One of the iconic arenas in hockey history shut its doors for good on Saturday night, as Matthews Arena in Boston, the oldest building used for hockey in the world, will begin the process of being deconstructed to make way for a new venue for the Northeastern Huskies program.
Formerly known as Boston Arena, the structure has been standing since 1910, and was the original home of the Boston Bruins, who played their first five seasons in the NHL in the venue, along with the New England Whalers playing games in the structure, as well as the Huskies, Boston University Terriers, Boston College Eagles, Harvard Crimson and MIT’s hockey programs calling the venue home at some point over its 115-year history. The arena hosted the first Beanpot tournament in 1952, and since 1979, has been owned by Huskies whose campus is next door.
Hockey Hot Stove’s very own Paul Stewart first learned to skate at that rink. Paul’s recollection of the story, first published by the Huffington Post, later became a holiday season radio favorite on National Public Radio in Boston.
The venue has fallen victim to time, as the structure became unsound and unable to properly maintain the arena due to the land that constitutes Back Bay in Boston, one side of the upper deck in the venue was completely closed off to fans due to unsafe conditions.
A Boston Institution
The Huskies played a compressed home schedule this season with a lack of time and an ambitious demolition schedule, closing the actual home part of their season before becoming nomads for at least the next two seasons as the arena is torn down and eventually become a state-of-the-art new building with a projected opening in fall of 2028.
An emotional farewell was held by the Huskies, as fans packed the arena one last time to say goodbye. David Poile, general manager of the Nashville Predators, arguably the most famous alum of the school’s hockey program, was on hand to drop the ceremonial first puck with former Boston University Terriers coach Jack Parker, and Poile was part of a nearly hour-long farewell ceremony following the game that honored all the hockey history in the building.
Fans lined up under the arena’s signature archway, with tickets near faceoff listing for over $200 for a college game in December, and packed the arena with some signage disappearing from the venue even before hitting the school’s auction of seats and other items.
The crowd was lively and emotional as the Huskies played their last true home game for the next three seasons, as Northeastern will be playing games as the home team at Boston University’s Walter Brown Arena in Boston, Harvard University’s Bright-Landry Hockey Center in Cambridge, Bentley Arena in Waltham, UMass-Lowell’s Tsongas Center in Lowell and even Cross Insurance Arena in Portland, Maine will be a home venue – despite playing the home-state Maine Black Bears.
The Winds of Change
The change certainly may have a profound impact on the Huskies’ near-term future, as it will be difficult to recruit for a nomadic program which seems to be intent on playing a hodgepodge schedule over the next few seasons, as well as maintain the roster which is off to a 10-6 start and tied for fourth in Hockey East after a home-heavy schedule for the first half of the season.
But for one last game, the arena with a mix of the old-school scoreboard that looks like it was lifted from your local recreational rink with a high-tech overhead video board, with an elaborate entrance way attached to what literally resembles a white barn nestled up against the MTBA subway tracks, the echoes of the past came forth as the ties with some of Boston’s original sports history held its farewell event.
Unfortunately for the Huskies, what seemed to be heading for a storybook ending for Northeastern came crashing down, holding a 3-2 lead where the hosts seemed to be protecting the one-goal edge, the crosstown rival Terriers scored twice in 18 seconds to take the final event ever at the venue.
But after the game, most of the fans remained to watch the ceremony, which also featured 90-year-old former Bruin Johnny Bucyk getting an ovation while being helped out onto the ice, as well as current Bruin Jordan Harris, and the student section in the DogPound atop one end of the arena chanted “Thank You Matthews!” as both the players and alumni bid farewell to the rink that was their longtime home.
Older than Fenway, Outlasted the Boston Garden
The Arena was older than Fenway Park and outlasted the original Boston Garden, which opened in 1928 as a competitor to the then-Boston Arena, but time eventually ended one of the historic venues in hockey history, and certainly one of the most historic rinks in New England.
The process to collect keepsakes and certain items from the arena will begin this week, and the plan is to have the arena destruction completed by early next year, and a new 4,000-seat venue take its place. But while the new arena will certainly be more up to date and fan-friendly than the old Matthews Arena, it certainly won’t have the ghosts of its predecessor.
