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Delta Center's Hockey Makeover Revealed
22 Jan
Summary
- Renovations target upper bowl seating for optimal hockey views.
- Delta Center, built in 1991, is being retrofitted for hockey.
- Phase one included raising the playing surface by 2 feet.
Smith Entertainment Group has unveiled initial plans for the Delta Center's summer renovation, focusing on improving sightlines for hockey. New seating structures, including balconies and additional tiers, are planned for the upper bowl's northeast side. These changes aim to address the issue where many upper-bowl seats currently offer obstructed views of only one net.
The Delta Center, originally built for basketball in 1991, has undergone substantial retrofitting to meet NHL standards. The first phase of renovations, completed in a prior summer, involved raising the playing surface by 2 feet and widening the end zones. A specialized scissor lift was also installed to adjust the surface for both basketball and hockey.
Future phases, scheduled for the summers of 2026 and 2027, will concentrate on further optimizing the upper bowl seating. While the initial phase successfully ensured all lower-bowl seats have full-ice views, the upper bowl has historically presented challenges with limited net visibility for thousands of fans.
