Honda Center

Honda Center

"The Pond"
File:Hondcentlogo.gif
Former names	Anaheim Arena (1993) Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (1993-2006)
Location	2685 E. Katella Avenue Anaheim, California 92806
Owner	City of Anaheim
Operator	Anaheim Arena Management, LLC (a Anaheim Ducks subsidiary)
Capacity	Basketball: 17,600 Hockey: 17,174 Concert: 18,325 Theatre: 8,400
Construction
Broke ground	June 1991
Opened	June 19 1993
Construction cost	$123 million
Architect	HOK Sport
Tenants
Anaheim Ducks (NHL) (1993-present) Los Angeles Clippers (NBA) (occasional games 1994-1999) Anaheim Bullfrogs (RHI) (1993-1997) Anaheim Splash (CISL) (1994-1997) Anaheim Piranhas (AFL) (1996-1997) Anaheim Storm (NLL) (2004-2005)

Honda Center, previously known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim and sometimes colloquially called the Honda Ponda, The Ponda Center or simply The Pond, is an indoor arena in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the NHL's Anaheim Ducks and was home of the former NLL's Anaheim Storm, which folded in 2005. Originally named the Anaheim Arena, it was completed in 1993 at a cost of $123 million. Arrowhead Water paid $15 million for the naming rights over 10 years in October 1993. [1] Honda later acquired the naming rights to the arena for $60 million over 15 years which changed its name in October 2006.

Panorama of Honda Center's interiors before a playoff hockey game.

The arena opened on June 19, 1993 with a Barry Manilow concert as its first event. Since then, it has been host to a number of events, such as the Stanley Cup Finals in 2003 and 2007. On June 6, 2007, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Ottawa Senators, 6–2, in Game 5 of the Finals at Honda Center to clinch the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup championship.

Various WWE major events have been held here, such as WrestleMania XII, WrestleMania 2000 (XVI), and the Royal Rumble in 1999. UFC 59, UFC 63, and UFC 76 have been at Honda Center as well. It hosted the 2005 IBF World Championships for badminton in 2005. It has also hosted concerts, such as Nine Inch Nails, Aerosmith, Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, Coldplay, U2, Shakira, Metallica, Madonna, Phil Collins, Queen + Paul Rodgers, Britney Spears, Barbra Streisand, Shania Twain, Destiny's Child, Beyonce, NSYNC, Tina Turner (which played her last ever Concert in this Arena to date), Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Circa Survive, Janet Jackson, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, and many more. From 1994 to 1998, it served as a second home for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. It was the home arena for the Anaheim Bullfrogs of Roller Hockey International from 1993 to 1999 and for the Anaheim Piranhas of the Arena Football League from 1996 to 1997. Since 1994, the arena has hosted the annual John R. Wooden Classic. The arena has also hosted the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament three times as the West Regional site - 1998, 2001, and 2003. It will host the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional site in 2008. It even hosted the Frozen Four in 1999, underscoring the popularity of hockey in the region. It will host the Big West Conference men's basketball tournament in 2008.

A panorama of Honda Center's exterior

Honda Center lies northeast across State Route 57 from Angel Stadium (where Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim play) and roughly 5 miles from Disneyland. It is also walkable from Amtrak and Metrolink's Anaheim station, which is located on Angel Stadium's parking lot.

The arena seats up 17,174 for its primary tenant, the Ducks. There are 84 luxury suites in the building, which has hosted 17.5 million people as of 2003.

Broadcom chairman and billionaire Henry Samueli owns the company that operates the arena, Anaheim Arena Management, LLC, and the arena's primary tenant, the Ducks, giving him great flexibility in scheduling events and recruiting new tenants. Samueli hopes to bring an NBA franchise to the arena.

Notes

• Honda Center was used as the site of the fictional Junior Goodwill Games in the film D2: The Mighty Ducks.
• It takes only five hours to convert Honda Center from a sporting arena to an 8,400-seat amphitheater.
• Rock band No Doubt, natives of Anaheim, recorded their two 1997 concert stops at Honda Center, releasing them as their first concert video, Live in the Tragic Kingdom.
• When No Doubt's lead singer, Gwen Stefani embarked on a solo venture, she filmed her two homecoming concerts at Honda Center in 2005. The DVD was released as Harajuku Lovers Live.
• Mariah Carey's latest DVD release entitled The Adventures of Mimi was recorded here from her 2006 Worldwide The Adventures of Mimi Tour.

External links

• Honda Center official website
• Honda, Inc. official website
• HOK Sport
• Los Angeles Sports Council

33°48′28.37″N 117°52′35.60″W