Abbotsford Centre, formerly Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre, is a 7,000-seat multi-purpose

arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...

Abbotsford, British Columbia Abbotsford is a city in British Columbia next to the Canada–United States border, Greater Vancouver, and the Fraser River. With a census population of 153,569 people (2021), it is the most populous municipality in the province outside metropol ...

. The arena was expected to cost $64.7 million. Construction began on September 24, 2007. As of 2021, it is the home of the

Abbotsford Canucks The Abbotsford Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The team began play in the 2021–22 season with home games at Abbotsford Centre as the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hocke ...

of the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

(AHL) after previously hosting AHL's

Abbotsford Heat The Abbotsford Heat were a professional ice hockey team that played five seasons in the American Hockey League (AHL) between 2009 and 2014. The team was based in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, and played its home games at the 7,046-seat A ...

from 2009 to 2014.

History

On September 25, 2006, Abbotsford council voted unanimously to hold a

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

asking voters to borrow $85 million to fund three community projects, including a new entertainment and sports centre. The arena was approved by Abbotsford voters on November 25, 2006, with a 54.8% majority. With the loss of the Heat, Abbotsford Centre announced it would start a recreational ice hockey league to help fill open dates left at the arena. Each team in the Abbotsford Centre Hockey League is to play 20 games per team during the 2014-15 hockey season. On May 2, 2018, the

Canadian Elite Basketball League The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL; ) is the premier men's professional basketball league in Canada, as recognized by Canada Basketball. The CEBL was founded in 2017 and began play in 2019 with six teams all owned and operated by owner ...

announced that the

Fraser Valley Bandits The Vancouver Bandits are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Langley, British Columbia, that competes in the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL). The Bandits play home games at Langley Events Centre, located in the Fraser Valle ...

would be coming to the Abbotsford Centre in 2019, with the basketball season to be from May to August. The team moved to the

Langley Events Centre The Langley Events Centre is a multipurpose facility in the Township of Langley, British Columbia, Canada. The LEC debuted in April 2009, hosting the 2009 BC Gymnastics Championships. It boasts an arena bowl with a 5,276 capacity for sports, in ...

for the 2022 season. On May 6, 2021, the

Vancouver Canucks The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver. The Canucks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conferenc ...

were approved to relocate their AHL affiliate to the Abbotsford Centre for the 2021–22 season, where the team became the

. During 2023, the Abbotsford Centre had arena renovations, including a redesigned videoboard and new fascia ribbon board display, which in comparison to the previous equipment in place since the Abbotsford Centre opened in 2009, are slightly larger. Amenities and new arena

seats A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...

were also installed within the arena's seating. The brand new videoboard debuted in the AHL for the first time when the

played the

Calgary Wranglers The Calgary Wranglers are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. They are members of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team plays at the Scotiabank Saddledome, the home of their Na ...

at the very same building in Abbotsford, on the 20th of October, losing 3-2.

Arena amenities

The arena has a capacity of 7,000 seats for hockey with room for expansion to 8,500. There are 300 club seats, 15 boxes, 20 private suites, and 2 party suites. Inside the Ford Concourse in Abbotsford Centre, there are plenty of concession stands for fans and people to buy food and drinks, one being a Panago pizza slice stand and other various stands. There is also a Canucks Team Store, located at Gate 1 of the building where fans of the

can buy Canucks gear, jerseys, and shirts to support the

team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to in ...

. For every

home game In sports, home is the place and venue identified with a sports team. Most professional teams are named for, and marketed to, particular metropolitan areas; amateur teams may be drawn from a particular region, or from institutions such as sc ...

the

will play, families who have autistic children are able to take a sensory kit for their child so that they can ensure the game will not cause sensory issues within the arena. They are provided by Canucks Autism Network. During some games when the

play their home games, there will be intermission timeouts to keep fans entertained on the videoboard.

References

External links

Abbotsford Centre
{{Authority control Abbotsford Canucks Abbotsford Heat Buildings and structures in Abbotsford, British Columbia Indoor arenas in British Columbia Ice hockey venues in British Columbia Music venues in British Columbia Sports venues in British Columbia 2009 establishments in British Columbia Sports venues completed in 2009