Rogers Arena facts for kids
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The Garage
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Rogers Arena in 2011
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| Address | 800 Griffiths Way |
| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
| Coordinates | 49°16′40″N 123°6′32″W / 49.27778°N 123.10889°W |
| Public transit |  Stadium–Chinatown |
| Owner | Aquilini Investment Group |
| Capacity | Basketball: 19,193 (1995–2003) 19,700 (2003–present) Concerts: 19,000 Ice hockey: 18,422 (1995–2002) 18,514 (2002–2003) 18,630 (2003–2009) 18,810 (2009–2010) 18,860 (2010–2011) 18,890 (2011–2012) 18,910 (2012–present) |
| Field size | 44,100 m2 (475,000 sq ft) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 13, 1993 |
| Opened | September 21, 1995 |
| Construction cost | CA$160 million ($265 million in 2021 dollars) |
| Architect | Brisbin, Brook and Beynon |
| Structural engineer | Stuart Olson Dominion |
| Services engineer | The Mitchell Partnership Inc. |
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Rogers Arena is a big building in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It's a place where many different events happen, like sports games and concerts. It opened in 1995 and was first called General Motors Place.
This arena is the home of the Vancouver Canucks, a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). It also hosts the Vancouver Warriors, a lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). Rogers Arena was built to be the main indoor sports venue in Vancouver. It replaced an older building called Pacific Coliseum.
The arena was also home to the Vancouver Grizzlies, a basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Grizzlies played in Vancouver from 1995 to 2001 before moving to Memphis. In 2010, Rogers Arena hosted the exciting ice hockey games for the 2010 Winter Olympics. During the Olympics, it was temporarily called Canada Hockey Place.
Rogers Arena has been updated over the years. Before the 2022–23 NHL season, the players' dressing rooms and team areas were completely redone. Then, before the 2023–24 NHL season, a new giant video screen was added in the middle of the arena. A new ribbon board was also installed above the lower seats. A special VIP restaurant was added between the team tunnels. The arena plans to replace all the seats in 2025 to make it even better for fans.
Contents
History of Rogers Arena
How the Arena Started
Rogers Arena opened in 1995. It cost about C$160 million to build. The goal was to create a modern place for big events in Vancouver. It became the home for the Vancouver Canucks hockey team and the Vancouver Grizzlies basketball team.
The arena was first named General Motors Place because of a sponsorship deal. People often called it "GM Place" or "The Garage." From 2002 to 2004, it was also home to the Vancouver Ravens lacrosse team.
In February 2010, the arena hosted the ice hockey tournaments for the 2010 Winter Olympics. It was a huge event, and Canada won both gold medals in hockey! During the Olympics, the arena's name changed temporarily to "Canada Hockey Place." This was because of rules about company names at Olympic venues.
Becoming Rogers Arena
On July 6, 2010, the arena got a new name: Rogers Arena. This happened because Rogers Communications made a deal to sponsor the building for ten years. The next year, PepsiCo also became a sponsor. They provided all the drinks and snacks at the arena. Concerts held there are often promoted as "Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena."
In October 2010, before the 2010–11 hockey season, the arena added some cool technology. They installed huge four-story screens and 16 projectors. This was the first time such a setup was used in North American sports. These screens created amazing visual effects for the audience.
Exciting Events at Rogers Arena
Rogers Arena has hosted many memorable events over the years.
Hockey Highlights
- October 9, 1995: The very first game was played here.
- January 18, 1998: The 1998 National Hockey League All-Star Game took place.
- October 6, 2002: Queen Elizabeth II dropped the first puck at an NHL exhibition game.
- December 26, 2005 – January 5, 2006: The 2006 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships were held here.
- February 13–28, 2010: The Olympic ice hockey tournaments saw Canada win two gold medals.
- June 2011: Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals were played. The Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup against the Canucks.
- December 26, 2018 – January 5, 2019: The 2019 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships returned.
- January 8, 2025: The first Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) game in Vancouver was played. The Montreal Victoire beat the Toronto Sceptres with 19,038 fans watching.
Basketball Games
- August 15, 2025: The first WNBA regular season game in Canada was held. The Seattle Storm played against the Atlanta Dream.
UFC Fights
Rogers Arena has been a popular spot for major UFC events:
- June 12, 2010: UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin
- June 11, 2011: UFC 131: dos Santos vs. Carwin
- June 14, 2014: UFC 174: Johnson vs. Bagautinov
- August 27, 2016: UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit
- September 14, 2019: UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Gaethje
- June 10, 2023: UFC 289: Nunes vs. Aldana
WWE Wrestling Shows
Fans of professional wrestling have also enjoyed events at the arena:
- July 21, 1996: WWE's In Your House 9: International Incident pay-per-view.
- December 13, 1998: WWE's Rock Bottom: In Your House pay-per-view.
- February 14, 2020: A live showing of WWE SmackDown.
- January 5, 2024: WWE's New Year's Revolution (2024) special episode.
- November 30, 2024: WWE's Survivor Series (2024).
Juno Awards
The Juno Awards, which celebrate Canadian music, have been hosted here several times:
- March 22, 1998: The 27th annual Juno Awards.
- March 29, 2009: The 38th annual Juno Awards.
- March 25, 2018: The 47th annual Juno Awards.
- March 30, 2025: The 54th annual Juno Awards.
Other Fun Events
- March 17–25, 2001: The 2001 World Figure Skating Championships were held.
- August 20–25, 2018: The International 2018, a big Dota 2 eSports tournament.
- September 22–24, 2023: The 2023 Laver Cup men's tennis tournament.
See also
In Spanish: Rogers Arena para niños
- List of National Hockey League arenas
- List of National Basketball Association arenas
- List of indoor arenas in Canada
- Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario
- Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta
- National Hockey League
- Vancouver Canucks
- Pacific Coliseum
