Rogers Arena is a multi-purpose arena at 800 Griffiths Way in the downtown area of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Opened in 1995, the arena was known as General Motors Place (GM Place) from its opening until July 6, 2010, when General Motors Canada ended its naming rights sponsorship and a new agreement for those rights was reached with Rogers Communications. Rogers Arena was built to replace Pacific Coliseum as Vancouver’s primary indoor sports facility and in part due to the National Basketball Association (NBA) 1995 expansion into Canada, when Vancouver and Toronto were given expansion teams.
It is home to the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League (NHL), and the Vancouver Warriors of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The arena also hosted the ice hockey events at the 2010 Winter Olympics. The name of the arena temporarily became Canada Hockey Place during the Olympics. It was previously home to the Vancouver Grizzlies of the NBA from 1995 to 2001. The Grizzlies spent six seasons in Vancouver before relocating to Memphis for the 2001–02 season.
Rogers Arena interior in January 2012
Prior to the start of the 2022/23 NHL season the arena underwent one of three phases. Phase one consisted of a complete renovation of the players dressing room and team staff area. Phase two being completed prior to the start of the 2023/24 NHL season[needs update] will consist of a new centre-hung video board and a new ribbon board going around the arena above the lower bowl. A new VIP restaurant is being added in between the two tunnels that lead out to the home and away team benches. Prior to the start of the 2024/25 season the third and final phase of the arena upgrades will be completed which will replace all the seats in the upper and lower bowl of the arena.
History
GM Place
The arena was completed in 1995 at a cost of C$160 million in private financing to replace the aging Pacific Coliseum as the main venue for events in Vancouver and to serve as the home arena to the Vancouver Canucks of the National Hockey League and the Vancouver Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association.[6] It was originally named General Motors Place as part of a sponsorship arrangement with General Motors Canada, and was commonly known as “GM Place” or “The Garage”.[7] The arena was also briefly home to the Vancouver Ravens of the National Lacrosse League from 2002 to 2004.[8] The operations of the team have since been suspended although attempts were made to revive the team in 2007 and again in 2008.
The employees of the arena belong to a trade union. In 2007, they chose to change their union affiliation from UNITE HERE – Local 40 to the Christian Labour Association of Canada. After many months of struggle, the British Columbia Labour Relations Board declared the employees choice of a new union. The employee group includes hosts, housekeeping, security and various event staff at the venue.[citation needed] UNITE-HERE local 40 still represented food service workers in the arena, employed by Aramark. Another union protest began in 2009 when GM Place concession workers, cooks and event staff protested their payment.[9] The arena’s event technical employees are provided through Riggit Services Inc. In the same year, the arena also received a new suspended scoreboard, which at the time was the largest in the NHL.[10][11]
In February 2010, the arena was used for the ice hockey tournaments at the 2010 Winter Olympics. Canada won both gold medals.[12] The arena was temporarily renamed “Canada Hockey Place” during the Olympics due to regulations regarding corporate sponsorship of event sites
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Saying "did you know" is a bit annoying.
Love these Did You Know videos!