The Pittsburgh Penguins current arena is known as the PPG Paints Arena. Although, some people know it by its former name which was the Consol Energy Center.
Table of Contents
Arena Guide by Ice Hockey Tripper
History
In 2016 the PPG Paints Company bought over the naming rights which changed the name from Consol Energy to PPG Paints. With Pittsburgh’s unique background many tourists are constantly coming into the city which helps the arena make a profit. The new PPG Paints Arena has been The Pittsburgh Penguins home for 11 years now and still looks brand new. Before this arena was built the team played in the Civic Arena which could seat 17,181. However, the new arena can seat 19,758 people at one time! The PPG Paints Arena was also in the top five for construction costs of NHL Arenas coming down to a cost of $321 million.
This arena not only hosts hockey games but also many concerts per year, ranging from comedy shows to country and rock music. It is a multi-purpose arena that was also home to the Pittsburgh Power, a part of the American Football League. This was only for a short time period ranging from 2011 until 2014. After some time of playing in the Civic Arena Mario Lemieux felt that it was time for a switch. He started searching around for arenas that he felt would fit the team well. The team however did not use public funding, they first applied for a license under the Gaming Control Board and were later granted the license to build the arena. Places including the Majestic Star Casino, Forest City Enterprises,and the Gaming Board Control all contributed to the building of the arena and essentially made this big dream come true. Many amazing days and nights have taken place in this beautiful arena and the memories will last a lifetime for anyone who has stepped into the PPG Paints Arena.