Colisée de Québec facts for kids
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Colisée de Québec in 2012
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| Former names | Colisée de Québec (1949–1999) Colisée Pepsi (1999–2015) |
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| Address | 250 Boulevard Wilfrid-Hamel |
| Location | Quebec City, Quebec |
| Coordinates | 46°49′51″N 71°14′47″W / 46.83083°N 71.24639°W |
| Owner | Quebec City |
| Operator | ExpoCité |
| Capacity | 15,176 |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 24, 1949 |
| Opened | December 8, 1949 |
| Closed | September 14, 2015 |
| Construction cost | C$3 million ($34.8 million in 2021 dollars ) |
| Architect | Robert Blatter Bouchard & Rinfret |
| Tenants | |
| Quebec Aces (QSHL / AHL) (1950–1971) Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) (1969–1985, 1999–2015) Quebec Nordiques (WHA / NHL) (1972–1995) Quebec Rafales (IHL) (1996–1998) Quebec Citadelles (AHL) (1999–2002) Quebec Radio X (LNAH) (2003–2008) |
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The Colisée de Québec was a famous sports arena in Quebec City, Quebec. It was also known as Colisée Pepsi for many years. This arena was a very important place for hockey fans.
It was the home ice for the Quebec Nordiques hockey team from 1972 to 1995. They played in both the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League. The arena also hosted the Quebec Remparts, a junior hockey team, from 1999 until it closed in 2015.
Every February, the Colisée was filled with excitement for the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. Thousands of young hockey players from all over the world came to play there. The arena closed its doors in 2015 after many years of amazing events.
Contents
History of the Colisée
The Colisée de Québec was built in 1949. It replaced an older building that had burned down. The arena was designed with a special curved roof, called a barrel vault. It could hold 10,034 people when it first opened.
The building had a modern look on the outside and a stylish Art Deco design inside. People often called it "The House that Béliveau Built." This was because many fans came to watch hockey star Jean Béliveau play for the Quebec Aces. Later, another hockey legend, Guy Lafleur, also played there for the Quebec Remparts.
Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament Home
From 1960 to 2015, the Colisée was the main home for the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. This tournament started in another arena nearby. It became a huge event, bringing young hockey players from many countries to Quebec City.
Big Changes and a New Name
The Colisée got a big makeover in 1980. The old entrance was replaced with a large glass front. The number of seats was also increased to 15,750. This was done to meet the rules for NHL arenas. The Quebec Nordiques had joined the NHL, so their home needed to be bigger.
In 1999, a company called PepsiCo bought the rights to name the arena. It then became known as the Colisée Pepsi. Its final seating capacity was 15,176. It's interesting to know that the Quebec Nordiques team later moved and became the Colorado Avalanche. They played in an arena in Denver that was also once called Pepsi Center.
Other Exciting Events
The Colisée hosted many other important hockey games and events. In 1968, the Philadelphia Flyers played some of their home games there. This happened after their own arena's roof was damaged.
The arena also hosted the 1971 Memorial Cup championship. The Remparts won that series. It hosted the Memorial Cup tournament again in 1991, 2003, and 2015. International hockey games were also played there. These included games from the 1974 Summit Series and the Canada Cup in 1976 and 1991. The arena was also a host for the 1978 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships and the 2008 IIHF World Championship.
A special event called Rendez-vous '87 took place at the Colisée. It was a two-game series between NHL All-Stars and the Soviet national team. Besides hockey, the Colisée also hosted many big concerts and professional wrestling shows.
The End of an Era
For many years, people in Quebec City hoped to bring an NHL team back. There were ideas to use the Colisée as a temporary home for a new team. This would happen while a new, modern arena was being built.
A new arena, the Videotron Centre, opened on September 8, 2015. The very last event at the Colisée was a Metallica concert on September 14, 2015. Just two days later, Metallica also played the first concert at the new Videotron Centre. After that, the Colisée was closed to the public.
In September 2019, the famous neon sign of the Colisée was taken down. The city planned to sell some of the arena's old wooden seats to the public. Other plastic seats were given to schools and towns. The city had plans to tear down the building. However, in 2021, it was announced that the demolition would not happen right away. The building was leased to be used for storage until September 2023. As of 2024, the mayor of Quebec City, Bruno Marchand, has said he supports tearing down the Colisée. It was announced in February 2025 that the building would be demolished over two years.
Seating Capacity Over Time
The number of seats for hockey games changed several times:
- 10,034 seats (1949-1973)
- 10,004 seats (1973-1976)
- 10,012 seats (1976-1981)
- 15,250 seats (1981-1984)
- 15,434 seats (1984-1987)
- 15,399 seats (1987-2009)
- 15,176 seats (2009–2015)
Images for kids
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The scoreboard in 2007
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Interior of the Colisée seen from the centre
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Interior of the Colisée taken on December 7, 2008
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Interior of the Colisée during a hockey game
