And here’s a second article detailing the issues with the arena leading to the plan to tear it all down:On Dec. 1, 1924, the Boston Bruins played the first-ever National Hockey League game in the United States, a 2-1 home victory over the visiting Montreal Maroons at Boston Arena.
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Although the Celtics’ inaugural season in 1946 was split between the Boston Arena and the newly-constructed Boston Garden, Boston Arena was the one to house the first-ever home game, which had a memorable delayed start thanks to star center Chuck Connors shattering the first backboard in NBA history during warmups.
The arena’s history even transcends Boston; The Carolina Hurricanes also played their first seasons in Boston Arena as the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association before moving to West Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1974 — long before relocating to their current home in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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Despite the change in ownership, the arena has not failed to continue its legacy, as dozens of fabled names have graced the halls in the building’s 120-year history. In the sports world, Babe Ruth jaunted across town in the off-season for hockey scrimmages, and Muhammad Ali trained at the arena’s Santos Gym in preparation for his fated “phantom punch” match. In politics, the words of Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy left their mark on hundreds of attentive ears. In music, artists from Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry to Drake and Jason Derulo flooded the arena with the sounds of the ages.
Matthews Arena was somber when more than 12,000 fans came to honor the late Reggie Lewis, a Northeastern alum and Celtics star. It was joyous when America’s sweetheart Nancy Kerrigan debuted her post-attack skills to the public and when Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart celebrated their pioneering transatlantic fights in its storied walls. It was brimming with bated breath when Northeastern, BU, Boston College and Harvard clashed heads in both the first men’s and women’s Beanpot tournaments.
Ouch, this one is hitting hard. Had season tickets there, 1st row balcony over the NU bench, for years. Absolute best view for hockey anywhere, practically over the glass. Get there if you can for a game, hockey or bball, there is nowhere else like it anymore and it's gonna be gone.For anyone that hasn’t been paying close attention for the last year, Matthews Arena is officially on its last legs. Sounds like this will be its last season before meeting the wrecking ball. Great job by HuntNews and NU Hockey Blog covering this story so far.
https://twitter.com/nuhockeyblog/status/1795922757919604778
If you’ve never been to Matthews, you really should try to catch a hockey game there before it closes. Not only is it a great college hockey barn, but the history that building has seen is incredible and isn’t talked about enough.
https://huntnewsnu.com/78209/sports/where-it-all-began-a-look-back-at-matthews-arena-as-bruins-reach-centennial-season/
And here’s a second article detailing the issues with the arena leading to the plan to tear it all down:
https://twitter.com/huntnewsnu/status/1788629875424723149?s=46&t=maKAX0PnmH697FOv1x7kUg
About timeFor anyone that hasn’t been paying close attention for the last year, Matthews Arena is officially on its last legs. Sounds like this will be its last season before meeting the wrecking ball. Great job by HuntNews and NU Hockey Blog covering this story so far.
https://twitter.com/nuhockeyblog/status/1795922757919604778
If you’ve never been to Matthews, you really should try to catch a hockey game there before it closes. Not only is it a great college hockey barn, but the history that building has seen is incredible and isn’t talked about enough.
https://huntnewsnu.com/78209/sports/where-it-all-began-a-look-back-at-matthews-arena-as-bruins-reach-centennial-season/
And here’s a second article detailing the issues with the arena leading to the plan to tear it all down:
https://x.com/huntnewsnu/status/1788629875424723149?s=46&t=maKAX0PnmH697FOv1x7kUg
I'd take the atmosphere and some lack of comfort over some of the dead-ass building around hockey east (and sports in general). Everyone is always willing to trade emotion and soul for comfort, and that's not how sports should be IMO. Certainly at the college level.About time
Great atmosphere but too many obstructed views
Thanks for posting
I would take Matthews over Conte for sure, speaking of somewhere that needs a new arena, and over Tsongas, but not over Agganis, no way and not over Whittemore. Probably not over Lawler or Schneider or Toscano either.I'd take the atmosphere and some lack of comfort over some of the dead-ass building around hockey east (and sports in general). Everyone is always willing to trade emotion and soul for comfort, and that's not how sports should be IMO. Certainly at the college level.
I think this sucks horribly, the building should be a national historical landmark. If the people in charge of this have any soul (they won't), the new building would absolutely have the balcony and some other call backs but instead they're going to build Agganis Part Two and while everything will be nice and orderly and modern, the University, Hockey East, the hockey community, and the region will have had a significant death in the family.
You wouldn’t take Matthews over Lawler? Merrimack has done a solid job with it but it’s a glorified high school rink.I would take Matthews over Conte for sure, speaking of somewhere that needs a new arena, and over Tsongas, but not over Agganis, no way and not over Whittemore. Probably not over Lawler or Schneider or Toscano either.
Parking is part of the equation. And since it's small, it's close to capacity almost always.You wouldn’t take Matthews over Lawler? Merrimack has done a solid job with it but it’s a glorified high school rink.
It shouldn't be though...it's about the game. But I know I'm an old(er) man yelling at cloudsParking is part of the equation.
I’ve been lucky enough to watch, coach, and play on that ice. It’s the best.Concur, Matthews is awesome. And a great sheet of ice, my favorite to skate on in Greater Boston by far.
So good!I’ve been lucky enough to watch, coach, and play on that ice. It’s the best.