The Dort Financial Center (originally IMA Sports Arena and formerly Perani Arena and Event Center) is a sports, entertainment and convention venue located in

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city in Genesee County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. Located along the Flint River (Michigan), Flint River northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the Central Michigan, Mid Michigan region. Flin ...

, United States. It opened in 1969 and is the home of the

Flint Firebirds The Flint Firebirds are a major junior ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan. The team plays home games at the Dort Financial Center, and operates as a member of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL). The team began play for the 2015–16 season. ...

who play in the

Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; ) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League, alongside the Western Hockey League and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. The league is for players ag ...

Facilities

Dort Federal Credit Union Event Center - Exterior

The main

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 ...

of the complex, the largest exhibit hall of complex, features of space and can accommodate 4,021 for

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...

and 6,069 for

concerts A concert, often known informally as a gig or show, is a live performance of music in front of an audience. The performance may be carried by a single musician, in which case it is sometimes called a recital, or by a musical ensemble such as an ...

, plus 400 in standing room. The second arena in the complex features of space. Both arenas are frequently used for trade shows, conventions, hockey games and other sports. In addition, the main arena is used for concerts. Initially named the IMA, an acronym for the

Industrial Mutual Association The Industrial Mutual Association of Flint (commonly known as the Industrial Mutual Association or by its abbreviation IMA) was a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization whose focus was to benefit the workers and families of workers of General Motors. ...

. Being the second such complex in

Flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

called the IMA, The IMA Auditorium was turned into part of the AutoWorld complex. The complex was named for Bob Perani, owner of Perani's Hockey World, a sports equipment retailer in Flint. Perani's Hockey World paid for naming rights to the complex. Bob Perani was a goalie for the

Flint Generals The Flint Generals were a minor professional ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan. They were a member of the International Hockey League and played their home games at the Industrial Mutual Association (IMA) Sports Arena. The Generals won ...

from 1969 to 1974. His jersey, #1, is one of only five numbers retired by the team. In 2020, the Dort Financial Center underwent renovations and updating. Renovations included updated seating in the main arena, as well as LED ribbon panels that would encircle the entire arena. The updated black leather seats, as well as the LED panels, were both acquired from

The Palace of Auburn Hills The Palace of Auburn Hills, commonly known as the Palace, was a multi-purpose arena located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Opened in 1988, it was the home of the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Detroit Shock of the ...

before it was demolished. The renovations gave the arena a uniform seating appearance, while the LED panels are capable of displaying advertisements and sports scoreboards simultaneously. Dort Financial Center 2022

Tenants

Current

On January 13, 2015, the

Plymouth Whalers The Plymouth Whalers were a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League. They played out of Compuware Arena in Plymouth Township, Michigan, Plymouth, Michigan, United States, a suburb of Detroit until 2015 when they were relocated t ...

of the

announced they would relocate to Flint and play at Dort Federal Event Center, with OHL approval. That team is now known as the

Former

Previous tenants of the arena include the

IHL hockey team from 1969 to 1985, the

Flint Spirits The Flint Spirits were a professional hockey team in Flint, Michigan from 1985 to 1990, and played their home games at the IMA Sports Arena. They were a part of the International Hockey League (1945–2001), International Hockey League and repla ...

hockey team from 1985 to 1990, the

Flint Bulldogs The Flint Bulldogs were a professional hockey team in Flint, Michigan, from 1991 to 1993. They were a part of the Colonial Hockey League (CoHL) and played their home games at the IMA Sports Arena. They compiled an overall record of 47–66–7 ( ...

hockey team from 1991 to 1993, the Flint Fuze

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

team from 2001 to 2002 and the Flint Flames indoor football team which only lasted the 2000 season. The most recent iteration of the Flint Generals moved into the arena in 1993 and departed in 2010. From 2010 through 2015, the arena was the home of the Michigan Warriors of the

North American Hockey League The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 50th season of operation in 2024–25. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...

. From 2015 to 2016, the arena was also home to

Waza Flo The Waza FC (also known as Detroit Waza) is an American professional arena soccer team based in Metro Detroit competing as a charter member of the Major League Indoor Soccer (MLIS). The team's nickname, "Waza", is both a Japanese word that mea ...

of the

Major Arena Soccer League The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) is a professional indoor soccer league in North America. The MASL features teams playing coast-to-coast in the United States and Mexico. The league is the highest level of arena soccer in North America. The le ...

. The Michigan Pirates of the

Continental Indoor Football League The Continental Indoor Football League (CIFL) was an indoor American football, indoor American football, football league based along the Midwestern United States region that played nine seasons from 2006 to 2014. It began play in April 2006 as ...

(formerly based in

Port Huron Port Huron is a city in and seat of government of St. Clair County, Michigan, United States. The population was 28,983 at the 2020 census. The city is bordered on the west by Port Huron Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Por ...

) played their first and second-round playoff games at the Perani Arena, hoping Flint would be a potential relocation site. After the Pirates folded, Perani Arena was home to the CIFL expansion team Flint Phantoms for the 2008 season.

Events

Local high schools and colleges use the arena for their commencement ceremonies. Dort Financial Center is also usually the first stop for the

Shrine Circus The Shrine Circus is a circus founded in Detroit, Michigan on Woodward Avenue in 1906. It travels to roughly 120 cities per year in the United States and a separate unit travels to about 40 in Canada. It is affiliated with the former Ancient Ara ...

every year. The arena also holds the General RV Show every year. The arena has also annually hosted Really Cool Comic Con since 2021.

References

External links

* {{Coord, 43, 0, 40, N, 83, 38, 31, W, type:landmark_region:US-MI, display=title Basketball venues in Michigan Buildings and structures in Flint, Michigan Convention centers in Michigan Indoor arenas in Michigan Ice hockey venues in Michigan Indoor soccer venues in Michigan Event venues established in 1969 Sports venues in Michigan Tourist attractions in Flint, Michigan 1969 establishments in Michigan Sports venues completed in 1969