 Interior of arena in 2009 | |
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| Former names | Boston Arena (1909–1982) |
|---|---|
| Location | 238 St. Botolph Street, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 42°20′28″N71°5′4″W / 42.34111°N 71.08444°W /42.34111; -71.08444 |
| Public transit |  Orange Line atMassachusetts Avenue Green Line atSymphony |
| Owner | Northeastern University |
| Operator | Northeastern University |
| Designation | National Register and Boston Landmark eliglible |
| Capacity | Ice hockey: 4,666 Basketball: 5,066[1] |
| Surface | 200 ft × 90 ft (61 m × 27 m) (hockey) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 11, 1909 |
| Opened | April 25, 1910 |
| Tenants | |
| Northeastern Huskies (Hockey East,CAA) (1930–1943, 1946–present) WITLeopards (ECAC) (1992–present) Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey (independent/IHL/TL/QL/PL) (1911–1917, 1921–1943, 1945–1956) Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey (independent) (1917–1929, 1932–1943, 1945–1958) Boston University Terriers men's ice hockey (independent/ECAC) (1918–1943, 1945–1971) Boston Bruins (NHL) (1924–1928) Boston Tigers/Cubs (CAHL) (1926–1936) Boston Olympics (EAHL/QSHL) (1940–1952) Boston Celtics (NBA) (1946–1955) New England Whalers (WHA) (1972–1973) | |
Matthews Arena (formerlyBoston Arena) is a historicmulti-purpose arena inBoston, Massachusetts currently owned byNortheastern University. It is the world's oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, as well as the oldest arena in use forice hockey.[2] There are current plans to demolish the historic arena and replace it with a new facility.[3]
It is the original home of theNational Hockey League (NHL)'sBoston Bruins (the only team of the NHL'sOriginal Six whose original home arena still exists for the sport of ice hockey), theNational Basketball Association (NBA)'sBoston Celtics, and theWorld Hockey Association (WHA)'sNew England Whalers (now the NHL'sCarolina Hurricanes)
Today it is used by theNortheastern Huskiesmen's andwomen's ice hockey teams, and themen’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 theBoston 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.[4] 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 was the first president and treasurer of the Boston Arena Company and William T. Richardson was the building's first general manager.[5]
The arena was scheduled to open on Christmas Day 1909, but construction delays pushed back the opening until April 25, 1910.[4] The arena's inaugural event was an ice carnival to benefit the Sharon Sanatorium. Skating events were held throughout the day, including a performance byIrving Brokaw. The arena's first ice hockey game was won by the Harvard Freshmen hockey team, who defeatedNewton High School, 4–0. The Harvard varsity squad played later that evening, losing toCrescent H. C., 1–0.[6] The Arena's original ice surface was larger than the current standard at 220-by-90-foot (67 m × 27 m).[7]
The first games of professional ice hockey at the Arena took place in March 1911 when a two-game $2,500 competition between twoNHA teams, theMontreal Wanderers and theOttawa Senators took place.[8] The Arena was the home ice for a number of amateur and college hockey teams, including theBoston Athletic Association,Boston Arenas,Westminster Hockey Club,Boston College,Boston University,Harvard, andMIT.[9][10]
The Arena was destroyed by fire on December 18, 1918.[11] It was rebuilt, and the new facility opened January 1, 1921, with an ice show.[12]
From 1921 to 1932, theBoston Athletic Association Indoor Games were held at the arena.[13]
TheNHL's first US-based franchise, theBoston Bruins, made the Boston Arena their home from 1924 to 1928. Before the team began play, the Arena reduced its ice surface from 220 x 90 feet down to 200 x[14]80 feet to conform to NHL regulations. This also allowed the Arena to add 1,000 seats.[15]
In 1927,Homer Loring, chairman of theBoston & Maine Railroad, announced that the construction of a new sports arena at theirNorth Station facility. The Madison Square Garden Corporation signed a 25-year lease for the arena.[16] TheBoston Garden opened in 1928 and replaced the Arena as the city's venue for premier boxing, wrestling, and track events.[17] The Bruins broke their contract with the Arena to move to the Garden, which led to a legal battle between the two sides that ended in 1933, when Bruins ownerCharles F. Adams agreed to pay the arena $54,000.[18] Boston Arena general managerGeorge V. Brown was able to keep the venue running with college hockey and figure skating.[17]
The Garden ran their shows at a loss in order to keep events away from the Arena.[17] In 1934, the smaller Boston Arena Corporation, led byHenry G. Lapham, purchased a controlling interest in the Boston Garden.[19] In 1936, theBoston Garden-Arena Corporation bought out the remaining stock owned by the Madison Square Garden Corporation.[20]
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 a five-year ban on sports or events at building unless it was acquired by a government entity.[21] Three months later, the building was purchased by theMetropolitan District Commission for $280,000, which planned on using it for high school sports and other athletic events.[22]Francis Ouimet was named chairman of the MDC's Boston Arena Authority andClark Hodder was named manager of the Arena.[23]
In 1975, the MDC offered to sell the Arena to the city of Boston for $450,000.[24] 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.[25][26]
The Arena was purchased by Northeastern University on October 3, 1979.[27] The arena was known as Northeastern Arena until November 14, 1982, when it was renamed Matthews Arena in honor of the university's chairman emeritus George Matthews.[15]
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).[2]
In May 2024, Northeastern University filed a letter of intent to theBoston Planning & Development Agency to construct a new multi-purpose athletics facility designed that would demolish and replace Matthews Arena.[28]
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.[29][30]
On October 10, 1910, former presidentTheodore Roosevelt delivered a speech before a crowd of 8,000 spectators. In it, he endorsed GovernorEben Sumner Draper and U.S. SenatorHenry Cabot Lodge for reelection. Draper, who was present for the speech, spoke after Roosevelt.[31]
During the1912 United States presidential campaign, the arena hosted a rally for PresidentWilliam Howard Taft and two rallies for theBull Moose Party ticket, one headlined by presidential nominee Theodore Roosevelt and the other headlined by vice presidential nomineeHiram Johnson.[32][33][34]Herbert Hoover andAl Smith both delivered speeches here during the1928 campaign.[35][36] The Democratic Party hosted two large rallies at the arena during the1932 presidential campaign, one headlined by Smith and the other headlined by presidential nomineeFranklin D. Roosevelt.[37] Republican nomineeThomas E. Dewey spoke at the arena during his1948 presidential campaign.[38]
Malcolm Nichols held a rally at the arena during his1937 mayoral campaign.[39]
The Bruins played their first-ever NHL regular season game at the Arena on Monday, December 1, 1924,[40][41][42] with the Bruins'most historic rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens being initiated only one week later.[43] The Bruins left for the Boston Garden in 1928, but returned for one game in 1952 after a wooden awning inNorth Station collapsed and damaged some pipes in the Garden. TheDetroit Red Wings beat the Bruins 4–3 in front of only 4,049 fans.[44]
In 1952, the Arena served as the first home to the annualBeanpot tournament between Boston's four major college hockey programs.[45][46] From 1953 to 1970, it hosted theBoston Arena Christmas Tournament. The1960 NCAA men's ice hockey tournament was held at the Boston Arena.[47]
From 1972 to 1974, the venue was home to theNew England Whalers of theWorld Hockey Association.[15]
In 1925, professional basketball made is debut at the Arena when theBoston Whirlwinds of theAmerican Basketball League played their inaugural home game on November 30, 1925. Unable to meet its financial obligations, the team moved its games first to theMechanics Hall and then to the Mount Benedict Knights of Columbus Hall inSomerville, Massachusetts.[15] The Arena was also home to the American Basketball League'sBoston Trojans during their only season.[15]
On November 5, 1946, the Boston Celtics played their first ever game in front of 4,329 fans at the Boston Arena.[48] The team split its home games between the Garden and the Arena until 1955.[41][49]
On May 4, 1958, the Boston Arena hosted a rock 'n' roll concert headlined byAlan Freed andJerry Lee Lewis. After the show, one man was stabbed and a dozen others were robbed, which led to MayorJohn 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 the Arena will be presented over my dead body".[50][51] 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.[52]
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 the power. Lead singerJim 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.[53][54] The shows were released as a live album,Live in Boston, in 2007.[55]
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 the following day) onWBCN.[56]
Under Northeastern ownership, the arena has continued to host two concerts per year put on by the school's student-run Council for University Programs (CUP). Tickets for these shows are only available for purchase to the university's students, staff, and alumni. 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the spring concert, "Springfest."[citation needed]
The arena has hosted receptions forJess Willard (1915),Clarence Ransom Edwards (1918),Harry Boland (1921),Charles Lindbergh (1927), the crew of theBremen (1928), andAmelia Earhart (1928).[57][58][59][60][61][62]
For many years, the arena hosted Boston University's graduation ceremonies. Commencement speakers includedHamilton Holt,Harry Emerson Fosdick,Garfield Bromley Oxnam,Basil Joseph Mathews,Karl Taylor Compton,Roscoe Pound,George F. Zook,John Erskine,Alessandro Ghigi,Alf Landon, andPaul V. McNutt.[63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73]
Boston hosted theAmerican Legion's 1940 national convention. The formal session was held at the Boston Arena and featured speeches fromDirector of the Federal Bureau of InvestigationJ. Edgar Hoover, GovernorLeverett Saltonstall, and MayorMaurice J. Tobin.[74]
In 1946, the arena hosted the national encampment of theVeterans of Foreign Wars. Future U.S. PresidentJohn F. Kennedy was the general chairman of the convention. Speakers includedfleet admiralChester W. Nimitz, Governor Maurice J. Tobin, and CongressmenJoseph W. Martin Jr. andJohn W. McCormack.[75]
Paul Bowser, Price and Dellamano Promotions, andTony Santos promoted wrestling cards at the arena.[76][77][78]
Boxing was once a mainstay at the arena and hosted bouts withJack Sharkey andMarvelous Marvin Hagler.[79][80]
In 1993, the arena hosted the funeral service for Boston Celtic captain and Northeastern alumReggie Lewis.[81]
The National Hockey League celebrates another historic anniversary...remembering the first NHL game played in the United States, as the Boston Bruins hosted the Montreal Maroons, both expansion teams, at the Boston Arena on Dec. 1, 1924.
The world champion Canadiens defeated Boston in a fast game here tonight, 4-3, incidentally giving 5,000 Boston hockey fans the best exhibition of the Canadian game on record here.
| Preceded by none | Home of Boston University Terriers men's ice hockey 1917 – 1971 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by none | Home of the Boston Bruins 1924–1928 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by none | Home of the Boston Celtics 1946–1955 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by none | Home of the New England Whalers 1972–1973 | Succeeded by |
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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