KeyBank Center

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Updated On :08 Apr, 2021

Full Name
KeyBank Center

Capacity
Ice Hockey: 19,070Concerts: 18,500Basketball: 19,200Wrestling: 16,597

Type
Indoor

Location
United States of America

The KeyBank Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena, situated in downtown Buffalo, New York. The arena is owned by Erie County, operated by Hockey Western New York, LLC. The construction work to build the Center in an area of 700,000 square feet commenced on 4th November 1994 and took two years to complete with an estimated amount of $127.5 million (of that time). The chief architecture firms that built the stadium are Ellerbe Becket (now known as AECOM), Bergmann Associates PC and Hamilton Houston Lownie Architects. The general contractor was Huber, Hunt & Nichols. It was finally opened to the spectators on 21st September 1996. The KeyBank Center has been the home of the Buffalo Sabres (NHL) and the Buffalo Bandits (NLL) since 1996.

Trivia

The name of the stadium has been changed various times due to naming right deals. It was named Marine Midland Arena (from 1996 to 2000), HSBC Arena (from 2000 to 2011), and First Niagara Center (from 2011 to 2016).

Significance

The arena was chosen as the venue to host the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2000, 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2014.
It hosted the men's basketball tournament of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2005.
Country music legend Garth Brooks performed in 6 sold out shows held here in March 2015 that drew 100,000 fans to the venue.
KeyBank Center hosted its first Ontario Hockey League contest in October 2014.
The NHL Entry Draft (the annual meeting of NHL franchise) was also held here in the year 1998 and 2016.