MassMutual Center

The MassMutual Center (formerly Springfield Civic Center) is a multi-purpose arena and convention center complex located in downtown Springfield, Massachusetts, in the city's Metro Center across from Court Square. The facility opened in 1972 and serves as a venue for meetings, exhibitions, sporting events and entertainment.

MassMutual Center
Former namesSpringfield Civic Center
(1972–2005)
Location1277 Main Street
Springfield, Massachusetts 01103
Coordinates42°6′8″N 72°35′13″W
Public transitSpringfield Union Station:

Hartford Line
OwnerCity of Springfield (1972–1997)
Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (1997–present)
OperatorMGM Springfield
CapacityCenter Stage: 8,300
Basketball: 7,300
Ice hockey: 6,793
Construction
Broke groundMarch 18, 1970[1]
OpenedSeptember 5, 1972[2]
Renovated2003–2005
Construction cost$10.3 million[2]
($63 million in 2019 dollars[3])
$71 million (renovation)
($92.9 million in 2019 dollars[3])
ArchitectCatalano Architects Inc.[4]
Sasaki Associates[5] (renovation)
Tenants
Springfield Indians (AHL) (1972–1994)
Hartford Whalers (WHA/NHL) (1978–1980)
Springfield Fame (USBL) (1985–1986)
Springfield Falcons (AHL) (1994–2016)
Springfield Armor (NBA D-League) (2009–2014)
Springfield Thunderbirds (AHL) (2016–present)
American International Yellow Jackets (NCAA) (2016–present)
Website
massmutualcenter.com

Previously owned and operated by the City of Springfield and various management groups until 1997, the city transferred ownership of the facility to the Massachusetts Legislature. Shortly after, ownership was given to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA) who in turn began working on plans to renovate and expand the facility. The two-year project, which began in 2003, included renovations to the 8,000 seat arena and the addition of a convention center. Its design allows for 3 to 4 concurrent events or one large event with a capacity of up to 16,000.

MGM Springfield began operating the venue on behalf of the MCCA in July 2017 in advance of its casino/hotel/retail development opening the next year.

In 2005, the venue was renamed when Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company entered into a 15-year naming rights agreement for the arena and convention center. The name change took place on September 29, 2005.

The venue is home to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League and American International Yellow Jackets who compete in NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey.

Renovations

Arena

In the fall of 2003, the renovation project was publicly announced and demolition of the bank sitting next to the building, along with the facility's plaza and exhibit hall began. In the fall of 2005, the $71 million renovation project was completed. The renovation included a new arena floor with new pipelines for the ice rink and new chillers installed. Upgrades to the buildings electrical system as well as the heating and air conditioning system with a new dehumidification system were also installed. Audio and Video upgrades were made with a new four-sided center hung scoreboard with video display and a new sound system. The project also included a new seating arrangement with 6,455 permanent seats and 222 club seats. New amenities to the arena include a bar and lounge, clubroom, an executive suite, new larger restrooms, and 11 newly refurbished concession stands. The main entrance was relocated from Main Street to Bruce Landon Way where a new box office and lobby were added. The arena was still operational during the two-year project which was funded by city and state tax payers and other state funds.[6]

The main entrance for the arena is located on Bruce Landon Way. The arena has 3 levels:

  • Event Level: Box Office, Administrative Offices, Thunderbirds Office and Team Store.
  • Concourse Level: Lower and Upper Bowl Seating, Center Grille Restaurant, Breakaway Bar & Lounge.
  • Upper Level: Broadcast booths, The Executive Perch, VIP suites

In the summer of 2015 the MCCA approved a multimillion dollar technology upgrade to the venue. This project consisted of a new 18-by-12-foot (5.5 m × 3.7 m) 4 sided center hung LED video board that replaced the existing scoreboard in the arena as well as the replacement of the arena lighting system to new LED lighting.

Convention Center

With renovations to the existing arena, a new convention center was added. With 100,000 sq ft (9,300 m2), it is the largest convention center in Western Massachusetts. It includes two exhibition halls, which total over 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2), 3 ballrooms that total 15,000 sq ft (1,400 m2) with back of house kitchen, 5 meeting rooms that total some 9,000 sq ft (840 m2), and 21,000 sq ft (2,000 m2) of pre-function space. It connects both the convention center and arena to add an additional 19,000 sq ft (1,800 m2) of floor space. Additionally, the pre-function space overlooks the city skyline, including a viewing area known as the glass alcove which gives panoramic views of downtown. The convention center is able to host galas, weddings, consumer and trade shows, concerts, conventions, conferences, and many other functions of various sizes.

The main entrance for the convention center is located on Main Street and Bruce Landon Way. There are 2 levels:

  • Event Level: Meeting Rooms 1–5, Exhibition Halls A & B
  • Upper Level: Ballrooms A, B, and C, Glass Alcove

History
The MassMutual Center arena

The arena hosted the Hartford Whalers of the National Hockey League, while the Hartford Civic Center was undergoing renovations, because of a 1978 roof collapse.

The arena hosted World Wrestling Federation's Saturday Night's Main Event XVI (the first episode following Wrestlemania IV, taped on April 22, 1988, aired on April 30). It also hosted the 19th WWF In Your House pay-per-view in 1997. The center has also hosted WWE Monday Night RAW and two WWE SmackDown! shows; the first one was on October 26, 1999 aired for that Thursday and the second was on December 13, 2005 aired for that Friday. The center was also where The Mountie (Jacques Rougeau) defeated Bret "Hitman" Hart for the WWF Intercontinental Championship on January 17, 1992. He would lose the title two days later to Rowdy Roddy Piper at the Knickerbocker Arena in Albany, New York at the Royal Rumble.

The building has hosted an American Hockey League franchise, since it opened in 1972. Between the 1972–73 AHL season and 1993–94 AHL season, the building hosted the Springfield Indians franchise. Since 1994, the Center was the home of the Springfield Falcons. The Falcons won the Northeast Division Championship in the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons while serving as the AHL affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. The team was sold in May 2016 to the Arizona Coyotes and relocated to Tucson, Arizona. The Falcons were immediately replaced with the Springfield Thunderbirds for the 2016–17 season.

The building, located in the "Birthplace of Basketball", has also hosted numerous NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championships, first in 1977, then from 1980 to 1994, and finally 2006 through 2011. The tournament moved to the Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati in 2012 and 2013. It also hosted the first six NCAA Women's Division II Basketball Championships from 1982 to 1987.

The UMass Minutemen basketball team, formerly under head coach and Springfield native Derek Kellogg, has used the building for a home game since 2010. In 2011, the Basketball Hall of Fame created the Holiday Showcase which feature the UMass Minutemen basketball team. Brigham Young University visited the UMass Minutemen during the 2013 showcase with a sold out crowd of 7,331.[7]

The Springfield Armor of the NBA D-League joined the building's roster of home tenants in the fall of 2009. The franchise was purchased by the HWS Group in early 2009, and was quickly moved to Springfield for the start of the 2009–2010 season. It was affiliated with the NBA's New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the New Jersey Nets for two years. The New Jersey Nets, now known as the Brooklyn Nets as of 2012, became the sole affiliate of the Armor in the start of the 2011–2012 season. The Armor received their first Eastern Division Championship during the 2011–2012 season under its new head coach Bob MacKinnon. They won their final home game on March 21, 2014 in front of a sold out crowd of 7,111.[8]

Due to snow, busy streets, and roof damages on February 4, 2011. All Disney On Ice performances were cancelled after a safety check on the roof determined that. About 4,000 tickets were sold before the cancellation. A sign was put up noticing that the performance was called off.

NHL games
Date Away Score Home Attendance
October 19, 1979Los Angeles Kings3-6Hartford Whalers7,626
October 26, 1979New York Islanders2-1Hartford Whalers7,267
November 2, 1979Toronto Maple Leafs3-5Hartford Whalers7,643
November 9, 1979Chicago Black Hawks4-2Hartford Whalers7,618
November 17, 1979Edmonton Oilers0-4Hartford Whalers7,627
November 21, 1979Buffalo Sabres3-5Hartford Whalers7,627
November 24, 1979Quebec Nordiques4-4Hartford Whalers7,627
November 25, 1979Atlanta Flames2-4Hartford Whalers7,627
November 30, 1979Pittsburgh Penguins5-7Hartford Whalers7,627
December 7, 1979New York Rangers7-4Hartford Whalers7,627
December 19, 1979Washington Capitals5-4Hartford Whalers7,100
December 22, 1979Buffalo Sabres4-2Hartford Whalers7,627
December 26, 1979Philadelphia Flyers4-4Hartford Whalers7,627
January 4, 1980Washington Capitals6-3Hartford Whalers7,623
January 6, 1980Detroit Red Wings2-1Hartford Whalers7,627
January 17, 1980Pittsburgh Penguins1-7Hartford Whalers7,627
January 19, 1980Chicago Black Hawks3-5Hartford Whalers7,627
January 21, 1980Winnipeg Jets2-7Hartford Whalers7,627
January 24, 1980Montreal Canadiens7-2Hartford Whalers7,627
January 28, 1980Atlanta Flames1-6Hartford Whalers7,627
January 30, 1980Boston Bruins2-8Hartford Whalers7,627
February 3, 1980New York Islanders3-7Hartford Whalers7,627

International hockey
Date Away Score Home Attendance
December 29, 1995Switzerland3-4United States-
Russia5-2Sweden-

Notable Events

The MassMutual Center has hosted numerous events over the years ranging from professional and college sporting events, concert and comedy tours, ice skating and family shows, commencement ceremonies, and other functions both private and public. On April 6, 1986 the KISS "Asylum" tour concert overloaded the power system and the concert was halted after the first song. The band exited the stage, but returned 30-40 minutes later and resumed the show without incident.

Sports

Concerts

Other Events

Conventions and Conferences
  • Daughters of the Nile 2007 Convention
  • Market America Northeast Convention 2010–2012
  • Brewery Collectibles Club of America CANvention 2012
  • Bay Path University Women's Leadership Conference
  • 64th National Square Dance 2015 Convention
  • Democratic State Convention 2019
  • Red Sox Winter Weekend 2020
  • Bernie Sanders rally the weekend ahead of Massachusetts Democratic Primary 2020  

References
  1. "Ground Broken for Civic Center". The Morning Union. Springfield, Massachusetts. March 18, 1970.
  2. "Airport Expansion Upsets RI". The Boston Globe. September 10, 1972. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  3. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  4. "Images by Catalano, Eduardo of Springfield, Massachusetts, United States". North Carolina State University. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  5. "Don Vitters, AIA". Sasaki Associates. Archived from the original on July 12, 2007. Retrieved July 1, 2007.
  6. Freebairn, William (September 25, 2005). "MassMutual Center Downtown Springfield's Sparkling New Jewel". The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts). p. J01.
  7. Beswick, Michael (December 7, 2013). "For UMass Basketball and Springfield, a Sold-Out Arena and a Very Good Day". The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts). Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  8. Berry, Conor (March 26, 2014). "A Basketball Goodbye: The Armor Is Leaving Springfield for Michigan". The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts). Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  9. "1975 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments". Varsity Pride. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
  10. "1976 ECAC Men's Basketball Tournaments". Varsity Pride. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
Cross Insurance Arena		 Home of the
Springfield Thunderbirds
2016–present		 Succeeded by
current home
Preceded by
none		 Home of the
Springfield Falcons
1994–2016		 Succeeded by
Tucson Convention Center
Preceded by
Anaheim Convention Center		 Home of the
Springfield Armor
2009–2014		 Succeeded by
DeltaPlex Arena
Preceded by
Hartford Civic Center		 Home of the
New England Whalers
1978–1980		 Succeeded by
Hartford Civic Center
Preceded by
Eastern States Coliseum		 Home of the
Springfield Indians
1972–1994		 Succeeded by
Worcester Centrum
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