The X | |
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![]() Xcel Energy Center in 2006 | |
Location in Minnesota Location in the United States | |
Address | 199 Kellogg Boulevard West |
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Location | Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
Coordinates | 44°56′41″N93°6′4″W / 44.94472°N 93.10111°W |
Public transit | ![]() at Central Station Metro Transit Route 54 |
Owner | City of Saint Paul |
Operator | Minnesota Sports & Entertainment |
Capacity | Ice hockey: 18,064 (2000–2012) 17,954 (2012–present) [1] Concerts:
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Field size | 650,000 sq ft (60,000 m2) |
Surface | Multi-surface |
Construction | |
Broke ground | June 23, 1998 |
Opened | September 29, 2000 |
Construction cost | US$170 million [2] |
Architect | HOK Sport (now Populous) [2] |
Project manager | Project Management Consultants, LLC. [3] |
Structural engineer | Geiger Engineers PC |
Services engineer | M-E Engineers. Inc. [4] |
General contractor | Mortenson/Thor [4] |
Tenants | |
Minnesota Wild (NHL) (2000–present) PWHL Minnesota (PWHL) (2024–present) Minnesota Swarm (NLL) (2005–2015) Minnesota Lynx (WNBA) (2017) | |
Website | |
xcelenergycenter |
Xcel Energy Center is a multipurpose arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Completed in 2000 and often called "The X" by fans, [5] it is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 17,954, the arena has four spectator levels: one suite level and three for general seating. [6] The building is home to the NHL's Minnesota Wild and Minnesota of the PWHL.
The arena is owned by the city of Saint Paul and operated by the Wild's parent company, Minnesota Sports & Entertainment. It is on the same block of downtown St. Paul as the RiverCentre convention facility, the Roy Wilkins Auditorium, and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and shares a single indoor access area with the RiverCentre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium.
The arena opened on September 29, 2000. It was built on the site of the demolished St. Paul Civic Center. The push for a new arena in Saint Paul grew after the National Hockey League's Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas. Saint Paul courted the Hartford Whalers and Winnipeg Jets under Mayor Norm Coleman, but the Civic Center was an obstacle to both deals. [7] In order to get an NHL expansion team, Saint Paul needed to build a new arena. After several failed attempts to get funding, the state funded the project in April 1998. It gave Saint Paul a no-interest loan of $65 million for the $130 million project, though it forgave $17 million of that in exchange for having high school sports championships played at the arena. [7]
The arena hosted the Vote for Change Tour on October 5, 2004, featuring performances by Bright Eyes, R.E.M. and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (with special guest John Fogerty and unannounced guest Neil Young). [8]
In 2006, the Twin Cities were selected as the hosting metropolis for the 2008 Republican National Convention, and the arena was chosen as the main venue. [9] The convention was held there on September 1-4, 2008. [9] The manager of the Xcel Energy Center at the time was Minnesota Sports & Entertainment whose owner Craig Leipold is also the owner of the Minnesota Wild and a prominent Republican and supporter of George W. Bush and Mitt Romney. [10] [11] [12]
The 10 millionth person passed through its gates on July 3, 2007.
In 2010, ESPN magazine listed a Minnesota Wild game at Xcel Energy Center as the third-best stadium experience in North America. [13]
In December 2023, Saint Paul city officials spoke on the condition of the venue, stating that it was "showing its age", and said needed renovations could cost "several hundred million [dollars]....based on similar renovations". The project would focus on modernizing the facility to meet demands of newer generations of visitors. [14]
The concourse areas contain hockey jerseys from every Minnesota high school on the walls, reflecting the "State of Hockey." Surrounding the arena at all four corners are "crow's nests." One features an organ and is played during Wild games. The second features a lighthouse that houses a foghorn that is blasted when the team takes the ice before games, for all Wild/PWHL Minnesota goals, and after a victory. The third is used for the Wild's drum line. The fourth provides an additional stage for various uses.
Before it opened, the arena installed an integrated scoring, video, information and advertising display system by Daktronics. The system includes a large LED circular, center-hung scoreboard with multiple displays, nearly 1,100 feet (340 m) of ribbon display technology mounted on the fascia and large video displays outside the facility. [15] The center ice display was replaced in the summer of 2014. Of the 10 LED screens, the largest measures 37.5 feet (11.4 m) wide by 19 feet (5.8 m) high. [16] In 2015 the arena began replacing every seat in the building with cushioned seating. This was finished by early 2016.
The campus of Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul RiverCentre, and The Roy Wilkins Auditorium has three world-class certifications:
The Xcel Energy Center and Saint Paul RiverCentre campus is the world's first complex to receive all three of those certifications. The road to achieving them took several years. Some of the steps taken to achieve these awards are:
In addition to the efforts made by staff, Xcel Energy Center has partnered with the NHL to join Change the Course, a national initiative promoting water conservation and restoration. To highlight its achievements, the Xcel Energy Center produced Exceptionally Green: Minnesota Wild, Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center.
Xcel Energy Center is a hub for sports events in the Midwest. In 2004, ESPN named the arena the best overall sports venue in the U.S. [26] It hosted the NCAA Frozen Four tournament in 2002, 2011, and 2018; and will host again in 2024. [27] The National Lacrosse League's Minnesota Swarm played in the arena from January 2005 until they moved to Georgia in 2015. The Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA used Xcel Energy Center during the 2016 WNBA Playoffs and the 2017 WNBA season as their home arena, Minneapolis's Target Center, was undergoing renovation. [28] [29] As of 2018, it is host venue of the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. [30] The venue formerly hosted the Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament, alternating with Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. [31] [32] The venue is used by the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) for its Girls Volleyball State Tournament, Wrestling State Tournament, and the Boys and Girls Hockey State Tournaments.
The Minnesota Wild played their first game at the arena on October 11, 2000, against the Philadelphia Flyers. Their first win at the arena came on October 18, 2000, when they defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 6–5. The Wild's first playoff game at the arena was on April 14, 2003. In that game, the Wild suffered a 3–0 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. On April 21, 2003, the Wild won their first playoff game 3–2 on an overtime game-winner by Richard Park. [33] On April 26, 2015, the Wild clinched a playoff series at the arena for the first time, defeating the St. Louis Blues 4–1 in game six of the Western Conference Quarterfinals. [34]
In 2023, it was announced that PWHL Minnesota of the Professional Women's Hockey League would be based out of the arena. [35] The team hosted its inaugural home game on January 6, 2023—a 3–0 shutout victory over Montréal. Grace Zumwinkle scored the first home goal for Minnesota, and went on to record a hat-trick; Maddie Rooney recorded the shutout. [17] With more than 13,000 fans in attendance, the game set a new record for attendance at a professional women's hockey game. [18]
Various music artists have held concerts at the arena since its opening in 2000. Some of these include Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Lady Gaga, [36] Katy Perry, [37] Imagine Dragons, [38] Elton John, [39] Pink, [40] Madonna, [41] Pentatonix, [42] Kelly Clarkson, [43] Ariana Grande, [44] Post Malone, [45] Beyoncé, [46] Shania Twain, [47] and Bruno Mars. [48]
In 1998, the state made a $65 million interest-free loan toward construction of the $130 million arena, $17 million of which was forgiven when the team agreed to allow amateur and public events. That left a loan of $48 million.
In 2013, the state legislature passed an omnibus jobs, housing and commerce bill that included forgiveness of the remaining $32.7 million loan to Xcel Energy Center.
Under the terms of the forgiveness deal in this bill, St. Paul's annual loan payment was reduced by $500,000 in 2014 and again in 2015. The balance of the loan was forgiven in 2016. The city still owes $56.8 million in bonds on the arena, of the $72.7 million it borrowed in 1998. [49]
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at the Xcel Energy Center, and is owned by Craig Leipold. The Wild are affiliated with the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Iowa Heartlanders of the ECHL.
Target Center is a multi-purpose arena located in Minneapolis that opened in 1990. It hosts major family shows, concerts, sporting events, graduations and private events. Target Corporation, founded and headquartered in Minneapolis since 1902, has held the naming rights to the arena since its opening.
The St. Paul Civic Center was an indoor arena located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The arena opened in 1973 and was closed and demolished in 1998. It once sat near the Ordway Music Theater and the Roy Wilkins Auditorium. The Xcel Energy Center was built on the former site of the arena.
Minnesota boys high school ice hockey is made up of multiple leagues and programs representing different associations. The two organizations associated with high school are the Minnesota State High School League and Minnesota Hockey. The Minnesota State High School League is a voluntary, nonprofit association of public and private schools with a history of service to Minnesota's high school youth since 1916. Minnesota Hockey, an affiliate of USA Hockey, is the governing body of youth and amateur hockey in Minnesota. Minnesota Hockey is governed by a board of directors and consists of approximately 140 community based associations who are formed into 12 districts.
Roy Wilkins Auditorium is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena in St. Paul, Minnesota. Designed by the renowned municipal architect Clarence W. Wigington, it was built in 1932 as an arena extension to the existing St. Paul Auditorium. When the old auditorium wing was demolished in 1982, Wigington's arena wing remained. It was renamed for Roy Wilkins in 1985. It is part of the RiverCentre complex, down the hall from the Xcel Energy Center, home of the National Hockey League's Minnesota Wild.
Sports in Minnesota include professional teams in all major sports, Olympic Games contenders and medalists, especially in the Winter Olympics, collegiate teams in major and small-school conferences and associations and active amateur teams and individual sports. The State of Minnesota has a team in all five major professional leagues. Along with professional sports, there are numerous collegiate teams including the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers and St. Thomas Tommies in NCAA Division I, as well as many others across the Minnesota public and private colleges and universities.
The Minnesota Whitecaps were a professional ice hockey team in the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). They played in Richfield, Minnesota, part of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area, at the Richfield Ice Arena. Established in 2004, the Whitecaps were originally part of the Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL) from 2004 to 2011.
The following is a list of men's champions of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, including champions of the conference's playoff tournament, the WCHA Final Five.
Downtown Saint Paul is the central business district of Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. Its boundaries are the Mississippi River to the south, University Avenue to the north, US 52 to the east, and Kellogg Boulevard to the west. It is bounded by the Dayton's Bluff, Summit-University, West Seventh, Frogtown, West Side, and Payne-Phalen neighborhoods. The West Side neighborhood is on the other side of the river, and can be accessed via the Robert Street Bridge or the Wabasha Street Bridge. Interstate 35E and Interstate 94 run through the north side of the neighborhood, providing a separation between the Minnesota State Capitol and other state government buildings with the rest of downtown.
AMSOIL Arena is a multipurpose arena in Duluth, Minnesota, home to the UMD Men's and UMD Women's hockey teams. It opened in 2010, replacing the DECC Arena on the waterfront near Duluth's landmark Aerial Lift Bridge.
The Minnesota State Mavericks men's ice hockey team is an NCAA Division I college ice hockey program that represents Minnesota State University, Mankato. The Mavericks compete in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). Their home arena is the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center located in downtown Mankato, Minnesota.
The 2001 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 42nd conference playoff in league history and 48th season where a WCHA champion was crowned. The 2001 tournament was played between March 9 and March 17, 2001, at five conference arenas and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, the home of the NHL's Minnesota Wild. By winning the tournament, St. Cloud State was awarded the Broadmoor Trophy and received the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 2001 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament. This was the inaugural year in which the Xcel Energy Center hosted the WCHA final five and it remained there until the conclusion of the 2013 tournament.
The 2002 WCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament was the 43rd conference playoff in league history and 49th season where a WCHA champion was crowned. The 2002 tournament was played between March 8 and March 16, 2002, at five conference arenas and the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, the home of the NHL's Minnesota Wild. By winning the tournament, Denver was awarded the Broadmoor Trophy and received the Western Collegiate Hockey Association's automatic bid to the 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey Tournament.
The Big Ten Men's Ice Hockey Tournament is the conference tournament for the Big Ten Conference. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Sports in Minneapolis–Saint Paul includes a number of teams.
The 2019 NCHC Tournament is the sixth tournament in league history. It was played between March 15 and 23, 2019. Quarterfinal were played at home team campus sites, while the final four games were played at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. By winning the tournament, Minnesota-Duluth received the NCHC's automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.
The Professional Women's Hockey League is a professional women's ice hockey league in North America, wholly owned and operated by the Mark Walter Group. It consists of six franchises, three each from Canada and the United States, who play a regular season to earn one of four places in a postseason tournament that determines the winner of the Walter Cup. Differences between the PWHL and other North American professional hockey leagues include a 3-2-1-0 points system, terminations of penalties following a short-handed goal, best-of-five shootouts, and greater restrictions on body checking. The league's matches are broadcast nationally in Canada by the CBC and TSN, their French-language affiliates Radio-Canada and RDS, and Sportsnet. In the United States, it is broadcast in syndication, while worldwide it is streamed on YouTube.
PWHL Minnesota is a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. They are one of the six charter franchises of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). In 2024, PWHL Minnesota won the PWHL's inaugural Walter Cup championship.
The 2023–24 PWHL Minnesota season was the team's inaugural season as a member of the newly created Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They played their home games at Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Events and tenants | ||
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Preceded by First Arena | Home of the Minnesota Wild 2000 – present | Succeeded by Current |
Preceded by First Arena | Home of the PWHL Minnesota 2024 – present | Succeeded by Current |
Preceded by | Host of the Frozen Four 2002 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Host of the NHL All-Star Game 2004 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by First Arena | Home of the Minnesota Swarm 2005 – 2015 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by | Host of the Frozen Four 2011 | Succeeded by |