Bell Centre facts for kids
| Centre Bell (French) | |
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Bell Centre in 2013
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 Bell Centre
Location in Montreal
Bell Centre
Location in Quebec
Bell Centre
Location in Canada
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| Former names | New Montreal Forum (pre-construction–1996) Molson Centre (1996–2002) |
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| 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 ($430 million in 2021 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) |
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The Bell Centre (also known as Centre Bell in French) is a huge building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It's a place where many different events happen. It opened on March 16, 1996.
This arena is the home of the Montreal Canadiens, a famous National Hockey League (NHL) team. It took the place of their old home, the Montreal Forum. The Bell Centre is the biggest indoor arena in all of Canada. The Molson family owns it through their company, Groupe CH. Another company, Evenko, manages all the events there.
The Bell Centre can hold 21,105 people for hockey games. This makes it the second-largest ice hockey arena in the world. Only the SKA Arena in Russia is bigger. Besides hockey, the Bell Centre hosts big concerts, mixed martial arts fights, and professional wrestling shows. Since it opened, it has been one of the busiest arenas in the world. Many people come to events here every year.
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Building the Bell Centre
Construction for the Bell Centre started on June 22, 1993. This was shortly after the Canadiens won their 24th Stanley Cup. When the arena first opened in 1996, it was called the Molson Centre. This name came from Molson, Inc., a company that owned the Canadiens team back then.
Molson later sold the team. So, the arena's name changed on September 1, 2002. Bell Canada bought the rights to name the building. That's why it's now called the Bell Centre.
In 2015, the Bell Centre began big renovations. These updates included new seats for everyone. Hallways and food stands were also improved. New restaurants and public Wi-Fi were added. The street outside, Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal, was planned to become a walking-only area. These changes cost $100 million but did not stop events from happening.
Where to Find the Bell Centre
The Bell Centre is in the middle of downtown Montreal. It's in the area called Ville-Marie. You can find it near Canadiens-de-Montréal Avenue and de la Montagne Street.
It's very easy to get to the arena using public transport. The Lucien L'Allier train station is right next door. The Bell Centre is also connected to two Montreal Metro stations: Lucien-L'Allier and Bonaventure. You can even reach it through Montreal's underground city and Central Station.
Inside the Arena
The Bell Centre covers a large area, about 1.568 hectares (15,680 square meters). It can hold 21,105 people for hockey games. This makes it one of the biggest hockey arenas in the world. The building also has six restaurants for visitors.
Here are the different numbers of people the arena can hold for various events:
- Basketball: 22,114 people
- Hockey: 21,105 people
- Concerts: 15,000 to 19,200 people
- Amphitheatre shows: 10,000 to 14,000 people
- Theatre shows: 5,000 to 9,000 people
Before the 2008–09 hockey season, a new scoreboard was put in. It had four video screens, each 510 square feet. At the time, it was the largest scoreboard in the NHL.
The Bell Centre is special because it uses an old-style siren to signal the end of each period in hockey games. Most other NHL arenas use a horn. This siren tradition came from the old Montreal Forum.
Seating Areas
The Bell Centre has a unique design, different from many other arenas. Its seats are steeply sloped. This helps everyone have a great view of the action.
The arena has three main levels of seating:
- The lower 100 section, called "the reds" because the seats are red.
- The 200 section, known as "Club Desjardins." These seats are between two levels of private boxes. They offer special features like bigger seats and free food and drinks.
- The upper 300–400 section.
The 300–400 section has different colored zones. There's a white section, a grey section, and a blue section (called "400"). Some parts of the 400 section have special themes. The Coors Light Zone has cheerleaders and a band. The Family Zone offers special ticket prices for kids and has less alcohol.
If you sit behind the press area in sections 318, 319, and 320, you get your own small scoreboards. This is because the main scoreboard might be blocked from your view.
Inside Decorations
At first, some people thought the Bell Centre felt a bit plain compared to the old Forum. So, the Canadiens team started adding decorations. These decorations celebrate the team's long history. For example, there's a ring of player banners around the top seating level. The Molson Ex Zone also has a stage for live bands and a red theme.
Fun Events and Shows
The Bell Centre is the main place in Montreal for big entertainment events. Many famous artists have performed here. These include Beyoncé, Olivia Rodrigo, Céline Dion, Twenty One Pilots, Prince, Drake, Shakira, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Metallica, The Rolling Stones, and Dua Lipa.
Céline Dion has performed at the Bell Centre more than any other artist. She has had 50 shows there between 1996 and 2020. These shows were part of her different world tours.
In 1999, the musical Les Misérables came to the Bell Centre. It ran for 12 days. A special actor, Robert Marien, who played the main role of Jean Valjean in Paris, joined the cast just for the Montreal shows.
Sports Action
Ice Hockey Games
The Bell Centre has hosted many important hockey events. In 1996, it held the final two games of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. The United States won both games against Canada. The arena also hosted games for the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
The Bell Centre was home to the 2009 NHL All-Star Game. It also hosted the NHL Entry Draft in 2009 and 2022. In 2022, the Canadiens picked Juraj Slafkovský as the first player overall.
Montreal Canadiens home games have been completely sold out since October 2005. The Canadiens always have one of the highest attendance numbers in the NHL. In the 2009–2010 season, they had the most fans at their home games. On May 12, 2010, all 21,273 seats sold out in just 45 minutes. Fans came to watch Game 7 of the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs on the big screens. The noise inside the arena could reach 115 dB when the Canadiens scored goals!
On December 9, 2014, the Canadiens played their first home game after the death of Jean Béliveau, a hockey legend. The game started with a special tribute to him. The arena was sold out with 21,286 fans. One empty seat was left to honor Jean Béliveau.
The Bell Centre hosted its first Stanley Cup Finals games in 2021. Games 3 and 4 were played there against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Due to rules about the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, only 2,500 fans were allowed at first. This number later increased to 3,500 for the finals. Many more fans gathered outside the arena to watch the games on a big screen.
In late 2021, the Quebec government allowed the Canadiens to return to full capacity. This meant 21,105 people could attend games again.
On April 20, 2024, the Bell Centre hosted its first home game for the new women's hockey team, Montreal Victoire. They played against the Toronto Sceptres. All 21,105 seats were sold, setting a new record for attendance at a women's hockey game.
The Bell Centre will also be one of two places to host the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off in February 2025. It will feature national teams from the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland.
Basketball Games
Since 2010, the Bell Centre has hosted some NBA preseason games. The Toronto Raptors often play here. The first game was on October 22, 2010, with the Raptors playing the New York Knicks. These games are part of the NBA Canada Series.
Mixed Martial Arts Fights
The Bell Centre hosted UFC 83: Serra vs. St-Pierre 2 in April 2008. This was the first UFC event in Canada. The main fight was between Matt Serra and Montreal's own Georges St-Pierre. Tickets sold out in less than a minute! This event set a new record for UFC attendance at the time.
Many other UFC events have happened at the Bell Centre since then. Most of these featured Georges St-Pierre. The UFC returned to the arena in May 2025 for UFC 315: Muhammad vs. Della Maddalena.
Professional Wrestling Shows
The Bell Centre has also hosted WWE professional wrestling events. These include big shows like Survivor Series in 1997 and Elimination Chamber in 2023. It has also hosted many episodes of Raw and SmackDown.
During Survivor Series 1997, a very talked-about match happened. Bret Hart from Calgary lost his championship to his rival Shawn Michaels in a controversial way. Hart was leaving WWE soon and did not want to lose in his home country. The owner, Vince McMahon, changed the ending of the match without Hart knowing. This caused a lot of discussion in the wrestling world.
Brock Lesnar made his first TV appearance for WWE at the Bell Centre in 2002. A wall inside the arena shows pictures of important events that happened there, including Lesnar's debut.
In December 2023, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) held its first shows in Montreal at the Bell Centre.
Figure Skating Events
The Bell Centre was supposed to host the 2020 World Figure Skating Championships. However, these were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The arena later hosted the 2024 championships instead. This was the second time Montreal hosted this event. The first was in 1932 at the old Forum.
Honoring Hockey Legends
The Montreal Canadiens have honored many of their greatest players by retiring their jersey numbers. These numbers hang from the rafters of the Bell Centre.
| No. | Player | Position | Years Played | Date Honored |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacques Plante | G | 1952–63 | October 7, 1995 |
| 2 | Doug Harvey | D | 1947–61 | October 26, 1985 |
| 3 | Emile Bouchard | D | 1941–56 | December 4, 2009 |
| 4 | Jean Beliveau | C | 1950–71 | October 9, 1971 |
| 5 | Bernie Geoffrion | RW | 1950–64 | March 11, 2006 |
| Guy Lapointe | D | 1968–82 | November 8, 2014 | |
| 7 | Howie Morenz | C | 1923–37 | November 2, 1937 |
| 9 | Maurice Richard | RW | 1942–60 | October 6, 1960 |
| 10 | Guy Lafleur | RW | 1971–85 | February 16, 1985 |
| 12 | Dickie Moore | LW | 1951–63 | November 12, 2005 |
| Yvan Cournoyer | RW | 1963–79 | November 12, 2005 | |
| 16 | Henri Richard | C | 1955–75 | December 10, 1975 |
| Elmer Lach | C | 1940–54 | December 4, 2009 | |
| 18 | Serge Savard | D | 1966–81 | November 18, 2006 |
| 19 | Larry Robinson | D | 1972–89 | November 19, 2007 |
| 23 | Bob Gainey | LW | 1973–89 | February 23, 2008 |
| 29 | Ken Dryden | G | 1970–79 | January 29, 2007 |
| 33 | Patrick Roy | G | 1984–95 | November 22, 2008 |
Even though Elmer Lach and Henri Richard both wore number 16, they each had their own special ceremony. All these players have their own banners hanging up.
On October 18, 2005, the Canadiens also honored the former Montreal Expos baseball team. The Expos left Montreal in 2004. Their retired numbers are on a single banner:
- 8 Gary Carter
- 10 Andre Dawson and Rusty Staub
- 30 Tim Raines
The only other banners in the arena are for the Canadiens' Stanley Cup championships. Unlike some other NHL arenas, the Bell Centre does not display banners for division or conference wins.
Key Facts About the Bell Centre
The Bell Centre was built at a cost of about C$270 million. It is a very large building, covering 780,000 square feet. The arena can hold a lot of people. For hockey games, it can seat over 21,000 fans. For basketball, it can hold even more, up to 22,114 people.
Building and Design
The construction of the Bell Centre began on June 22, 1993. It was designed by architects from LeMay & Associate, LLC. Many different companies worked together to build this impressive arena. It was built to be a modern and versatile space for sports and entertainment.
See also
In Spanish: Centre Bell para niños
- Bonaventure (metro station)
- Connected via the underground city
- List of indoor arenas in Canada
- Statue of Guy Lafleur
