| Xcel Energy Center | |
|---|---|
| The X | |
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| Location | 175 West Kellogg Boulevard Saint Paul, MN 55102 |
| Opened | 2000 |
| Owner | City of St. Paul |
| Operator | Minnesota Sports & Entertainment |
| Surface | Multi-surface |
| Construction cost | $130 million USD |
| Architect | HOK Sport |
| Tenants | Minnesota Wild (NHL) (2000-Present) Minnesota Swarm (NLL) (2005-present) |
| Capacity | Hockey and Lacrosse: 18,064 (plus 500 standing room) |
Xcel Energy Center is a sports arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. sponsored by Xcel Energy. It is the home ice of the NHL's Minnesota Wild and the NLL's Minnesota Swarm. The city of Saint Paul owns the arena.
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Seating
The arena contains four spectator levels: one suite level, and three general seating levels named the 100 level, the club level, and the 200 level. Its official capacity is 18,064.
Attendance Records
- February 8, 2004: the NHL All-Star Game set a record for attendance at a hockey game in Minnesota at 19,434
- The record attendance for a Wild hockey game was set October 5, 2005 at 19,398, the first game after the lockout season
- On October 28, 2003 Shania Twain sets Xcel Energy Center's single-night concert attendance record of 20,554.
- On March 17, 2007, 19,463 spectators watched the final game of the WCHA Final Five tournament, the largest crowd ever for an indoor United States College Ice Hockey Game[1](i.e. not including games held in football stadiums such as the Cold War).
- Since opening the doors of the Xcel Energy Center on September 29, 2000, the Wild have had a sellout for every single hockey game. (As of December 3, 2007)
- As of December 8, 2007 the Xcel Energy Center has sold out over 300 consecutive games for the Minnesota Wild
History
It opened in the fall of 2000 and it is called the "X" by fans. It was built on the site of the demolished St. Paul Civic Center. In 2004, the arena was named by ESPN as the best overall sports venue in the United States. The 10 Millionth person passed through the gates on July 3, 2007 to see The Police Reunion Tour seven years after the building first opened.
Other Events
The "X" is the current site of the Minnesota Boys' High School Hockey, the Minnesota Girl's High School Tournament, and the High School Wrestling tournaments, as well as the host of the Minnesota State High School League-sponsored volleyball state tournament. It hosted the 2002 NCAA Frozen Four and will do so again in 2011. The National Lacrosse League's Minnesota Swarm began regular season play in the arena in January, 2005.
Future events
- The Xcel Energy Center won the bid to host the 2008 Republican National Convention.
- The arena will also host the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
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SwarmLacrosse02-10-06.jpg
A Minnesota Swarm lacrosse game. |
 Inside the Xcel Energy Center during the 2006 WCHA Final Five Championship. |
References
External links
| Preceded by first arena |
Home of the Minnesota Wild 2000–present |
Succeeded by current |
| Preceded by first arena |
Home of the Minnesota Swarm 2005–present |
Succeeded by current |
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| Eastern Division | Air Canada Centre · Blue Cross Arena · HSBC Arena · Madison Square Garden · Sears Centre · Wachovia Center · Xcel Energy Center |
| Western Division | HP Pavilion · Pengrowth Saddledome · Pepsi Center · Rexall Place · Rose Garden |
