Bell Centre
| Centre Bell (French) | |
Bell Centre in 2013 | |
| Former names | New Montreal Forum (pre-construction–1996) Molson Centre (1996–2002) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1909 Canadiens-de-Montréal Avenue |
| Location | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Coordinates | 45°29′46″N 73°34′10″W / 45.49611°N 73.56944°W |
| Public transit | Lucien-L'Allier (Metro), Bonaventure Lucien-L'Allier (Exo) Terminus Centre-Ville Gare Centrale |
| Owner | Groupe CH (Molson family) |
| Operator | Evenko |
| Capacity | Basketball: 22,114 Hockey: 21,273 (1996–2014) 21,287 (2014–2015) 21,288 (2015–2017) 21,302 (2017–2021) 21,105 (2021–present) Concerts: 15,000–19,200 Amphitheatre: 10,000–14,000 Theatre: 5,000–9,000 |
| Field size | 200 feet (61 m) x 85 feet (26 m) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | June 22, 1993 |
| Opened | March 16, 1996 |
| Construction cost | C$270 million ($477 million in 2023 dollars) |
| Architect | LeMay & Associate, LLC. LeMoyne Lapointe Magne |
| Project manager | IBI/DAA Group |
| Structural engineer | Dessau |
| Services engineer | SNC-Lavalin |
| General contractor | Magil Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Montreal Canadiens (NHL) (1996–present) Montreal Roadrunners (RHI) (1996–1997) Montreal Rocket (QMJHL) (2001–2003) Montreal Express (NLL) (2002) Laval Rocket (AHL) (2021) | |
Bell Centre (French: Centre Bell), formerly known as Molson Centre, is a multi-purpose arena located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Opened on March 16, 1996, it is the home arena of the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL), replacing Montreal Forum and it is the largest indoor arena in Canada. It is owned by the Molson family via the team's ownership group Groupe CH, and managed via Groupe CH subsidiary Evenko.
With a seating capacity of 21,105 in its hockey configuration, Bell Centre is the second largest ice hockey arena in the world after the SKA Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia. Alongside hockey, Bell Centre has hosted major concerts, and occasional mixed martial arts and professional wrestling events. Since it opened in 1996, it has consistently been listed as one of the world's busiest arenas, usually receiving the highest attendance of any arena in Canada. In 2012, it was the fifth-busiest arena in the world based on ticket sales for non-sporting events.