Maverik Center facts for kids
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Maverik Center in 2017.
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 Maverik Center
Location in Utah
Maverik Center
Location in the United States
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| Former names | E Center (1997–2010) |
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| Address | 3200 South Decker Lake Drive |
| Location | West Valley City, Utah, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 40°42′9.8″N 111°57′1.5″W / 40.702722°N 111.950417°W |
| Owner | City of West Valley City |
| Operator | Centennial Management Group, Inc. |
| Capacity | Ice hockey: 10,100 Basketball: 12,500 Concerts: up to 12,000 Boxing Wrestling: 12,600 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 22, 1996 |
| Opened | September 22, 1997 |
| Construction cost | US$54.1 million ($98.6 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | HOK Sport Valentiner, Crane, Brunjes, Onyon |
| Structural engineer | Reaveley Engineers & Associates Inc. |
| Services engineer | Colvin Engineering Associates |
| General contractor | Turner Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Utah Grizzlies (IHL/AHL) (1997–2005) Utah Freezz (WISL) (1999–2001) Utah Warriors (NIFL) (2003–2004) Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) (2005–present) Utah Blaze (AFL) (2010) Salt Lake Screaming Eagles (IFL) (2017) Pac-12 Gymnastics Championships (2020–2024) Salt Lake City Stars (NBA G-League) (2022–present) |
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The Maverik Center is a large indoor stadium in West Valley City, Utah, USA. It can hold up to 12,600 people for different events. When it first opened, it was known as the E Center.
Construction on the arena began in 1996. It was ready for its first event on September 22, 1997. The city of West Valley City owns the arena, and Centennial Management Group runs it.
The Maverik Center was a very important place during the 2002 Winter Olympics. It hosted the exciting ice hockey games. Later, it was also used for ice sledge hockey during the 2002 Winter Paralympics.
Today, the arena is home to two sports teams: the Utah Grizzlies and the Salt Lake City Stars. It also hosts many concerts and live shows, making it a busy spot for entertainment in the area.
Contents
History of the Maverik Center
In July 1995, Salt Lake City won the bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics. Soon after, the Olympic Committee agreed to a plan from West Valley City. This plan was to build a brand new ice hockey stadium.
The Olympic Committee loaned $7 million to the city to help with building costs. They would then rent the arena for the Olympic Games. West Valley City would own the arena and use it for many events before and after the Olympics.
Work on the arena started on March 22, 1996. It was finished in September 1997. The E Center officially opened on September 19, 1997. The very first event held there was a live wrestling show, WCW Monday Nitro, on September 22, 1997. This show was special because it was the first time Bill Goldberg wrestled in a match.
How the Maverik Center Got Its Name
In 2010, the company that manages the arena, Centennial Management Group, made a deal with Maverik, Inc.. Maverik owns many convenience stores. This deal included the rights to name the building.
Because of this partnership, the E Center changed its name to the Maverik Center. The deal also meant that Maverik's "adventure theme" was added inside the building. There is also a Maverik snack shop, and they sell special Maverik products there.
Teams and Events at the Arena
Current Teams Playing Here
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The main team that plays at the Maverik Center is the Utah Grizzlies. They are an ECHL ice hockey team. The Grizzlies have played here since 2005. They took over from an older team with the same name that played in the AHL.
On October 10, 2022, it was announced that the Salt Lake City Stars would move to the Maverik Center. The Stars are the NBA G-League team for the Utah Jazz. They started playing their home games here in the 2022–2023 season.
Olympic and Paralympic Games
The arena was a key location for ice hockey during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Many exciting games took place over six days. The stadium could hold 8,400 fans, plus members of the press. Most of the tickets were sold, with over 230,000 people watching events there.
During the 2002 Winter Paralympics, the arena hosted the sled hockey tournament. This is a special version of hockey for athletes with disabilities.
Salt Lake City–Utah was chosen to host the 2034 Winter Olympics in July 2024. The Maverik Center is expected to host figure skating and short track speed skating events then.
Concerts and Live Shows
The Maverik Center has hosted many famous musicians and bands. Prince performed the first concert there on October 4, 1997.
On November 2, 1998, the band Phish played the entire The Dark Side of the Moon album by Pink Floyd during their show. Depeche Mode has performed at the arena three times. Their shows were on July 23, 2001, November 12, 2005, and August 25, 2009. The 2009 concert was even recorded for their live album project.
Other popular artists like One Direction and Sam Smith have also performed at the Maverik Center in recent years.
