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Former names | Glens Falls Civic Center (1979–2017) |
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Location | 1 Civic Center Plaza Glens Falls, NY 12801 |
Coordinates | 43°18′29″N73°38′30″W / 43.308169°N 73.641782°W |
Owner | City of Glens Falls |
Operator | Adirondack Civic Center Coalition |
Capacity | 4,794 permanent seats plus capacity for 1,000 seated or standing on floor and 1,000 along promenade for standing room only [1] |
Surface | Multi-surface |
Construction | |
Broke ground | August 15, 1977 [2] |
Opened | May 18, 1979 [2] |
Construction cost | $3 million [2] ($12.6 million in 2023 dollars [3] ) |
Architect | Crandell Associates [4] |
General contractor | Lino Associates [2] |
Tenants | |
Adirondack Thunder (ECHL) (2015–present) Adirondack Flames (AHL) (2014–2015) Adirondack Phantoms (AHL) (2009–2014) Adirondack Icehawks/Frostbite (UHL) (1999–2006) Adirondack Red Wings (AHL) (1979–1999) NYSPHSAA Boys Basketball Championships (1981-present) NYSPHSAA Federation Tournament of Champions (1981-2010, 2017-2019) Adirondack Wildcats (USBL) (2002–2004) Empire State Cobras (RHI) (1996) Adirondack Jr. Thunder (EHLP) (2022–present) |
The Cool Insuring Arena (originally called Glens Falls Civic Center) is a 4,794-seat multi-purpose arena located in downtown Glens Falls, New York, that is the home of the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. Built in 1979, it was originally the home of the Adirondack Red Wings, AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.
In preparation for the incoming Adirondack Red Wings, the Glens Falls Civic Center was completed in 1979. The building was constructed on a vacant lot just south of the city's center as part of the city's "Urban Renewal Era". [5]
The Red Wings played in the Civic Center for 20 seasons in the AHL. During their time, they won 4 Calder Cup championships, and saw dozens of players move up to the NHL. In 1999, the parent club in Detroit pulled the team out of the arena, citing declining attendance as the reason for the sudden departure. [6]
The Adirondack IceHawks were the next tenants of the building, after moving operations from Winston-Salem to Glens Falls. [7] In 2004, the team was bought by ESPN's Steve Levy and Barry Melrose and rebranded as the Frostbite, who played through the 2005-06 season. [8] The arena then sat without a hockey team for nearly 3 years.
For the 2007–08 AHL season and 2008–09 AHL season, the nearby Albany River Rats played four home games in Glens Falls in order to gauge the community's interest in whether an American Hockey League franchise could relocate to Glens Falls. City government officials and arena management were looking into the possibility of acquiring a franchise to play in the Civic Center.
On February 12, 2009, the Center was announced to be a potential temporary home to the Philadelphia Phantoms AHL team, who would leave Philadelphia following the 2009 season due to the demolition of the Wachovia Spectrum. [9] That team, the Adirondack Phantoms, would play for five seasons at the Center before moving to the PPL Center in 2014, becoming the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. However, AHL hockey stayed in Glens Falls for at least the 2014–15 season, as the former Abbotsford Heat announced they would be moving to the Center, adopting the new Adirondack Flames moniker. [10]
However, the Flames' first season would also be their last in Glens Falls, as the team moved to Stockton, California after the 2014–15 season to become the Stockton Heat. [11] Glens Falls would not be without pro hockey, however, as the ECHL's Stockton Thunder moved to Glens Falls for the 2015–16 season to become the Adirondack Thunder. [12]
On January 21, 2022, the Eastern Hockey League (2013–) announced the Adirondack Jr. Thunder will play their inaugural season in the Eastern Hockey League Premier, the organization's development league. They announced their home games would be played at the Cool Insuring Arena, and Adirondack Red Wings all-time points and games-played leader Glenn Merkosky will be the team's first head coach. [13]
The Grateful Dead played the first concert at the Glens Falls Civic Center on May 8, 1980. [14]
On June 21, 1989, The Who kicked off their 25th Anniversary Tour at the Civic Center. It was the first time in seven years they were on tour. It also marked their first performance without drummer Kenney Jones, who replaced Keith Moon in 1979; he was replaced by Simon Phillips for that tour.
Iron Maiden played here for the first time in 1982.
19-year-old Mike Tyson defeated James Tillis, for his 20th straight professional career win, at the Civic Center on May 5, 1986. Tyson won via unanimous decision in the 10-round fight. Two months later, on July 26, 1986, Tyson fought and defeated Marvis Frazier in 30 seconds via KO for his 25th straight win in his professional career.
On October 31, 1994, it became the site of the first of ten "Halloween costumes" by jam band Phish. That evening, in the middle of a three set concert, Phish performed The Beatles' White Album in its entirety. The show was recorded and later released as a live album, entitled Live Phish Volume 13 .[ citation needed ] Phish returned to the Civic Center on October 23, 2013, playing "Back in the USSR" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from the White Album.
The Glens Falls Civic Center has been the host of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Basketball Championships through 2014. [15] The Federation tournament was previously held at the Glens Falls Civic Center up until 2011, when it was moved to the Times Union Center in Albany, New York. [16] The Federation tournament has now returned to Glens Falls, but the NYSPHSAA tournament has moved to Binghamton. [17]
Another notable event at the Civic Center came on December 8, 2010, when it hosted a basketball game between BYU and Vermont billed as the "Hometown Classic". The game served as a homecoming for BYU star Jimmer Fredette, who had led Glens Falls High School to the New York state Class A championship game, held at this facility, in 2007. [18] A beyond-capacity crowd of 6,300, which also included former BYU great and current Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, saw Fredette's Cougars win 86–58. [18] [19]
On April 14, 2008, the building became one of the management properties of Global Spectrum for the city of Glens Falls, New York. [20]
A public auction of the Glens Falls Civic Center had been scheduled for August 18, 2014; [21] however, no bidders showed to make an offer. A local coalition continues to attempt to raise money to purchase the arena. [22] The yearly operating losses near $1 million (US), and the city-owned arena does not currently have enough council votes in Warren County, New York to impose a 1% tax increase to subsidize the arena. [23]
The Adirondack Civic Center Coalition placed one of two bids in a private auction on September 12, 2014. [24] On October 21, 2014, the Glens Falls Common Council voted unanimously to sell the arena to the then-named "Coalition to Save Our Civic Center". [25] Jack Walter, a local design and planning consultant, was named building manager on March 20, 2015. Walter would lead a new management team to replace Global Spectrum. [26] That summer, Jeff Mead was announced as Walter's replacement on July 20, 2015. [27]
On July 11, 2017, the Cool Insuring Agency purchased the naming rights to the arena on a five-year deal. [28]
On March 19, 2019, it was announced that the Cool Insuring Agency extended their contract, keeping the building's naming rights through 2024. [29]
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States and is the central city of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,830 at the 2020 census. The name was given by Colonel Johannes Glen, the falls referring to a large waterfall in the Hudson River at the southern end of the city.
The Albany River Rats were a minor league professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.
The United Hockey League (UHL), originally known as the Colonial Hockey League from 1991 to 1997 and last known as the International Hockey League from 2007 to 2010, was a low-level minor professional ice hockey league, with teams in the United States and Canada. The league was headquartered in Rochester, Michigan, and, in its last year, consisted of seven teams. It folded in 2010, with most of its teams joining the Central Hockey League. The Central Hockey League teams still operating in 2014 were then added to ECHL. The only former CoHL/UHL/IHL teams still active as of 2024 are the Fort Wayne Komets and Kalamazoo Wings.
The Adirondack Frostbite were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Glens Falls, New York, and were a member of the United Hockey League (UHL). They played their home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center.
The Stockton Thunder were a minor league professional ice hockey team that was based in Stockton, California, and a member of the ECHL. The Stockton Arena was their home ice, with a capacity of 9,737. The team was an affiliate team of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League in their final two seasons. The team was purchased by the Calgary Flames and relocated to Glens Falls, New York, as the Flames relocated their American Hockey League team to Stockton to become the Stockton Heat.
The Adirondack Red Wings were a minor professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They played in Glens Falls, New York, United States at the Glens Falls Civic Center. The team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League.
Shawn Weller is an American professional ice hockey forward who most recently played for the Adirondack Thunder of the ECHL. He attended Clarkson University and graduated from South Glens Falls. Weller was drafted in the third round, 77th overall by the Ottawa Senators in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft
The Abbotsford Heat were a professional ice hockey team that played five seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) between 2009 and 2014. The team was based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, and played its home games at the 7,046-seat Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre. The franchise was the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Calgary Flames and arrived in Abbotsford in 2009 as a relocated franchise formerly known as the Quad City Flames. The team played five seasons in British Columbia before the Flames' lease agreement with the City of Abbotsford was terminated following the 2013–14 season.
The Adirondack Phantoms were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL), who began play in the 2009–10 AHL season. The Phantoms were based in Glens Falls, New York, playing home games at the Glens Falls Civic Center and were the AHL affiliate of the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers. The franchise moved to Glens Falls from Philadelphia, where they were known as the Philadelphia Phantoms from 1996 to 2009 in the Flyers' former arena, the Spectrum.
James Taft "Jimmer" Fredette is an American basketball player. Fredette was the 2011 National Player of the Year in college basketball after ranking as the leading scorer in all of NCAA Division I during his senior season for the BYU Cougars. He was subsequently selected with the 10th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft.
Cail MacLean is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and is an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League.
Sports in New York's Capital District are very popular, and there is a rich history of professional teams and college athletics.
The 2014–15 AHL season was the 79th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began in October 2014 and ended in April 2015. The 2015 Calder Cup playoffs followed the conclusion of the regular season.
The Adirondack Flames were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL). The team was based in Glens Falls, New York, and played at the 4,794 seat Glens Falls Civic Center. They were the top affiliate of the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League (NHL), and made their debut in the 2014–15 AHL season after relocating from Abbotsford, British Columbia, where the team was known as the Heat. Former Portland Pirates managing owner and CEO Brian Petrovek served as the team's president. For the 2015–16 season, the Adirondack Flames moved to Stockton, California, and became the Stockton Heat.
The 2015–16 AHL season was the 80th season of the American Hockey League. The regular season began on October 9, 2015, and ended on April 17, 2016. The 2016 Calder Cup playoffs follow the conclusion of the regular season. An attendance record was set with a league average of 5,982 spectators per game, surpassing the record set in 2004–05.
The Stockton Heat were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2015 to 2022. The team was based in Stockton, California, and was affiliated with the National Hockey League (NHL) Calgary Flames. The Heat played its home games at Stockton Arena. It was a relocation of the Adirondack Flames, joining four other relocated AHL franchises in California that formed the basis for a Pacific Division following the 2014–15 season.
The Adirondack Thunder are a professional ice hockey team in the ECHL that began play in the 2015–16 season. The team is based in Glens Falls, New York, and affiliated with the NHL's New Jersey Devils and AHL's Utica Comets. The Thunder play their home games at the Cool Insuring Arena.
The 2015–16 ECHL season was the 28th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule ran from October 16, 2015 to April 9, 2016 with the Kelly Cup playoffs to follow. Twenty-eight teams in 21 states and one Canadian province each played a 72-game schedule. The league alignment was significantly altered before the season when the American Hockey League announced the formation of a Pacific Division on January 30, 2015 displacing the ECHL teams that had been in California markets.
The 2016–17 ECHL season was the 29th season of the ECHL. The regular season schedule ran from October 14, 2016 to April 9, 2017, with the Kelly Cup playoffs following. Twenty-seven teams in 21 states and one Canadian province each played a 72-game schedule.
The Adirondack Jr. Thunder are a junior ice hockey team in the Eastern Hockey League Premier based in Glens Falls, New York. They were established in 2022, and play home games out of the Cool Insuring Arena.
Events and tenants | ||
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Preceded by Hampton Coliseum (as the Virginia Wings) | Home of the Adirondack Red Wings 1979–1999 | Succeeded by AT&T Center (as the San Antonio Rampage |
Preceded by | Home of the Adirondack IceHawks 1999–2004 | Succeeded by Glens Falls Civic Center (as the Adirondack Frostbite) |
Preceded by Glens Falls Civic Center (as the Adirondack IceHawks) | Home of the Adirondack Frostbite 2004–2006 | Succeeded by Folded |
Preceded by Wachovia Spectrum (as the Philadelphia Phantoms) | Home of the Adirondack Phantoms 2009–2014 | Succeeded by PPL Center (as the Lehigh Valley Phantoms) |
Preceded by | Home of the Adirondack Flames 2014–2015 | Succeeded by Stockton Arena (as the Stockton Heat) |
Preceded by Stockton Arena (as the Stockton Thunder) | Home of the Adirondack Thunder 2015–present | Succeeded by Current |
Preceded by Created | Home of the Adirondack Jr Thunder 2022–present | Succeeded by Current |