Honda Center: Difference between revisions

| logo_image = Honda Center 30 years LogoHonda_Center.svg

| seating_capacity = Hockey: 17,174;<br />Basketball: 18,336;<br>Concerts (center stage) 18,900; Concerts (end stage) 18,325<br>Theatre at the Honda Center: 8,400

The '''Honda Center''' (formerly known as the '''Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim''') is an [[indoor arena]] located in [[Anaheim, California]]. The arena is home to the [[Anaheim Ducks]] of the [[National Hockey League]].

Originally named the '''Anaheim Arena''' during construction, it was completed in 1993 at a cost of US$123 million. [[Arrowhead Water]] paid $15 million for the [[naming rights]] over 10 years in October 1993.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ovguide.com/honda-center-9202a8c04000641f8000000000343c75 |title=ovguide.com |access-date=2012-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809043821/https://www.ovguide.com/honda-center-9202a8c04000641f8000000000343c75 |archive-date=2017-08-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the short period of time after the [[Anaheim Ducks|Mighty Ducks]] franchise was awarded and before the naming rights deal with Arrowhead, Disney referred to the Arena as the '''Pond of Anaheim'''.<ref>In the 1993–94 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim media guide, Disney and the Ducks organization referred to the arena as the "Pond of Anaheim." This was prior to the naming rights deal with Arrowhead Water. [[Amazon Standard Identification Number|ASIN]]: B001EBD3BM</ref> In October 2006, [[Honda]] paid $60 million for the naming rights over 15 years,<ref>{{cite news| url=httphttps://articleswww.latimes.com/2006archives/la-xpm-2006-jul/-20/sports/-sp-pond20-story.html | work=Los Angeles Times | first1=Bill | last1=Shaikin | first2=Greg | last2=Johnson | date=July 20, 2006 | title=Pond to Get a New Name}}</ref> and renewed the deal for another decade in 2020.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.ocregister.com/2020/02/25/honda-center-name-locked-in-for-10-more-years-under-deal-extension/ | work=Orange County Register | first=Heather | last=McCrea | date=February 25, 2020 | title=Honda Center name locked in for 10 more years under deal extension }}</ref>

The idea for a large indoor arena in Anaheim emerged from entertainment attorney [[Neil Papiano]], who in 1987 randomly selected two of the city's councilmen from the telephone directory to sell them his idea. They approved of the concept, and one year later following location surveys, the placement was chosen at a seven-acre parcel at Douglass Road and Katella Avenue, that at the time was owned by the German social group Phoenix Club. Papiano also managed to get financial backing from two New York-based firms, [[Ogden Corporation]] and [[Nederlander Organization]].<ref name=birth>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-13-mn-2867-story.html|title=Birth of Anaheim Arena Defies Naysayers' Logic|work=Los Angeles Times|author=Lait, Matt|date=June 13, 1993}}</ref> Even if there was a dispute to build an arena in [[Orange County, California|Orange County]] with a [[Santa Ana, California|Santa Ana]] project led by [[Spectacor]], and there were discussions of feasibility of the arena given the [[National Basketball Association]] and [[National Hockey League]] were at the time unwilling to expand to the area,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-05-21-mn-1109-story.html|title=Santa Ana, Anaheim's Big 'If' : Without Pro Team, Arena Could Be White Elephant|first=Lonn|last=Johnston|date=21 May 1989|website=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=9 June 2023}}</ref> the city of Anaheim pushed forward to build the [[Populous (company)|Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc.]]-designed arena,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-05-16-mn-307-story.html|title=Anaheim Clears Legal Obstacles for Sports Arena|date=16 May 1990|website=Los Angeles Times|access-date=9 June 2023}}</ref> which broke ground in November 1990.<ref name=birth/> A tenant was finally found in 1992, as [[The Walt Disney CorporationCompany]] had just been awarded an NHL franchise for Anaheim, entering negotiations to lease the arena.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ocregister.com/ducks/disney-431474-ducks-hockey.html|title = Disney gets h-o-c-k-e-y 20 years ago|date = 10 December 2012}}</ref> Once the deal was broken, the arena's final cost ended at $121 million, as $18 million were added to finance hockey franchise fees and facility improvement.<ref name=birth/>

The arena opened on June 19, 1993, with a [[Barry Manilow]] concert as its first event.<ref name=":0"/> The then-Arrowhead Pond's first NHL game was also the [[Anaheim Ducks|Mighty Ducks of Anaheim]] season opener on October 8, 1993, against the [[Detroit Red Wings]], preceded by a 20-minute pregame show at the cost of $450,000. The Ducks lost 7–2.<ref>{{cite news|last=Horn |first=John |url=httphttps://communityarchive.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19931010&slug=/1725186/the-nhl |title=Sports &#124; The Nhl – Disney Magic Ends When Ducks Take Ice |work=Seattle Times|date=October 10, 1993 |accessdateaccess-date=2014-05-01}}</ref> Since then, the arena has been host to a number of events, such as the [[2003 Stanley Cup Finals|2003]] and [[2007 Stanley Cup Finals]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.hondacenter.com/arena-info/about-us/|title=About Us|publisher=Honda Center|language=en|access-date=2019-03-13}}</ref> On June 6, 2007, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the [[Ottawa Senators]], 6–2, in game five of the Final at Honda Center to clinch the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/2007-anaheim-ducks-vs-ottawa-senators-stanley-cup-final.html|title=2007 NHL Stanley Cup Stanley Cup Final: ANA vs. OTT|website=Hockey-Reference.com|language=en|access-date=2019-03-13}}</ref>

In March 2020, the arena would lose all its scheduled events because of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hondacenter.com/arena-info/postponed-events/|title=Postponed Events|accessdate=9 June 2023|archive-date=June 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604045453/https://www.hondacenter.com/arena-info/postponed-events/|url-status=dead}}</ref> For the rest of the year, Honda Center would instead host charity events, such as [[blood donation|blood drives]], food bank distributions, and a collective wedding, along with serving as a drive-through voting location for the [[2020 United States presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/anaheimducks0/docs/2020-21_anaheim_ducks_media_guide|title=2020-21 Anaheim Ducks Media Guide by Anaheim Ducks - Issuu|date=11 January 2021|website=issuu.com|accessdate=9 June 2023}}</ref> The Ducks would only play again in the arena once the [[2020–21 Anaheim Ducks season|following NHL season]] started in January 2021, with a reduced audience of 2,000 being allowed to attend the final five games of the season, starting with an April 17 matchup with the [[Vegas Golden Knights]].<ref>[https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/04/16/honda-center-reopens-to-fans-for-last-5-games-ducks-season/ Honda Center Reopens To Fans In Time For Last 5 Games Of The Ducks Season], CBS Los Angeles</ref>

*[[Whitney Houston]] performed on August 21, 1994, during her [[The Bodyguard World Tour]].

*[[Smashing Pumpkins]] performed on December 9 and December 10, 1996, as part of their [[Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness]] tour. They then returned to the arena on November 16, 2022, for their Spirits on Fire Tour.

*[[Janet Jackson]] performed for the first time at the arena during her [[The Velvet Rope Tour]] on August 23, 1998. She returned for her [[All for You Tour]] on September 29, 2001, and returned on September 23, 2017, as part of her [[State of the World Tour]]. Jackson will perform at the arena for the fourth time on June 9, 2024, as part of her [[Janet Jackson: Together Again|Together Again]] tour.

* [[Marilyn Manson]] performed here on March 13, 1999, during the [[Beautiful Monsters Tour]].

* [[Shakira]] showed up in the arena for the first time on April 19, 2000, with [[Tour Anfibio]]. She returned to the venue on November 12, 2002, with [[Tour of the Mongoose]], August 17, 2006 with [[Oral Fixation Tour]], October 25, 2010 with [[The Sun Comes Out World Tour]] and August 31, 2018, with [[El Dorado World Tour]].

*[[Demi Lovato]] brought [[The Neon Lights Tour]] on February 13, 2014. TheyShe returned along with [[Nick Jonas]] for their [[Future Now Tour]] in the arena on August 17, 2016.

===2028 Summer OlympicsOther===

[[Category:BasketballCollege basketball venues in California]]