Blue Cross Arena

Blue Cross Arena
The War Memorial
Blue Cross Arena is located in New York
Blue Cross Arena
Blue Cross Arena
Location within New York
Blue Cross Arena is located in the United States
Blue Cross Arena
Blue Cross Arena
Location within the United States
Full nameBlue Cross Arena at the War Memorial
Former namesRochester Civic Center Arena (planning/construction)
Rochester Community War Memorial (1955–1998)
Address1 War Memorial Square
LocationRochester, New York
Coordinates43°09′13.3″N 77°36′38.8″W / 43.153694°N 77.610778°W / 43.153694; -77.610778
OwnerCity of Rochester
OperatorBuffalo Sabres
(Rochester Arena LLC)
Executive suites25
CapacityHockey: 10,662[1]
Lacrosse: 10,662[2]
End stage 180°: 10,877
End stage 270°: 11,352
End stage 360°: 12,428
In the Round: 12,906
General Admission: 14,000
Floor Size: 85' wide x 200' deep

Seating Configuration:

  • Floor: 1,600
  • Lower Bowl: 4,696
  • Upper Bowl: 6,052
  • Total Seats: 12,428
[3]
Construction
Broke groundFebruary 1, 1953 (1953-02-01)[4]
OpenedOctober 18, 1955; 68 years ago (1955-10-18)
Renovated1998; 26 years ago (1998)
Construction costUS$7.5 million
($85.4 million in 2023 dollars[5])
$41 million (1998 renovations)
($79.7 million in 2023 dollars[5])
ArchitectLeonard A. Waasdorp[6]
Tenants
Rochester Royals (NBA) (1955–1957)
Rochester Americans (AHL) (1956–present)
Rochester Colonels (EPBL) (1958-59)
New York Tuck Tapers (NIBL) (1959-61)
Rochester Griffins (NLL) (1974)
Rochester Zeniths (CBA) (1978-83)
Rochester Knighthawks (NLL) (1995–2019)
Rochester Brigade (af2) (2001–2003)
Rochester Razorsharks (ABA/PBL/NAPB) (2005–2018)
Rochester Raiders (CIFL/IFL) (2008–2009)
Rochester Lancers (MISL/MASL) (2011–2015)
Rochester Knighthawks (NLL) (2019–present)
Website
Venue Website

Blue Cross Arena, also known as the War Memorial, is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Rochester, New York. For hockey and lacrosse, its seating capacity is 10,662. The arena opened on October 18, 1955, as the Rochester Community War Memorial. It was renovated in the mid-1990s and reopened as The Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial, on September 18, 1998. It is home to the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League and the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League.

  1. ^ "2019-20 American Hockey League Official Guide & Record Book" (PDF). theahl.com. American Hockey League. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  2. ^ "2019-20 Media Guide" (PDF). nll.com. National Lacrosse League. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  3. ^ "Box Office Hours". Blue Cross Arena. Archived from the original on September 15, 2017. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
  4. ^ "Pictures From Scrapbook". Oklahoma State University. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
  5. ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  6. ^ Palmer, Daniel J. (2010). Rochester's Downtown Architecture:: 1950-1975. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-7250-5.