Misplaced Pages

#303696

87-834: The Kitchener Memorial Audiorium , or The Aud for short, includes a main ice rink (the Dom Cardillo Arena) with a seating capacity of 7,234 and a total capacity of 7,777, including standing room. It is home to the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League . The original arena was built in 1950 and has been expanded three times since then. The Aud hosted the 2008 Memorial Cup from May 16 to May 25, 2008, with 437 additional permanent seats being added. The Aud previously hosted 1962 Memorial Cup , 1975 Memorial Cup and 1984 Memorial Cup games. Other notable junior ice hockey events include

174-420: A Scottish word meaning 'course', was used as the name of a place where curling was played. As curling is played on ice, the name has been retained for the construction of ice areas for other sports and uses. Early attempts in the construction of artificial ice rinks were first made in the 'rink mania' of 1841–44. The technology for the maintenance of natural ice did not exist, therefore these early rinks used

261-609: A $ 1.5 million overhaul of the landmark theater's heating and cooling system. Asbestos removal and other environmental remediation took place in late 2008 and the expected $ 10 million demolition of the Aud began in January 2009. On February 9, 2009, the "Buffalo Memorial Auditorium" entablature above the main entrance fell and much of the front façade met the same fate soon afterward. The "Farewell Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Ceremony" took place on June 30, 2009, at 1:30 pm when officials opened

348-458: A cold climate, indoors or outdoors, although both types are of frozen water. A more proper technical term is 'mechanically frozen' ice. An example of this type of rink is the outdoor rink at Rockefeller Center in New York . Modern rinks have a specific procedure for preparing the surface. With the pipes cold, a thin layer of water is sprayed on the sand or concrete to seal and level it (or in

435-759: A game attended by NHL President Clarence Campbell that began with a ceremonial faceoff between Sabres captain Floyd Smith and Montreal Canadiens captain Jean Béliveau . The Sabres' Roger Crozier made 53 saves in a 3–0 loss. The arena hosted games three, four, and six of the 1975 Stanley Cup Finals , where the Sabres faced the Philadelphia Flyers . Eventually, the Flyers would win their second consecutive Stanley Cup championship in game six at

522-453: A memorial to the Aud. The salvaged items include art deco flag holders, limestone eagles, a time capsule as well as a number of blue and orange level seats, which were sold at auction. The city also salvaged ten cylindrical stainless steel "ice tanks" that helped maintain chilly conditions at ice level during hockey season and cooled spectators during warmer weather. In 2007, the city moved them to Shea's Performing Arts Center as part of

609-682: A memorial to the Auditorium. A statue of the chain's founder and namesake , who played at the arena during his time with the Buffalo Sabres, occupies the corner of the site facing the restaurant. Before the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League came to Buffalo, college basketball was Memorial Auditorium's most popular sporting event. On December 11, 1940, the Auditorium hosted its first college basketball game when Canisius College played

696-458: A properly built space. This consists of a bed of sand or occasionally a slab of concrete , through (or on top of) which pipes run. The pipes carry a chilled fluid (usually either a salt brine or water with antifreeze , or in the case of smaller rinks, refrigerant ) which can lower the temperature of the slab so that water placed atop will freeze. This method is known as 'artificial ice' to differentiate from ice rinks made by simply freezing water in

783-434: A solid polymer material designed for skating using normal metal-bladed ice skates. High density polyethelene (HDPE) and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) are the only materials that offer reasonable skating characteristics, with UHMW synthetic rinks offering the most ice-like skating but also being the most expensive. A typical synthetic rink will consist of many panels of thin surface material assembled on top of

870-417: A solution of glycerine with ether , nitrogen peroxide and water . The pipes were covered by water and the solution was pumped through, freezing the water into ice . Gamgee discovered the process while attempting to develop a method to freeze meat for import from Australia and New Zealand , and patented it as early as 1870. Gamgee operated the rink on a membership-only basis and attempted to attract

957-423: A sturdy, level and smooth sub-floor (anything from concrete to wood or even dirt or grass) to create a large skating area. Periodically after the ice has been used, it is resurfaced using a machine called an ice resurfacer (sometimes colloquially referred to as a Zamboni – referring to a major manufacturer of such machinery). For curling, the surface is 'pebbled' by allowing loose drops of cold water to fall onto

SECTION 10

#1732792948304

1044-561: A substitute consisting of a mixture of hog's lard and various salts. An item in the May 8, 1844 issue of Eliakim Littell 's Living Age headed "The Glaciarium" reported that "This establishment, which has been removed to Grafton street East' Tottenham Court Road , was opened on Monday afternoon. The area of artificial ice is extremely convenient for such as may be desirous of engaging in the graceful and manly pastime of skating". By 1844, these venues fell out of fashion as customers grew tired of

1131-768: A wealthy clientele, experienced in open-air ice skating during winters in the Alps . He installed an orchestra gallery, which could also be used by spectators, and decorated the walls with views of the Swiss Alps . The rink initially proved a success, and Gamgee opened two further rinks later in the year: at Rusholme in Manchester and the "Floating Glaciarium" at Charing Cross in London, this last significantly larger at 35.1 by 7.6 metres (115 by 25 ft). The Southport Glaciarium opened in 1879, using Gamgee's method. In

1218-419: Is a frozen body of water or an artificial sheet of ice where people can ice skate or play winter sports . Ice rinks are also used for exhibitions, contests and ice shows. The growth and increasing popularity of ice skating during the 1800s marked a rise in the deliberate construction of ice rinks in numerous areas of the world. The word "rink" is a word of Scottish origin meaning "course", used to describe

1305-559: Is coming back to life. The massive new hall will be the mainstay, but city planners also want to improve the section with a boulevard in the old canal bend, waterfront parks and relocation, if not removal, of the New York Central tracks. Visible proof of these good intentions is construction of the new hall, which is being watched daily by hundreds of citizens. Built for $ 2.7 million, Memorial Auditorium's grand opening celebration took place on October 14, 1940. The dedication event

1392-529: Is critical. The popularity of the sport of hockey in Canada has led its icemakers to be particularly sought after. One such team of professionals was responsible for placing a loonie coin under center ice at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah ; as both Canadian teams (men's and women's) won their respective hockey gold medals, the coin was christened "lucky" and is now in the possession of

1479-611: Is located on the campus of Northeastern University . This American rink is the original home of the National Hockey League (NHL) Boston Bruins . The Bruins are the only remaining NHL team who are members of the NHL's Original Six with their original home arena still in existence. The Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval is an outdoor ice rink in Roseville, Minnesota , that is large enough to allow ice skaters to play

1566-440: Is typically played on a tarmac tennis court that has been flooded with water and allowed to freeze. The sports of broomball, curling, ice stock sport, spongee, Moscow broomball, and the game of crokicurl, do not use ice skates of any kind. While technically not an ice rink, ice tracks and trails , such as those used in the sport of speed skating and recreational or pleasure skating are sometimes referred to as "ice rinks". Rink ,

1653-936: The Buffalo Bisons ( NBL ), the Buffalo Braves ( NBA ), the Buffalo Sabres ( NHL ), the Toronto-Buffalo Royals ( WTT ), the Buffalo Stallions ( MSL ), the Buffalo Bandits ( MILL ), the Buffalo Blizzard ( NPSL ) and the Buffalo Stampede ( RHI ). It also hosted events such as college basketball, concerts, professional wrestling and boxing. The venue was closed in 1996 after the construction of

1740-677: The CBC Television Hockey Night in Canada broadcast of the 2008 NHL Winter Classic showed the arena's seating bowl and floor were virtually untouched. Notably, the advertisements on the boards from the final Sabres game in 1996 against the Hartford Whalers and the scoreboard above center ice remained. The door to the Sabres' penalty box was gone, as it had been presented as a memento to notable Sabres enforcer Rob Ray . The city abandoned its plans to repurpose

1827-786: The Four Nations Cup , Homesense Skate Canada International , the Scott Tournament of Hearts , World Junior Figure Skating Championships , WCW Monday Nitro and World Wrestling Entertainment Its also hosted concerts by notable acts such as: Pearl Jam , Backstreet Boys , Bob Dylan , Bryan Adams , Elton John , Genesis , Hilary Duff , INXS , Led Zeppelin , Michael Bublé and The Tragically Hip It has also been used for Toronto Maple Leafs training camps, and NBA exhibition games. Approximate capacities: The Aud features 26 luxury suites and seated full-service restaurant. The current Aud replaced an earlier facility,

SECTION 20

#1732792948304

1914-486: The Hockey Hall of Fame after having been retrieved from beneath the ice. In bandy , the size of the playing field is 90–110 m (300–360 ft) x 45–65 m (148–213 ft). For internationals, the size must not be smaller than 100 m × 60 m (330 ft × 200 ft). The variety rink bandy is played on ice hockey rinks . The size of figure skating rinks can be quite variable, but

2001-511: The International Skating Union prefers Olympic-sized rinks for figure skating competitions, particularly for major events. These are 60 by 30 m (197 by 98 ft). The ISU specifies that competition rinks must not be larger than this and not smaller than 56 by 26 m (184 by 85 ft). Although there is a great deal of variation in the dimensions of actual ice rinks, there are basically two rink sizes in use at

2088-658: The Los Angeles Clippers . The NBA retained a presence at the venue by staging an annual series of preseason exhibitions called the NBA Classic : The basketball events of the World University Games were held at the venue in July 1993. The United States defeated Canada in the gold medal game 95–90 before a crowd of 11,000. The American Hockey League 's Buffalo Bisons played 30 seasons at

2175-669: The NHL All-Star Game on January 24, 1978. Two members of the Sabres' " French Connection " line— Gilbert Perreault and Rick Martin —played for the Wales Conference . Both had a significant impact: Martin scored a goal with 1:39 remaining in regulation to tie the game at 2–2 and force overtime, and Perreault scored the game-winning goal 3:55 into overtime to defeat the Campbell Conference 3–2. The Edmonton Oilers ' Wayne Gretzky made NHL history at

2262-476: The Quebec Nordiques and refusing to sign with the team. The Sabres occupied the Auditorium through the 1995–96 season , when they moved to nearby Marine Midland Arena, now known as KeyBank Center . Michael Peca scored the last in-game goal at the Aud while Pat LaFontaine put in a ceremonial goal after the 4–1 win over the Hartford Whalers . It was the last arena where the ice sheet fell short of

2349-531: The University at Buffalo and Buffalo State College , other teams such as Cornell University took part. Over time, the rivalry among the " Little Three " colleges—Niagara, Canisius, and St. Bonaventure—came to dominate the Auditorium's college basketball schedule. Throughout the 1950s, the three schools were all national powers, and their games at Memorial Auditorium drew strong local and national interest. The National Basketball League 's Buffalo Bisons were

2436-423: The University of Oregon . Interest in college basketball grew after World War II, and the first college basketball sellout crowd occurred in the 1946–1947 season when 11,029 spectators saw Canisius lose to Notre Dame . Ten days later, a record 11,891 watched Canisius defeat Niagara 52–44. While the teams were typically from Western New York, including Canisius, Niagara University , St. Bonaventure University ,

2523-612: The winter in climates where the surface freezes thickly enough to support human weight. Rinks can also be made in cold climates by enclosing a level area of ground, filling it with water, and letting it freeze. Snow may be packed to use as a containment material. An example of this type of "rink", which is a body of water converted into a skating trail during winter, is the Rideau Canal Skateway in Ottawa, Ontario . In any climate, an arena ice surface can be installed in

2610-613: The 'smelly' ice substitute. It wasn't until thirty years later that refrigeration technology developed to the point where natural ice could finally be feasibly used in the rink. The world's first mechanically frozen ice rink was the Glaciarium , opened by John Gamgee , a British veterinarian and inventor, in a tent in a small building just off the Kings Road in Chelsea, London , on 7 January 1876. Gamgee had become fascinated by

2697-533: The 1974 Soviet league and European Cup champions was the worst defeat ever for a professional Soviet hockey club. The thing about that building was that everyone was so close that you could recognize people just by looking up. You don't get that in a lot of places today. The people felt like they were a part of the team and we felt like they were a part of our success. That was the special thing about Memorial Auditorium. I don't think anything like that can ever be replaced. — Lindy Ruff Memorial Auditorium hosted

Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex - Misplaced Pages Continue

2784-406: The 1995 and 2003 CHL Top Prospects Game , the 1980, 1985, 1995 Ontario Hockey League All-star games , and the 1986 World Junior Championships . During the 1986 tournament, Canada defeated West Germany 18-2 at The Aud, setting a record for most goals for, and largest margin of victory by the Canada national junior hockey team at the tournament. The facility has also hosted major events such as:

2871-545: The 77th goal was exciting for me as a NHL player, I think the biggest thrill was watching Gilbert Perreault play. I'd come down to the Aud with my dad or a friend and watch the Sabres play with the French Connection line ... There was a great atmosphere in this building, it was always a hockey atmosphere, and it was always fun to watch the Sabres play. During a game at the Memorial Auditorium between

2958-729: The Aud against the Philadelphia Fever on December 7, 1979. The team played in the venue until 1984. Soccer legend Eusébio notably finished his career playing for the Stallions in their inaugural season. The Aud was home to the Buffalo Blizzard of the National Professional Soccer League from 1992 to 1996. In 1974, the Toronto-Buffalo Royals of World Team Tennis called the Aud home for one season. The Auditorium has hosted numerous notable figure skating events: The first sporting event at

3045-547: The Aud as a Bass Pro Shops store on March 29, 2007, when Bass Pro announced it would construct a new building on the site after the auditorium's demolition. In December 2007, the city sold the Aud to the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation for $ 1 in hopes it would lead to asbestos removal and demolition. All salvageable items were to be removed and sold or stored. The sales of these artifacts, especially of seats, would help pay for

3132-628: The Aud home from 1994 to 1995, winning the league championship in their first season. The Buffalo Bandits of Major Indoor Lacrosse League played in the Aud from the 1992 season until the arena's closure. Winners of the MILL title in 1992, 1993 , and 1996 , the Bandits are now a member of the National Lacrosse League and play at KeyBank Center . Major Soccer League 's Buffalo Stallions attracted 11,028 to their home debut at

3219-534: The Aud on February 24, 1982, when he scored a natural hat trick during the game's final seven minutes to help defeat the Sabres 6–3. Gretzky broke Phil Esposito 's record for goals in a season (76) with the hat trick's first goal, his 77th of the season. In March 2009, Gretzky visited Buffalo as the Phoenix Coyotes ' head coach and recounted his memories of Memorial Auditorium in an interview with Buffalo News hockey reporter Mike Harrington: As much as

3306-429: The Aud's original design included: The Aud's seats were mostly made of white ash, but the gold seats were converted to padded cushion seats. From top to bottom (floor level), the seating colors went orange, blue (originally grey), red and gold. In 1974, the city added five seats, increasing capacity for hockey in the 1974–1975 season to 15,863. After the hockey season, the city removed the walls and aisle that separated

3393-621: The Auditorium's first year attendance was 1.3 million. An $ 8.7 million renovation took place after the 1970–71 inauguration of the Sabres and Braves franchises, making it a more suitable home for the NHL and NBA . The arena's roof was raised 24 feet (7.3 m) to make room for an upper level that increased the arena's capacity from 10,449 for hockey to over 17,000 for basketball and 15,360 for hockey in 1971–72, to 15,668 for hockey in 1972–73, and to 15,858 for hockey in 1973–74. Other changes to

3480-609: The Auditorium. The Swords won the Calder Cup with a 5–1 win over the Nova Scotia Voyageurs in front of 15,019 fans—the largest playoff crowd in AHL history at the time. The Rochester Americans also played several games at the Aud after they became the Sabres' affiliate, including several during their 1987 Calder Cup championship season. The Buffalo Sabres made their Memorial Auditorium debut on October 15, 1970, in

3567-469: The Memorial Auditorium, beginning with the 1940–41 season . The Bisons won five Calder Cup championships, with the last coming in 1970 during the franchise's final game. The team folded in 1970 after the National Hockey League awarded Buffalo an expansion team. On May 15, 1973, the Cincinnati Swords , then the Sabres' AHL affiliate, played the final game of the 1973 Calder Cup Finals at

Kitchener Memorial Auditorium Complex - Misplaced Pages Continue

3654-612: The Queen Street Auditorium, at the corner of Charles St., built for $ 55,000 in 1904. Use of that building ended after a major fire in 1948. In its early days, the natural ice surface of the old Aud supported hockey, with the first game seeing Berlin trounce Brantford 7-3, in front of an audience of 2,000. Artificial ice was installed in 1927 and this was the home of the Waterloo Siskins , a team formed in 1937. The Kraut line also played at this facility. "It

3741-410: The Sabres, Bandits and Blizzard moved to Marine Midland Arena . After 1996, the building remained vacant, although members of Studio Arena Theatre used the floor as a surface for painting backgrounds. During the 2001–02 season , Sabres officials and the city moved items from the Aud's main concourse to the new venue, by then renamed HSBC Arena , including a sign for the "Pour Man's Aud Club" which

3828-853: The United States opened in 1894, the North Avenue Ice Palace in Baltimore, Maryland , and the Ice Palace in New York City . The St. Nicholas Rink , ( a.k.a. "St. Nicholas Arena"), was an indoor ice rink in New York City which existed from 1896 until its demolition in the 1980s. It was one of the earliest American indoor ice rinks made of mechanically frozen ice in North America and gave ice skaters

3915-462: The arena. This was the only Stanley Cup Finals appearance made at the Auditorium. On January 4, 1976, the Sabres played Krylya Sovetov as part of the " Super Series " of exhibitions between the Soviet Union's two best club teams— CSKA Moscow and Krylia Sovietov (named "Red Army" and "Soviet Wings" respectively, during the series) and eight of the NHL's top teams. The Sabres' 12–6 victory over

4002-498: The availability of inexpensive artificial ice. Afterwards, the city was without a large indoor ice surface until the new Aud was built. In 2008, Kitchener Rangers president Steve Bienkowski stated that the Rangers had begun the process of researching the possibility of building a new arena with larger capacity. The Rangers had sold out almost every game for the previous 3 years, and the waiting list for season tickets had been well over

4089-456: The cap of 4,750. Mr. Bienkowski stated the Rangers would like a building with at least 10,000 seats. Bienkowski presented the City of Kitchener council a report on expanding the Aud. The expansion would have included another level of seating as well as an expanded concourse. The expansion proposed to add 3,500 seats to the facility to make total seating capacity around 10,500. The estimated cost

4176-416: The case of concrete, to keep it from being marked). This thin layer is painted white or pale blue for better contrast; markings necessary for hockey or curling are also placed, along with logos or other decorations. Another thin layer of water is sprayed on top of this. The ice is built up to a thickness of 19 to 38 mm ( 3 ⁄ 4 to 1 + 1 ⁄ 2  in). Synthetic rinks are constructed from

4263-439: The city to agree to build a new venue ( Marine Midland Arena ) and keep the Aud functional until the new arena was complete. The 1990 renovation added designated handicap-accessible seating areas (lowering the seating capacity to 16,325 for hockey), new air conditioning and elevators. The money the city borrowed for these improvements was not repaid until 2001, five years after the Aud closed. The Aud closed in 1996, at which time

4350-646: The copper box time capsule. The structure's final pieces came down in early July 2009. In February 2010, Bass Pro Shops announced that it was no longer pursuing a store in Buffalo, leaving the site vacant. After the Bass Pro Shops decision, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation began to convert the site (known as the Aud Block) into an extension of Canalside with the junction of the old Erie Canal and Main-Hamburg Canal re-dug (although shallower than

4437-544: The facility. Centennial Stadium was a football/soccer stadium next to The Aud. The stadium seated 3,200 spectators and was the largest stadium in Kitchener. The stadium was additionally noteworthy for its location with easy highway access from Waterloo, Guelph, and Cambridge and its track and field facilities. In the spring of 2011, the grandstand at Centennial Stadium was deemed unsafe and ultimately condemned. On June 12, 2012, Kitchener City Council voted 6-4 to demolish

SECTION 50

#1732792948304

4524-609: The first professional basketball franchise to call Memorial Auditorium home. The team featured center Don Otten and coach Nat Hickey , but on December 27, 1946—only 13 games into their inaugural season—owner Ben Kerner moved them to Moline, Illinois . After the 1949 merger of the National Basketball League and the Basketball Association of America and stops in Milwaukee and St. Louis ,

4611-560: The game is played), causing the water body to freeze and then stay frozen. There are also synthetic ice rinks where skating surfaces are made out of plastics. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include: ice hockey, sledge hockey ( a.k.a. "Para ice hockey", or "sled hockey"), spongee ( a.k.a. sponge hockey), bandy , rink bandy , rinkball , ringette , broomball (both indoor and outdoor versions), Moscow broomball , speed skating , figure skating , ice stock sport , curling, and crokicurl . However, Moscow broomball

4698-643: The grandstand, it has since been torn down. Jacob Hespeler Secondary school has recently added an artificial turf field as well as an improved track surface, in order to fill the gap that was left after Centennial was demolished. Jack Couch Park is a 1,400-seat baseball park in Kitchener, Ontario that hosts the Kitchener Panthers of the Intercounty Baseball League . Ice rink An ice rink (or ice skating rink )

4785-638: The highest levels of ice hockey . Historically, earlier ice rinks were smaller than today. Official National Hockey League rinks are 26 m × 61 m (85 ft × 200 ft). The dimensions originate from the size of the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal, Quebec , Canada. Official Olympic and International ice hockey rinks have dimensions of 30 m × 60 m (98.4 ft × 197 ft). Sledge hockey ( a.k.a. "Para ice hockey", or "sled hockey"), uses

4872-571: The ice and freeze into rounded peaks. Between events, especially if the arena is being used without need for the ice surface, it is either covered with a heavily insulated floor or melted by allowing the fluid in the pipes below the ice to warm. A highly specialized form of rink is used for speed skating ; this is a large oval (or ring ) much like an athletic track. Because of their limited use, speed skating ovals are far less common than hockey or curling rinks. Those skilled at preparing arena ice are often in demand for major events where ice quality

4959-401: The ice surface used in the sport of curling , but was kept in use once the winter team sport of ice hockey became established. There are two types of ice rinks in prevalent use today: natural ice rinks , where freezing occurs from cold ambient temperatures, and artificial ice rinks (or mechanically frozen), where a coolant produces cold temperatures underneath the water body(on which

5046-502: The lanes surround the exterior of an ice rink. The sport requires the use of a special type of racing skate, the speed skating ice skate . Buffalo Memorial Auditorium Buffalo Memorial Auditorium , colloquially known as The Aud , was a multipurpose indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York . Opened on October 14, 1940, it was home to the Canisius Golden Griffins ( NCAA ), the Buffalo Bisons ( AHL ),

5133-517: The largest artificial outdoor refrigerated sheet of ice in North America. It is a world-class facility that is primarily used for ice sports such as ice skating, ice hockey, speed skating, and bandy. The oval hosts several national and international competitions throughout the year, including the USA Cup in bandy. The first building in Canada to be electrified was the Victoria Skating Rink which opened in 1862 in Montreal , Quebec, Canada. The rink

5220-510: The league-mandated 200 feet (61 m) by 85 feet (26 m) size (though Maple Leaf Gardens had irregularly shaped corners). College hockey made its modern debut at Memorial Auditorium on January 23, 1972, when the University at Buffalo Bulls met the Central Collegiate Hockey Association 's Ohio State University . Ohio State won the game 5–2. Roller Hockey International 's Buffalo Stampede called

5307-630: The marshlands of The Fens , skating was developed early as a pastime during winter where there were plenty of natural ice surfaces. This is the origin of the Fen skating and is said to be the birthplace of bandy . The Great Britain Bandy Association has its home in the area. In Germany, the first ice skating rink opened in 1882 in Frankfurt during a patent exhibition. It covered 520 m (5,600 sq ft) and operated for two months;

SECTION 60

#1732792948304

5394-401: The measurements of an ice hockey rink , though may be slightly larger due to the sport having originated in Europe where the bandy field influenced the size and development of smaller ice rinks. Tracks and trails are occasionally referred to as ice rinks in spite of their differences. Ice skating tracks and ice skating trails are used for recreational exercise and sporting activities during

5481-438: The only winter activities or sports whereby ice skaters use tracks and lanes designed to include bends rather than using a simple straightway. Some ice rinks are constructed in a manner allowing for a speed skating rink to be created around its outside perimeter. Speed skating tracks or "rinks" can either be created naturally or artificially and are made either outdoors or inside indoor facilities. Tracks may be created by having

5568-438: The opportunity to enjoy an extended skating season. The rink was used for pleasure skating, ice hockey , and ice skating , and was an important rink involved in the development of the sports of ice hockey and boxing in the United States . The oldest indoor artificial ice rink still in use in the United States is Boston, Massachusetts 's, Matthews Arena (formerly Boston Arena) which was built between 1909 and 1910. The rink

5655-401: The original canals) and new bridges. The canals that opened in 2014 are frozen for skating and other winter activities by an underground refrigerant plant housed in a rebuilt sub-basement that was part of Memorial Auditorium. In addition, a marker on the canal ice denotes center ice's former location. Across Main Street at LECOM Harborcenter is the one-of-a-kind Tim Hortons restaurant with

5742-436: The refrigeration system was designed by Jahre Linde, and was probably the first skating rink where ammonia was used as a refrigerant. Ten years later, a larger rink was permanently installed on the same site. Ice skating quickly became a favorite pastime and craze in several American cities around the mid 1800s spawning a construction period of several ice rinks. Two early indoor ice rinks made of mechanically frozen ice in

5829-409: The refrigeration technology he encountered during a study trip to America to look at Texas fever in cattle. In March of that same year it moved to a permanent venue at 379 Kings Road, where a rink measuring 12.2 by 7.3 metres (40 by 24 ft) was established. The rink was based on a concrete surface, with layers of earth, cow hair and timber planks. Atop these were laid oval copper pipes carrying

5916-443: The rink dimensions defined by a standard Canadian ice hockey rink . The sport of spongee , a.k.a. "sponge hockey", does not use ice skates. A skateless outdoor winter variant of ice hockey, spongee has its own rules codes and is played strictly within the Canadian city of Winnipeg as a cult sport. The sport generally uses the rink dimensions defined by a standard Canadian ice hockey rink . Rinkball rinks today typically use

6003-439: The roof on the building, a process which had been done before with the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium in the early 1970s. Bienkowski and the city came to an agreement involving the Aud being expanded by 1,000 seats with a concourse on the third level. The expected cost for this expansion was roughly $ 9 million, with the Kitchener Rangers Hockey Club paying for it, via a loan from the City of Kitchener. Work began in February 2012 and

6090-790: The same rink dimensions used by ice hockey rinks . Ringette utilizes most of the standard ice hockey markings used by Hockey Canada , but the ringette rink uses additional free-pass dots in each of the attacking zones and centre zone areas as well as a larger goal crease area. Two additional free-play lines (one in each attacking zone) are also required. A ringette rink is an ice rink designed for ice hockey which has been modified to enable ringette to be played. Though some ice surfaces are designed strictly for ringette, these ice rinks with exclusive lines and markings for ringette are usually created only at venues hosting major ringette competitions and events . Most ringette rinks are found in Canada and Finland . Playing area, size, lines and markings for

6177-519: The sport of bandy . Its perimeter is used as an oval speed skating track. The facility was constructed between June and December 1993. It is the only regulation-sized bandy field in North America and serves as the home of USA Bandy and its national bandy teams. The $ 3.9 million renovation project planned for the Guidant John Rose Minnesota Oval was set to be completed before the opening of the rink's 29th season on November 18, 2022. The oval measures at 400 meters long and 200 meters wide, which makes it

6264-405: The standard Canadian ringette rink are similar to the average ice hockey rink in Canada with certain modifications. Early in its history, ringette was played mostly on rinks constructed for ice hockey, broomball , figure skating , and recreational skating, and was mostly played on outdoor rinks since few indoor ice rinks were available at the time. The organized format of broomball uses

6351-584: The structure. The approval of the $ 1.2 million grant was announced in Washington, D.C., on October 7, 1938. Construction at the junction of the Erie Canal and Main-Hamburg Canal began on November 30, 1939. The Auditorium's construction brought a great deal of activity to downtown Buffalo. On December 31, 1939, Buffalo Evening News reporter Nat Gorham wrote: As if overnight the Terrace once more

6438-532: The team became the Atlanta Hawks . Professional basketball returned to the Aud in 1970 with the National Basketball Association 's Buffalo Braves . The Braves were a modest success but often found the competing interests of the Sabres and the Little Three college teams made it difficult to schedule home games. The Braves moved to San Diego in 1978 and then to Los Angeles in 1984, where they are now

6525-488: The upper gold and red seating sections. The 570 gold seats the city installed in the vacant space raised the arena's capacity to 16,433 for hockey and over 18,000 for basketball. In the late 1980s, the Buffalo Common Council and mayor James D. Griffin scaled back plans to renovate the Aud after the Sabres' owners made it clear the franchise's long-term viability depended upon a new arena. A compromise led

6612-409: The venue in 1948. Don George would later sell the promotion to his matchmaker, Ignacio "Pedro" Martinez, in 1955. Ilio DiPaolo , the son-in-law of Martinez, was the promotion's biggest star. WGR-TV broadcast Upstate Athletic Club's cards from the venue in 1956 as Wrestling from War Memorial Auditorium . Martinez would continue booking shows at The Aud until 1968, when he ran into financial trouble and

6699-486: The venue now known as KeyBank Center , and remained vacant until being demolished in 2009. The Buffalo Memorial Auditorium was a public works project designed by Green & James to replace the aging Broadway Auditorium and Fort Erie 's recently collapsed Peace Bridge Arena . In June 1938, city officials sent a loan and grant application to the Public Works Administration for funds to build

6786-423: The venue was a Great Lakes Athletic Club professional wrestling card on October 18, 1940, that was headlined by Ed Don George defeating Joe Savoldi . Great Lakes Athletic Club owner Jack Herman continued booking shows at the venue before selling the promotion in 1947 to Ed Don George, who changed the promotion's name to Upstate Athletic Club. WBEN-TV would regularly broadcast Upstate Athletic Club's cards from

6873-499: The visiting St. Louis Blues and Clint Malarchuk's Buffalo Sabres on March 22, 1989, Steve Tuttle of the Blues and Uwe Krupp of the Sabres crashed hard into the goal crease during play. As they collided, Tuttle's skate blade hit the right front side of Malarchuk's neck, severing his carotid artery and partially cutting his jugular vein.[2] The venue hosted the 1991 NHL Entry Draft , notable for Eric Lindros being selected first overall by

6960-511: The winter season including distance ice skating. Ice trails are created by natural bodies of water such as rivers, which freeze during winter, though some trails are created by removing snow to create skating lanes on large frozen lakes for ice skaters. Ice trails are usually used for pleasure skating, though the sport and recreational activity of Tour skating can involve ice skaters passing over ice trails and open areas created by frozen lakes. To date, speed skating and ice cross downhill are

7047-411: Was $ 44 million. This expansion option was the favoured route for the team, as it was estimated that a new arena with a larger seating capacity (about 10,000) would cost $ 150 million. City council made it clear they would not finance such a large project unless private companies were adding money to it but had been very favourable at the idea of expanding the city-owned building. The plan includes raising

7134-656: Was a luncheon attended by 3,000 people, including the mayors of more than 60 local communities. The building was dedicated as a war memorial to those who had perished in World War I . The arena originally seated 12,280 for ice hockey , with an additional 2,000-3,000 seats in the floor area for basketball and other events. Memorial Auditorium's first event—a rally for Republican presidential candidate Wendell Willkie —took place on October 14, 1940. In its first seven months, events such as auto shows, roller skating, circuses and dog shows drew nearly one million spectators. All told,

7221-494: Was completed by the end of that year. Upon completion the seating capacity is 7,234, including about 920 new seats in the regular seating area and 80 new seats in new suites, with a standing room capacity of 7,777. As of January 2020, talks are underway by the City of Kitchener to move the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium to a new location as the building nears a time where more renovations are required to

7308-435: Was created using natural ice . At the start of the twentieth century it had been described as "one of the finest covered rinks in the world" and was used during winter for pleasure skating, ice hockey, and skating sports. In summer months, the building was used for various other events. Many ice rinks consist of, or are found on, open bodies of water such as lakes, ponds, canals, and sometimes rivers; these can be used only in

7395-506: Was forced to promote outside the area. He returned in 1970 with his National Wrestling Federation , but the promotion folded in 1974. Jim Crockett Promotions debuted at the venue on July 19, 1980, with a show headlined by Ric Flair and Sweet Ebony Diamond defeating Greg Valentine and The Iron Sheik . The Honky Tonk Man defeated Ricky Steamboat to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship during

7482-468: Was home to me and it was a palace, as far as I was concerned," Milt Schmidt recalled in 2016. By the time of the Second World War however, when most young men were overseas, so the building was used primarily as a Big band era dance hall. Another factor in this change was that Silverwood Dairies, which had provided the refrigeration for the ice surface, moved to another location in 1938, ending

7569-501: Was reincarnated at the new venue. In 2003, the Sabres filmed a 30-minute infomercial inside the Aud to promote season ticket sales. While the production showed the arena was intact, it was without utilities and the crew had to supply all light and electrical sources. The Aud continued to deteriorate after the 2003 production visit. Water pipes ruptured, moisture began to take its toll and the city's lax monitoring led to graffiti, vandalism and theft of many artifacts. A segment aired during

#303696