Lindgren recorded the shutout. The Rocket's first home playoff game took place on May 12, 2022; the Rocket defeated the Syracuse Crunch by a score of 4–1.

In 2020, it was announced that Place Bell would host the 2022 AHL All-Star game. The 2022 game was ultimately cancelled, and Place Bell hosted the 2023 game on February 6, 2023, instead.

On September 20, 2018, it was announced that the Les Canadiennes de Montréal of the CWHL would be moving to the arena from the Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard, playing both in the main arena and the community rink. Les Canadiennes also moved their daily operations and training camp into the complex. The team played one season at Place Bell before the league and team ceased operations following the 2018–19 season. In their lone season at Place Bell, Les Canadiennes advanced to the Clarkson Cup final by defeating the Markham Thunder in the semi-final at Place Bell; they lost the championship final to the Calgary Inferno.

In 2022, Place Bell began hosting NCAA basketball, including the annual Northern Classic Division I tournament, which takes place each November. The 2023 event featured six Division I teams.

In 2023, it was announced that Montréal Victoire of the new Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) would host select 2023–24 games at Place Bell, with the majority of its home games hosted at Verdun Auditorium. The first game at Place Bell took place on January 16, 2024, with Montréal defeating visiting New York Sirens by a score of 3–2.

Tenants

Current

Former

References

External links

Press release
regarding naming rights agreement
Official Website

{{CWHL Arenas

Basketball venues in Quebec
Ice hockey venues in Quebec
Sports venues in Laval, Quebec
Sports venues completed in 2017
Bell Canada
Laval Rocket
Les Canadiennes de Montreal
NBA G League venues
2017 establishments in Quebec