The Met Center was an
indoor 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 ...
that stood in
Bloomington, Minnesota, United States, a suburb of
Minneapolis
Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
. The arena, which was completed in 1967 by Minnesota Ice, just to the north of
Metropolitan Stadium, seated 15,784. It was the home of the
Minnesota North Stars
The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) from 1967 to 1993. For its first 15 years, its official name was the Metropolitan Sports Center; the more familiar shorter name was adopted in 1982.
The Met's other tenants included the ABA's
Minnesota Muskies, which played just one season before moving to Miami for the 1968–69 season. The league responded by moving the defending champion
Pittsburgh Pipers
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the 67th-most populous city in the U.S., with a population of 302,9 ...
to Bloomington, but the Pipers left to return to Pittsburgh after the season. The
NASL's
Minnesota Kicks played two indoor seasons at the Met from 1979 to 1981. The
Minnesota Strikers of the
Major Soccer League (MSL) played indoor soccer at the Met Center from 1984 to 1988. The
Boys' High School Hockey Tournament was also held there from 1969 to 1975.
The arena also held entertainment-related shows, including the first performance of ''
Sesame Street Live'' in September 1980.
History
The Met Center was considered to be one of the finest arenas in the NHL for many years. Among NHL players, the Met was known for its fast ice and good lighting. Players also had much praise for the locker rooms and training facilities. Fans gave the arena's sightlines very high marks as well. The Met never boasted fancy amenities, and had cramped concourses and very few frills compared to modern arenas (though some luxury suites were added in the 1980s). As a sports facility, it could best be described as utilitarian, a theme which repeated itself in most Minnesota sports facilities built before 1988 (such as Metropolitan Stadium and the
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome). Like the Metrodome, the Met Center was heavily utilized as a Minnesota sports venue, hosting various high school hockey and basketball events over the course of its lifetime. The North Stars turned down a chance to move to the new
Target Center upon its opening in 1990 due to conflicting soft drink rights (the Met Center was served by Pepsi whereas the Target Center's pouring rights belonged to Coca-Cola).
After the North Stars moved to
Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
, in 1993 and became the
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas. The Stars compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The Stars ...
, the Met Center was demolished on December 13, 1994, in a series of three
controlled implosions. The series of implosions was required after the initial detonation (which was intended to be the only one) failed spectacularly to bring down the building on live television. The NHL returned to Minnesota in 2000 when the expansion
Minnesota Wild
The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Confer ...
began play at
Xcel Energy Center in
St. Paul. Meanwhile, the
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters is an American Exhibition game, exhibition basketball team. They combine athleticism, theater, entertainment, and comedy in their style of play. Over the years, they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 124 ...
, an annual visitor to the Met Center, moved on, as had a large portion of Met Center's concert business, to Target Center.
For several years after the arena was demolished, the property served as an overflow lot for the
Mall of America. In 2004, an
IKEA
IKEA ( , ) is a Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in Sweden that designs and sells , household goods, and various related services.
IKEA is owned and operated by a series of not-for-profit an ...
store opened on the west end of the property, and the new American Boulevard was rerouted through the east end of the property. The remainder of the site is planned long-term to become the site of Mall of America Phase II, of which the IKEA would be an anchor store.
Notable events
* The only fatality in NHL history occurred at the Met Center on January 13, 1968, when
Bill Masterton of the hometown North Stars suffered a deadly head injury in a game versus the
Oakland Seals.
* Elvis Presley opened his 1971 tour of the USA on November 5, 1971.
*
25th National Hockey League All-Star Game on January 25, 1972
*
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...
started their
10th North American tour at the Met Center on 18 January 1975, after two dates of warming up in Europe the week before.
* Elvis performed his penultimate Twin Cities concert on October 17, 1976.
* Filming location for ''
Ice Castles''
*
1981 Stanley Cup Finals
*
1991 Stanley Cup Finals
* Four
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965. Known for their eclectic style that fused elements of rock, blues, jazz, Folk music, folk, country music, country, bluegrass music, bluegrass, roc ...
concerts
*
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential guitarists of all time. Inducted ...
performed the longest version of his hit "Red House" on 1 November 1968.
*
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...
with
Randy Rhoads performed on January 15, 1982.
*
Prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
performed on his
Controversy Tour on March 7, 1982, his
1999 Tour on March 15, 1983, and his
Lovesexy Tour on September 1415, 1988.
*
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
performed three consecutive sold-out shows in front of 50,662 people at the Met Center, during his
Bad World Tour on May 46, 1988.
*
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
performed on 25 February 1988.
*
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Sayreville, New Jersey in 1983. The band consists of singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, guitarists John Shanks and Phil X, percussionist Everett Bradley ...
performed on April 4 and August 1, 1989, as part of their
New Jersey Syndicate Tour
The Jersey Syndicate Tour (also known as The Brotherhood on Tour and New Jersey: The Tour) was the fourth concert tour by American band Bon Jovi, that ran from 1988 to 1990. The massive, highly successful world tour was put on in support of the b ...
.
*
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...
performed on April 24, 1989, during their "
Damaged Justice" tour.
*
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
filmed the music video for "
Black Cat
A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...
" on April 5, 1990.
*
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper known for hit songs such as "U Can't Touch This", "2 Legit 2 Quit", and "Pumps and a Bump", flashy dance movements, e ...
performed on September 23, 1990, as part of his
Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em World Tour.
* Frank Sinatra performed his final Minnesota show just ahead of Super Bowl XXVI, January 24, 1992.
* Filming location for the movie ''The Mighty Ducks'' featuring Emilio Estevez on February 29, 1992
* Filming location for the movie ''Untamed Heart'' featuring Marisa Tomei and Christian Slater on April 24, 1992
/ref>
References
External links
Listing at Ballparks.com
{{Authority control
1967 establishments in Minnesota
1993 disestablishments in Minnesota
American Basketball Association venues
Buildings and structures completed in 1967
Buildings and structures demolished by controlled implosion
Buildings and structures in Bloomington, Minnesota
Defunct basketball venues in the United States
Defunct indoor arenas in the United States
Defunct indoor soccer venues in the United States
Defunct National Hockey League venues
Defunct sports venues in Minnesota
Demolished music venues in the United States
Demolished sports venues in Minnesota
Fort Lauderdale Strikers arenas
Indoor arenas in Minnesota
Ice hockey venues in Minneapolis–Saint Paul
m
Minnesota North Stars
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor venues
Sports venues completed in 1967
Sports venues demolished in 1994