The Colisée facts for kids
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Colisée, The ABC
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| Location | Lewiston, Maine |
| Owner | Firland Management Colisee, LLC |
| Capacity | 3,677 (2,634 hockey) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1956 |
| Opened | 1958 |
| Construction cost | $1 million, with $5 million renovations |
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The Colisée is a large building in Lewiston, Maine, United States. It's a place where many different events happen, like sports games, concerts, and big shows. It can hold about 4,000 people, with 3,677 seats.
This building was constructed between 1956 and 1958. It opened in 1958, replacing an older high school arena. A local church group first built and ran the Colisée. It became famous in 1965 when it hosted a very important boxing match.
Today, the Colisée is the home ice for the Maine Nordiques hockey team. They play in the North American Hockey League. Besides hockey, the Colisée is also used for concerts, big meetings, and trade shows. It has a large space for exhibits, about 17,000 square feet.
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History of the Colisée
The Colisée has had a long and exciting history. It has been home to many sports teams and has hosted famous events.
Early Hockey Teams
From 1973 to 1977, a professional hockey team called the Maine Nordiques played here. They were part of the old North American Hockey League. Even the Boston Celtics, a famous basketball team, played practice games at the Colisée.
The Lewiston Maineiacs Era
In 2003, a new hockey team, the Lewiston Maineiacs, started playing at the Colisée. At this time, the building was renamed the Lewiston Colisée. This new name helped people tell it apart from other similar buildings in Maine. The word "Colisée" comes from the French word for "colosseum."
In 2007, the Maineiacs won the Presidents Cup. This was a big championship for their league, the QMJHL. They were the only U.S.-based team in that league to ever win it. The Maineiacs stopped playing after the 2010–11 QMJHL season.
Other Hockey Teams and Events
The Federal Hockey League also played some games at the arena in 2011 and 2012. For a while, the Portland Pirates hockey team played most of their home games here. This happened during the 2012–13 AHL season because their usual arena was being fixed up.
In 2014, a junior hockey team moved to Lewiston. They were called the L/A Fighting Spirit and played at the Colisée starting in 2015. "L/A" stood for Lewiston-Auburn. Later, this team became the Lewiston/Auburn Nordiques.
In 2019, a new team, the Maine Nordiques, joined a higher-level junior hockey league. They also made the Colisée their home. The company that owned the Colisée bought the Tier III Nordiques team in 2020. They then replaced it with youth hockey teams.
Changes to the Name
In 2006, a bank called Androscoggin Bank paid to have their name on the building. So, it was known as the Androscoggin Bank Colisée for many years. In 2020, that agreement ended. The bank's name was removed from the building the next year.
Other Exciting Uses
The Colisée isn't just for hockey. It has hosted many other memorable events.
The Famous Ali vs. Liston Fight
On May 25, 1965, the Colisée hosted a huge boxing match. It was for the world heavyweight championship. The fight was between the young champion Muhammad Ali and the older former champion Sonny Liston. During this fight, a famous photo was taken. Many people call it one of the greatest sports photos ever.
Concerts and Music
Many famous musicians have played at the Colisée. On March 19, 1977, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed here. The legendary singer Bob Dylan also played concerts at the venue in 2000, 2008, and 2013.
Mixed Martial Arts Events
The Colisée has also hosted mixed martial arts (MMA) events. Bellator MMA held its first event in Maine here on March 21, 2013. This show was called Bellator 93.
Wrestling Shows
On November 7, 2018, a wrestling company called Ring of Honor came to the Colisée. This was their first show ever in Maine. They put on a special show with another Japanese wrestling company, New Japan Pro-Wrestling. It was the first time the Japanese company had an event in New England.
