Honda Center

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Honda Center (formerly known as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim) is an indoor arena located in Anaheim, California. The arena is home to the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League. It was finished in the year 1993 as the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.

Originally named the Anaheim Arena during construction, it was completed in 1993 at a cost of US$123 million. Locally based Arrowhead Water paid $15 million for the naming rights over 10 years in October 1993.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the short period of time after the Mighty Ducks franchise was awarded and before the naming rights deal with Arrowhead, Disney referred to the Arena as the Pond of Anaheim.<ref>In the 1993–94 Mighty Ducks of Anaheim media guide, Disney and the Ducks organization referred to the arena as the "Pond of Anaheim." This was prior to the naming rights deal with Arrowhead Water. ASIN: B001EBD3BM</ref> In October 2006, Honda, whose American headquarters are based in Torrance, paid $60 million for the naming rights over 15 years,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and renewed the deal for another decade in 2020.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

History

File:Honda-pano2 b.jpg
A panorama of Honda Center's exterior
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Panorama of Honda Center's interior before a 2007 playoff hockey game
File:Honda Center in Anaheim California on 22-03-2008.jpg
Honda Center in its basketball configuration before an NCAA basketball game
File:New Scoreboard at Honda Center.jpg
The New Scoreboard at Honda Center as seen from Section 438 during the 2016 Stanley Cup Play-offs on April 27, 2016

The idea for a large indoor arena in Anaheim emerged from entertainment attorney Neil Papiano, who in 1987 randomly selected two of the city's councilmen from the telephone directory to sell them his idea. They approved of the concept, and one year later following location surveys, the placement was chosen at a seven-acre parcel at Douglass Road and Katella Avenue, that at the time was owned by the German social group Phoenix Club. Papiano also managed to get financial backing from two New York-based firms, Ogden Corporation and Nederlander Organization.<ref name=birth>Template:Cite web</ref> Even if there was a dispute to build an arena in Orange County with a Santa Ana project led by Spectacor, and there were discussions of feasibility of the arena given the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League were at the time unwilling to expand to the area,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the city of Anaheim pushed forward to build the Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, Inc.-designed arena,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> which broke ground in November 1990.<ref name=birth/> A tenant was found in 1992, as the Walt Disney Company had just been awarded an NHL franchise for Anaheim, entering negotiations to lease the arena.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Once the deal was broken, the arena's final cost ended at $121 million, as $18 million were added to finance hockey franchise fees and facility improvement.<ref name=birth/>

The arena opened on June 19, 1993, with a Barry Manilow concert as its first event.<ref name=":0"/> The then-Arrowhead Pond's first NHL game was also the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim season opener on October 8, 1993, against the Detroit Red Wings, preceded by a 20-minute pregame show at the cost of $450,000. The Ducks lost 7–2.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Since then, the arena has been host to a number of events, such as the 2003 and 2007 Stanley Cup Finals.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> On June 6, 2007, the Anaheim Ducks defeated the Ottawa Senators, 6–2, in game five of the Final at Honda Center to clinch the franchise's first Stanley Cup championship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Honda Center has hosted several UFC events, starting with UFC 59 in 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It hosted the 2005 IBF World Championships for badminton in 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

From 1994 to 1999, it served as a second home for the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. It was the home arena for the Anaheim Bullfrogs of Roller Hockey International from 1994 to 1999 and for the Anaheim Piranhas of the Arena Football League from 1996 to 1997.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

This arena has also hosted a PBR Bud Light Cup (later Built Ford Tough Series) event annually since 1998.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since 1994, the arena has hosted the annual Wooden Legacy basketball tournament.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In April 2000, it played host to the WWE's 16th annual WrestleMania supercard event.

In 2011, the arena began hosting the Big West Conference Men's and Women's Basketball tournaments.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The arena has also hosted the NCAA men's basketball tournament seven times, as the West Regional site – 1998, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2019. It even hosted the Frozen Four, the semifinals and final of the NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship, in 1999, underscoring the popularity of hockey in the region.<ref name=":0" />

On December 6, 2000, music legend Tina Turner played her last concert at the arena for the record breaking Twenty Four Seven Tour, but after popular demand, Turner returned to the arena before a sellout crowd on October 14, 2008, for her Tina!: 50th Anniversary Tour.

Honda Center lies northeast across California State Route 57 from Angel Stadium (the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels) and roughly Template:Convert from Disneyland Park. It is also across the street from Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center with service by Amtrak (Pacific Surfliner), Metrolink (Orange County Line), Anaheim Resort Transit, Orange County Transportation Authority and private transportation companies.

The arena seats up to 17,174 for its primary tenant, the Ducks. It takes only five hours to convert Honda Center from a sporting arena to an 8,400-seat amphitheater. There are 84 luxury suites in the building, which has hosted 17.5 million people, as of 2003. In 2005, the arena became the first in the U.S. to have two full levels of 360° ribbon displays installed. Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota, designed, manufactured and installed the Template:Convert of full-color LED technology. Outside the venue, the marquee was upgraded with two large video displays measuring Template:Convert high by Template:Convert, and a new marquee was built with more LED video displays.<ref name=displays>Template:Cite web</ref>

Broadcom chairman Henry Samueli owns the company that operates the arena, Anaheim Arena Management, LLC, and the arena's primary tenant, the Ducks, giving him great flexibility in scheduling events and recruiting new tenants. AAM was founded in 2003 to take over operations of the arena from the bankrupt Ogden Corp.,<ref>Arrowhead Pond Operations Shift, Los Angeles Times</ref> which had already sold the arena's concession deal to Aramark in 2000 - <ref>Ogden Sells Its Concessions, Management Units to Rival , Los Angeles Times</ref> who remained providing foods and drinks until 2013, when concessions became an in-house operation.<ref>Honda Center Takes Food Concession In-House, Orange County Business Journal</ref>

During the 2014–2015 NHL Season, it was announced that Honda Center would get a new scoreboard that will replace the one that was in place since its opening in 1993. The new scoreboard made its debut in a Ducks pre-season game against the Los Angeles Kings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In March 2020, the arena would lose all its scheduled events because of the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the rest of the year, Honda Center would instead host charity events, such as blood drives, food bank distributions, and a collective wedding, along with serving as a drive-through voting location for the 2020 United States presidential election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Ducks would only play again in the arena once the following NHL season started in January 2021, with a reduced audience of 2,000 being allowed to attend the final five games of the season, starting with an April 17 matchup with the Vegas Golden Knights.<ref>Honda Center Reopens To Fans In Time For Last 5 Games Of The Ducks Season, CBS Los Angeles</ref>

In April 2025, it was announced that Honda Center would undergo a major $1 billion renovation that would be complete by 2027, one year before the 2028 Summer Olympics. The renovations will create a brand new entrance on the southern part of the arena, add escalators and club suites, and increase parking as part of the larger mixed use OC Vibe project taking place near the arena.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Notable events

File:Honda Center interior 2021.jpg
Interior of Honda Center in 2021

Ice hockey

Combat sports

Concerts

Honda Center has the second highest gross ticket sales from special events on the West Coast, following only Crypto.com Arena.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> These events have included the following over the years:

Other

The pond became the setting for the climax game in D2: The Mighty Ducks

As part of the Walt Disney Company's biennal D23 convention in 2024, the Disney Entertainment showcase, Disney Experiences showcase, and Disney Legends award ceremony were hosted at Honda Center, with 12,000 fans in attendance.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honda Center and OCVIBE will host the final rounds of FIVB Women’s World Championship 2027.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The arena will host indoor volleyball during the 2028 Summer Olympics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Capacity

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Hockey
Years Capacity
1993–1994 Template:Center
1994–present Template:Center
With standing room At least 17,622

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Basketball
style="Template:NBA color cell"|Years style="Template:NBA color cell"|Capacity
style="Template:NBA color cell2"|1993–2000 Template:Center
style="Template:NBA color cell2"|2000–2011 Template:Center
style="Template:NBA color cell2"|2011–present Template:Center
style="Template:NBA color cell2"|With standing room At least 18,521

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Other Events
Event Capacity
Concerts, center stage Template:Center
Concerts, end stage Template:Center
Theatre at the Honda Center Template:Center

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Largest Crowds

Hockey colspan=5 style="Template:NBA color cell;"| Basketball
# Date Opponent Score Attendance style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|# style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Date style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Opponent style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Score style="text-align:center; Template:NBA color cell2;"|Attendance
 1  Oct. 14, 2025 Penguins at Ducks 4–3, ANA 17,622 (102.61%)  1  Mar. 12, 1998 Lakers at Clippers 108–85, LAL 18,521 (101.76%)
 2  Mar. 20, 2013 Blackhawks at Ducks 4–2, ANA 17,610 (102.54%)  2  Feb. 4, 1997 Lakers at Clippers 108–86, SD 18,462 (101.44%)
 3  Feb. 26, 2012 Blackhawks at Ducks 3–1, ANA 17,601 (102.49%)  3  Feb. 25, 1999 Lakers at Clippers 115–100, LAL 18,456 (101.41%)
 4  May 12, 2009 Red Wings at Ducks 6-3, DET 17,601 (102.49%)  4  Dec. 2, 1995 Bulls at Clippers 104–98, CHI 18,321 (100.66%)
 5  Jan. 2, 2009 Flyers at Ducks 5–4, PHI (SO) 17,597 (102.46%)  5  Apr. 12, 1997 Nuggets at Clippers 116–94, SD 18,211 (100.06%)

See also

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References

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