Matthews Arena

Interior of arena in 2009
Former names	Boston Arena (1909–1982)
Location	238 St. Botolph Street, Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates	42°20′28″N 71°5′4″W / 42.34111°N 71.08444°W / 42.34111; -71.08444
Public transit	Orange Line  at Massachusetts Avenue  Green Line  at Symphony
Owner	Northeastern University
Operator	Northeastern University
Designation	National Register and Boston Landmark eliglible
Capacity	Ice hockey: 4,666 Basketball: 5,066[1]
Surface	200 ft × 90 ft (61 m × 27 m) (hockey)
Construction
Broke ground	October 11, 1909
Opened	April 25, 1910
Tenants
Northeastern Huskies (Hockey East, CAA) (1930–1943, 1946–present) WIT Leopards (ECAC) (1992–present) Harvard Crimson men's ice hockey (independent/IHL/TL/QL/PL) (1911–1917, 1921–1943, 1945–1956) Boston College Eagles men's ice hockey (independent) (1917–1929, 1932–1943, 1945–1958) Boston University Terriers men's ice hockey (independent/ECAC) (1918–1943, 1945–1971) Boston Bruins (NHL) (1924–1928) Boston Tigers/Cubs (CAHL) (1926–1936) Boston Olympics (EAHL/QSHL) (1940–1952) Boston Celtics (NBA) (1946–1955) New England Whalers (WHA) (1972–1973)

Matthews Arena (formerly Boston Arena) is a historic multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts currently owned by Northeastern University. At over 120 years old, is the world's oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, as well as the oldest arena in use for ice hockey.^[2] There are current plans to demolish the historic arena and replace it with a new facility.^[3]

It is the original home of the National Hockey League (NHL) Boston Bruins—the only team of the NHL's Original Six whose original home arena still exists for the sport of ice hockey; the WHA New England Whalers (now the NHL Carolina Hurricanes); and the NBA's Boston Celtics.

Today is used by the Northeastern Huskies men's and women's ice hockey teams, and men's basketball team as well as various high school ice hockey programs in the city of Boston. The venue also hosts Northeastern's graduation ceremonies, its annual Springfest concert, and other events.

Originally named the Boston Arena, groundbreaking took place on October 11, 1909. The 1896 United States skating champion Herbert S. Evans dug the first portion of earth. The arena was to have a capacity of 5,000 and was to be used for ice skating, curling, horse shows, and a variety of sporting events.^[4] The arena had its own power plant, which powered the two 100-ton ice machines and all of the arena's lighting. Charles C. Abbey was the first president and treasurer of the Boston Arena Company and William T. Richardson was the building's first general manager.^[5]

The arena was scheduled to open on Christmas Day 1909, but construction delays pushed back the opening until April 25, 1910.^[4] The arena's inaugural event was an ice carnival to benefit the Sharon Sanatorium. Skating events were held throughout the day, including a performance by Irving Brokaw. The arena's first ice hockey game was won by the Harvard Freshmen hockey team, who defeated Newton High School, 4–0. The Harvard varsity squad played later that evening, losing to Crescent H. C., 1–0.^[6] The Arena's original ice surface was larger than the current standard at 220-by-90-foot (67 m × 27 m).^[7]

The first games of professional ice hockey at the Arena took place in March 1911 when a two-game $2,500 competition between two NHA teams, the Montreal Wanderers and the Ottawa Senators took place.^[8] The Arena was the home ice for a number of amateur and college hockey teams, including the Boston Athletic Association, Boston Arenas, Westminster Hockey Club, Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, and MIT.^[9][10]

The Arena was destroyed by fire on December 18, 1918.^[11] It was rebuilt, and the new facility opened January 1, 1921, with an ice show.^[12]

The NHL's first US-based franchise, the Boston Bruins, made the Boston Arena their home from 1924 to 1928. Before the team began play, the Arena reduced its ice surface from 190 feet to 80 feet to conform to NHL regulations. This also allowed the Arena to add 1,000 seats.^[13] The Bruins played their first-ever NHL regular season game at the Arena on Monday, December 1, 1924.^[14][15][16] with the Bruins' most historic rivalry with the Montreal Canadiens being initiated only one week later.^[17]

In 1925, professional basketball made is debut at the Arena when the Boston Whirlwinds of the American Basketball League played their inaugural home game on November 30, 1925. Unable to meet its financial obligations, the team moved its games first to the Mechanics Hall and then to the Mount Benedict Knights of Columbus Hall in Somerville, Massachusetts.^[13]

In 1927, Homer Loring, chairman of the Boston & Maine Railroad, announced that the construction of a new sports arena at their North Station facility. The Madison Square Garden Corporation signed a 25-year lease for the arena.^[18] The Boston Garden opened in 1928 and replaced the Arena as the city's venue for premier boxing, wrestling, and track events.^[19] The Bruins broke their contract the Arena to move to the Garden, which to a legal battle between the two sides that ended in 1933, when Bruins owner Charles F. Adams agreed to pay the arena $54,000.^[20] Boston Arena general manager George V. Brown was able to keep the venue running with college hockey, figure skating, and professional wrestling cards promoted by Paul Bowser and Price and Dellamano Promotions.^[21][22] The Arena was also home to the American Basketball League's Boston Trojans during their only season.^[13]

The Garden ran their shows at a loss in order to keep events away from the Arena.^[19] In 1934, the smaller Boston Arena Corporation, led by Henry G. Lapham, purchased a controlling interest in the Boston Garden.^[23] In 1936, the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation bought out the remaining stock owned by the Madison Square Garden Corporation.^[24]

On November 5, 1946, the Boston Celtics played their first ever game in front of 4,329 fans at the Boston Arena.^[25]. The team split its home games between the Garden and the Arena until 1955.^[15][26]

In 1952, the Arena served as the first home to the annual Beanpot tournament between Boston's four major college hockey programs.^[27][28] From 1953 to 1970, it hosted the Boston Arena Christmas Tournament.

In April 16, 1953, the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation sold the Boston Arena to Samuel L. Pinsly for $240,000. He planned on doubling the size of the building and converting it into a garment manufacturing facility, as the purchase agreement included a five-year ban on sports or events at building unless it was acquired by a government entity.^[29] Three months later, the building was purchased by the Metropolitan District Commission for $280,000, which planned on using it for high school sports and other athletic events.^[30] Francis Ouimet was named chairman of the MDC's Boston Arena Authority and Clark Hodder was named manager of the Arena.^[31]

The Arena hosted the 1960 NCAA men's ice hockey tournament.^[32] In 1962, Tony Santos began promoting wrestling at the Arena.^[33] The venue was also home to the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1974.^[13]

In 1975, the MDC offered to sell the Arena to the city of Boston for $450,000.^[34] The city leased the building from the MDC pending completion of the purchase. The sale never took place and in 1977, the MDC leased the Arena at no cost to Northeastern University.^[35][36]

The Arena was purchased by Northeastern University on October 3, 1979.^[37] The arena was known as Northeastern Arena until November 14, 1982, when it was renamed Matthews Arena in honor of the university's chairman emeritus George Matthews.^[13]

A 1995 renovation expanded the ice surface from 200 by 80 to 200 by 90 feet (61 m × 24 m to 61 m × 27 m).^[2]

In May 2024, Northeastern University filed a letter of intent to the Boston Planning & Development Agency to construct a new multi-purpose athletics facility designed that would tear down and replace the historic Matthews Arena.^[38]

This came as concerns surrounding the structural integrity of Matthews Arena increased: scaffolding was erected to support the east end of the arena in 2024, part of the student section as well as the Varsity Club (home to the arena's only licensed bar) were closed, and the foundation, built on reclaimed land once part of a wharf, was found to be sinking.^[39]

If the plans are approved by the Boston Planning & Development Agency, it will result in the loss of the oldest hockey arena in the United States, that was the first home of the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, Carolina Hurricanes (then the New England Whalers) and numerous college hockey teams.^[40]

In addition to notable sporting events, the Matthews Arena has also host many notable figures and musical acts.

Matthews Arena has played host to many notable figures and events during its lifetime. Babe Ruth would play hockey scrimmages while off-season in the season. Matthews hosted every president from Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 to John F. Kennedy in 1946. Other dignitaries to hold events at the arena include Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart. Boxing was once a mainstay at the arena and hosted bouts with Jack Sharkey, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Joe Louis and Marvin Hagler. Muhammad Ali trained at what was called Santos Gym, where the Varsity Club now sits, for his second bout with Sonny Liston. Professional wrestling events were also staged there. In the 1950s the arena also hosted the Rodeo led by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

Matthews Arena also proved famous as a concert venue during much of its lifetime. On Saturday evening May 3, 1958 the 'Big Beat' Rock n Roll show hosted by Alan Freed was cut short due to riots inside the Arena and a non-fatal serious stabbing outside. Headlining the bill were Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly & The Crickets. Alan Freed was arrested after police repeatedly had the house-lights turned on to stop teens jiving in the aisles, and Freed issued the now infamous line, "I guess the police don't want you to have fun." Other famous acts to grace the arena were The Doors in a 1970 concert that was later released to the public. Another famous concert was the Phish New Year's Eve concert on December 31, 1992. The show was the highest attended Phish concert to date and was played on WBCN the next day

• Huntington Avenue Grounds, site of the nearby first home of the Boston Red Sox baseball team (playing there 1901–1911), existed on current Northeastern University property
• List of NCAA Division I basketball arenas

• Ross, J. Andrew (2015). Joining the Clubs: The Business of the National Hockey League to 1945. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 9780815633839.

• Official website