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Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, NY, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0
Historical · NHL
XL Center
Former home of the Hartford Whalers
Hartford, CT
Still to visit
Teams
Hartford Whalers
NHL · hockey
1975–1997
Also known as Hartford Civic Center · PeoplesBank Arena
Stadium facts
- Capacity
- 14,750
- Hockey. Basketball is listed at 15,495, concerts at 20,500, and hockey with the curtain at 9,801.Source for capacity
- Opened
- January 9, 1975
- Still standing. Closed from 1978 to 1980 after a roof collapse, then reopened. Renamed PeoplesBank Arena in 2025.Source for opened
Names and sponsors
Timeline
1975
1977
1978
1980
1997
2007
2025
January 9, 1975
Civic Center opens
The arena opened on January 9, 1975, as the Hartford Civic Center, at an original cost of $30 million. The Whalers played there in the WHA and then the NHL, with a gap after the roof failure. The page also lists the Celtics as a tenant from 1975 to 1995.
SourceUpcoming schedule
This building is historic, so there is no upcoming home schedule.
Seating chart
Approximate — not an official seating chart.
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Reviews
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Plan your trip
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Tickets
Flights
Hotels
Location
- Stay near XL Center. Search hotels by the stadium area rather than a brand name.
- Transit-first base. If Hartford has rail or subway, a station-area stay is often easier.
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Stadium Guide
How to visit a historic site — markers, footprint walks, and memory photos.
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Sights and stay areas around Hartford.
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