Stockton Arena facts for kids
| The Arena | |
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| Address | 248 West Fremont Street |
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| Location | Stockton, California |
| Owner | City of Stockton |
| Operator | SMG |
| Capacity | Concert (center stage): 11,800 Concert (end stage): 10,414 Basketball: 11,193 Ice Hockey/Indoor soccer: 9,737 Arena football: 9,763 |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 17, 2004 |
| Opened | December 2, 2005 |
| Construction cost | $68 million ($102 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | 360 Architecture |
| Structural engineer | Magnusson Klemencic Associates |
| Services engineer | Flack + Kurtz Inc. |
| General contractor | Swinerton Builders |
| Tenants | |
| California Cougars (MISL/PASL-Pro) (2005–2011) Stockton Thunder (ECHL) (2005–2015) Stockton Lightning (AF2) (2006–2009) Stockton Wolves (Independent) (2011) California Eagles (AIF) (2012) Stockton Heat (AHL) (2015–present) Stockton Kings (NBA G League) (2018–present) Stockton Rush (M2) (2018–2019) |
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The Stockton Arena is a cool indoor sports and event center in Stockton, California. It first opened its doors in December 2005. This arena can hold up to 12,000 people for different events!
It's the home turf for the Stockton Heat, a hockey team in the American Hockey League. It's also where the Stockton Kings, a basketball team from the NBA G League, play their games. Over the years, many other sports teams have called the Stockton Arena home, including the Stockton Lightning (arena football) and the Stockton Thunder (hockey).
The Stockton Arena is part of a bigger fun area right by the waterfront. This area also includes Banner Island Ballpark, where the Stockton Ports baseball team plays, and a hotel. It's all part of the Stockton Waterfront Events Center, a great spot for entertainment in the city.
Arena History
The Stockton Arena was built as part of a big plan to make the waterfront area in downtown Stockton even better. It was designed by a company called 360 Architecture. The arena is right next to the Stockton Ballpark, making it easy to enjoy different sports events in one place.
The idea was to create a modern place for sports and other events that would improve the quality of life in the area. There were some small delays during construction, but the arena officially opened on December 2, 2005. The very first event was a concert by famous singer Neil Diamond.
The first sports game held at the arena was a hockey match on December 10, 2005. The Stockton Thunder played against the Phoenix RoadRunners in front of a huge, sold-out crowd of 10,117 fans! The Thunder won the game 4-0, which was a great start for the new arena.
Exciting Events at the Arena
The Stockton Arena has hosted many exciting events over the years, from big sports championships to concerts and wrestling shows.
- In 2008, the arena hosted the ECHL All-Star Game, where the best players from the hockey league came to play.
- It has also been a venue for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) shows, bringing popular wrestling superstars to Stockton.
- On March 15, 2009, the California Cougars won their first league championship in indoor soccer right here at the arena! They became the 2008–2009 PASL-Pro North American Champions.
- On December 9, 2009, the arena held a special basketball game called the "Stockton Showcase." It featured two nationally ranked college teams, the California Golden Bears and the Pacific Tigers. A record-breaking crowd of 8,704 fans came to watch the game.
- The arena has even hosted professional hockey exhibition games. On September 23, 2014, the San Jose Sharks played against the Vancouver Canucks in a special game, with the Sharks winning 5-3.
- On August 29, 2015, the Stockton Arena was the site of ArenaBowl XXVIII, which is the championship game for arena football. The San Jose SaberCats won the game against the Jacksonville Sharks.
