Honda Center

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name=Honda Center
nickname="The Pond"


location=2695 E. Katella Avenue Anaheim, California 92806
broke_ground=June 1991
opened=June 19 1993
owner=City of Anaheim
operator=Anaheim Arena Management, LLC
(a Anaheim Ducks subsidiary)
construction_cost=$123 million
architect=HOK Sport
former_names=Anaheim Arena (1993)
Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (1993-2006)
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)
seating_capacity=Basketball: 17,600
Hockey: 17,174
Concert: 18,325
Theatre: 8,400

Honda Center, previously known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim and colloquially called the 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. [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=OC&p_theme=oc&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB04406C245AEED&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s] Honda later acquired the naming rights to the arena for $60 million over 15 years which changed its name in October 2006.

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, 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 hosted 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 also hosted the Big West Conference men's basketball tournament in 2008. On December 6th, 2000 music legend Tina Turner played her last concert at the arena for record breaking Twenty Four Seven Tour but after popular demand Tina will be coming back to the arena on October 14th, 2008 for her "".

Honda Center lies northeast across State Route 57 from Angel Stadium (where Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim play) and roughly 3 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 "".
*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.
*Jonas Brothers filmed their upcoming 3-D concert movie here.

External links

* [http://www.hondacenter.com/ Honda Center official website]
* [http://www.honda.com/ Honda, Inc. official website]
* [http://www.hoksve.com/ HOK Sport]
* [http://www.lasports.org/lafacilities/display.php?s=Arena&id=6 Los Angeles Sports Council]

succession box
title = Home of the Anaheim Ducks
years = 1993–present
before = first arena
after = currentsuccession box
title = Host of WrestleMania XII
years = 1996
before = Hartford Civic Center
after = Rosemont Horizonsuccession box
title = Host of WrestleMania 2000 (XVI)
years = 2000
before = First Union Center
after = Reliant Astrodome