Edgerton Park Arena

Last updated
Edgerton Park Arena
Edgerton Park Arena
Public transit Rochester Subway (Edgerton Park)
Owner City of Rochester
Capacity Basketball: 4,200
Hockey: 3,500
OpenedOctober 18, 1892 (1892-10-18)
Closed1956
Tenants
Rochester Cardinals (IHL) (193536)
Rochester Royals (NBL/NBA) (194555)

Edgerton Park Arena was an indoor arena in Rochester, New York. The building was originally constructed in 1892 as the drill hall for a training school for delinquent boys. When the school moved early in the 20th century, the building was turned into an indoor sports arena and exhibition hall. An artificial ice-making system was installed in 1935.

The first professional team to use the building was the Rochester Cardinals hockey team in 1935–36. The Cardinals played in the International Hockey League and were a farm team of the New York Americans of the National Hockey League. Rochester could have been a charter member of the International-American Hockey League which formed in the summer of 1936 upon the merger of the IHL and the Canadian-American Hockey Leagues. However, the Cardinals went into receivership before the end of the 1935–36 season and no suitable owner could be found to operate the team. Also, the arena sat only 3,500 for hockey and officials of the new league wanted a minimum capacity of 5,000. The City of Rochester, the arena's owners, refused to expand the building. This refusal to expand the building meant Rochester had to wait until the Community War Memorial Arena (now Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial) opened in 1955 to join what by that point had become the American Hockey League. Rochester was awarded a new franchise in the American Hockey League in 1956 after Pittsburgh withdrew. The Rochester Americans began play in the 1956–57 season.

Edgerton Park Arena was the primary home of the NBA's Rochester Royals from 1945 to 1955. [1] On April 21, 1951, The Royals won the franchise's first and only NBA championship over the New York Knickerbockers 4 games to 3. The Royals moved into the new Rochester Community War Memorial for the 1955–56 NBA season. But because of periodic scheduling conflicts and the two-month-long 1956 American Bowling Congress Finals scheduled for the War Memorial, the Royals returned to the Arena to play several games during the 1955–56 season. It also hosted performances by the Glenn Miller Orchestra and cowboy star Gene Autry in the 1940s. The arena held 4,200 people for basketball. The building's last user, the Monroe County Fair, moved to what is now The Dome Center in Henrietta in 1957; the building was demolished shortly thereafter. The space is now the site of baseball fields behind the Rochester International Academy; the western wall of the building ran along what is now the far diamond's right field line, parallel to RIA's western wall.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rochester Americans</span> American Hockey League team in Rochester, New York

The Rochester Americans are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League; the team is an owned and operated affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. The team plays its home games in Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. The Americans are the fourth oldest franchise in the AHL, and have the second longest continuous tenure among AHL teams in their current locations after the Hershey Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo Braves</span> Basketball team (1970–1978)

The Buffalo Braves were an American professional basketball team based in Buffalo, New York. The Braves competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. In 1978, owner John Y. Brown Jr. swapped franchises with then-Boston Celtics owner Irv Levin, who then moved the team to San Diego, where it was renamed the San Diego Clippers. The franchise relocated to Los Angeles in 1984, becoming the Los Angeles Clippers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo Memorial Auditorium</span> Former multipurpose arena in Buffalo, New York

Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, colloquially known as The Aud, was a multipurpose indoor arena in downtown Buffalo, New York. Opened on October 14, 1940, it was home to the Canisius Golden Griffins (NCAA), the Buffalo Bisons (AHL), the Buffalo Bisons (NBL), the Buffalo Braves (NBA), the Buffalo Sabres (NHL), the Toronto-Buffalo Royals (WTT), the Buffalo Stallions (MSL), the Buffalo Bandits (MILL), the Buffalo Blizzard (NPSL) and the Buffalo Stampede (RHI). It also hosted events such as college basketball, concerts, professional wrestling and boxing. The venue was closed in 1996 after the construction of the venue now known as KeyBank Center, and remained vacant until being demolished in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cow Palace</span> Indoor arena in Daly City, California, U.S.

The Cow Palace is an indoor arena located in Daly City, California, situated on the city's northern border with neighboring San Francisco. Because the border passes through the property, a portion of the upper parking lot is in San Francisco.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greensboro Complex</span> Arena in North Carolina, United States

The Greensboro Complex, formerly known as the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, is an entertainment and sports complex located in Greensboro, North Carolina. Opened in 1959, the complex holds eight venues that includes an amphitheater, arena, aquatic center, banquet hall, convention center, museum, theatre, and an indoor pavilion. It is the home of the UNC Greensboro Spartans men's basketball team, the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League, the Carolina Cobras of the National Arena League, as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with their Men's and Women's basketball tournaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Louis Arena</span> Indoor arena in St. Louis, MO 1929 - 1999

St. Louis Arena was an indoor arena in St. Louis, Missouri. The country's second-largest indoor entertainment venue when it opened in 1929, it was home to the St. Louis Blues and other sports franchises. The Arena sat across U.S.40 from Forest Park's Aviation Field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Syracuse</span> Overview article

Syracuse, New York, United States, is a top-division, minor-league and college sports city. Teams include the Syracuse Mets of AAA Baseball and the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL. The most attended sporting events in Syracuse are those of the NCAA Division I Syracuse University Orange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Cross Arena</span> Multi-purpose indoor arena in Rochester, New York, U.S.

Blue Cross Arena, also known as the War Memorial, is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Rochester, New York. For hockey and lacrosse, its seating capacity is 10,662. The arena opened on October 18, 1955, as the Rochester Community War Memorial. It was renovated in the mid-1990s and reopened as The Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial, on September 18, 1998. It is home to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League and the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coca-Cola Coliseum</span> Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Coca-Cola Coliseum is an arena at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, used for agricultural displays, ice hockey, and trade shows. It was built for the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 1921. Since 1997 it has been part of the Enercare Centre exhibition complex. It serves as the home arena of the Toronto Sceptres of the Professional Women's Hockey League and the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies, the farm team of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It will also serve as the home arena of the Toronto WNBA team when it debuts in 2026.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum</span> Multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix

Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, also called the Madhouse Coliseum or Phoenix Memorial Coliseum, is a 14,870-seat multi-purpose indoor arena in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, located at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. It hosted the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association from 1968 to 1992, as well as indoor soccer, professional roller hockey, multiple professional minor league ice hockey teams, and roller derby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duquesne Gardens</span> Arena in Pittsburgh USA (1890–1956)

The Duquesne Gardens was the main sports arena located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during the first half of the 20th century. Built in 1890, the building originally served as a trolley barn, before becoming a multi-purpose arena. The Gardens opened three years after a fire destroyed the city's prior sports arena, the Schenley Park Casino, in 1896. Over the years, the Gardens was the home arena of several of Pittsburgh's historic sports teams, such as ice hockey's Pittsburgh Pirates and Pittsburgh Hornets. The Western Pennsylvania Hockey League, which was the first ice hockey league to openly hire and trade players, played all of its games at the Gardens. The arena was also the first hockey rink to ever use glass above the dasher boards. Developed locally by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company, Herculite glass was first tested in Pittsburgh. Most rinks were using wire mesh before the shatterproof glass was invented. Finally, the Pittsburgh Ironmen, a charter member of the Basketball Association of America, played at the Gardens from 1946 to 1947.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rochester Zeniths (basketball)</span> Basketball team in Rochester, New York

The Rochester Zeniths were a professional basketball team in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). They played in Henrietta, New York, a suburb of Rochester at the Dome Arena and in downtown Rochester, New York, at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. They existed for six basketball seasons, winning two league titles and generally had great success on the basketball court before they disbanded after the 1982/83 season.

Lester J. Harrison was an American professional basketball player, coach, and team owner and is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Cincinnati</span>

Cincinnati is the home of three major league teams, one women's major league team, three minor league teams, five college institutions with sports teams, and numerous top level amateur teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Street Armory</span> Multi-purpose arena in Rochester, New York

The Main Street Armory is a multi-purpose arena located at 900 East Main Street in Rochester, New York. The Armory was built between 1904 and 1907 by the United States Army and was used for the training and processing of soldiers. Its main arena also hosted several non-military events, including high school basketball, circuses, and auto shows prior to the mid-1950s. In 1990, the New York National Guard left the facility, leaving it vacant and allowing it to fall into disrepair. It was purchased and renovated in the mid-2000s with the intention of refurbishing the Armory's main arena to hold events once again. The building opened for this purpose on February 3, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Ricketts</span> American baseball and basketball player (1933-1988)

Richard James Ricketts Jr. was an American professional basketball and baseball player. Ricketts was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1955 NBA draft by the St. Louis Hawks out of Duquesne University. Ricketts played professional basketball and baseball simultaneously and retired from basketball to play baseball. He pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959 and had a 10-season pitching career. He is one of 13 athletes to play in both the NBA and MLB.

The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. Following its third season, 1948–49, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League (NBL) to form the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in San Diego</span>

Sports in San Diego includes major professional league teams, other highest-level professional league teams, minor league teams, and college athletics. San Diego hosts two teams of the major professional leagues, the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB) and San Diego FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). The city is home to several universities whose teams compete in various NCAA Division I sports, most notably the San Diego State Aztecs. The Farmers Insurance Open, a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, is played annually at Torrey Pines Golf Course.

The Rochester Cardinals were a professional ice hockey team that was a member of the International Hockey League. The Cardinals, who played at Edgerton Park Arena, lasted only the 1935–36 season, compiling a 15–29–3 record and a host of financial difficulties.

The city and metropolitan area of Rochester, New York, has several sports teams. Rochester was named the top minor league sports market in the country by Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal in July 2005, the number 10 "best golf city" in America by Golf Magazine in 2007, and the fifth-best "sports town" in the country by Scarborough Research in September 2008.

References

  1. Morrell, Alan. "They were NBA champs, leaders in integrating sports. Whatever happened to the Rochester Royals?". USA Today Sports. Archived from the original on 18 April 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
Preceded by
first arena
Home of the
Rochester Royals

1945 1955
Succeeded by

43°10′22″N77°38′04″W / 43.1727°N 77.6344°W / 43.1727; -77.6344