📍 Syracuse Crunch
🏒 Home of the Syracuse Crunch

One of hockey’s most storied barns, Upstate Medical University Arena at Onondaga County War Memorial has been home to most of Syracuse’s pro sports franchises since its completion in 1951. Built for the city’s incoming NBA and AHL teams – both of which ultimately departed but now exist in other markets – the arena has likewise stood the test of time and lived on as a venerable minor league hockey venue. Many thrilling games have transpired under its iconic thin-shell concrete roof, with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch leading the way as the arena’s current and longest-running tenant.

The city’s original AHL franchise, the Syracuse Warriors, spent just three years at what was then simply known as Onondaga County War Memorial. Founded in 1932 in Québec, the club played in ‘Cuse from 1951-54 in between bouncing around towns in the northeast, ultimately becoming the team known today as the Abbotsford Canucks. Playing way out in British Columbia, the Canucks are one of the oldest active pro hockey franchises in existence.

In basketball, meanwhile, the NBA’s Syracuse Nationals would stay in the Salt City just a little longer. An expansion franchise in the fledgling National Basketball League in 1946, the Nats would become a part of the new NBA when it was formed in 1949 and would move into the War Memorial in 1951. For twelve years, the Nationals were one of the league’s most dominant teams, never missing the playoffs. In 1963, the team would relocate to Philadelphia to become the 76ers. The Nats’ legacy would live on, however, as the pioneers of the 24-second shot clock. Team founder Danny Biasone debuted the first shot clock at an NBA scrimmage in 1954 and it has become an integral part of the game ever since. Today, history surrounding the Nationals and the invention of the shot clock are touched on in a small exhibit space on Upstate Medical University Arena’s main concourse.

In addition to hockey and basketball, the venue has also hosted indoor lacrosse in the form of the NLL’s Syracuse Smash, as well as the Syracuse Silver Knights of the Major Arena Soccer League.

Beyond the Warriors who christened the arena, the War Memorial hosted two other AHL teams over the years, both of which never survived more than just a single season in ‘Cuse. Both the Eagles and Firebirds franchises would fold after just one year on the ice, leaving the region with a bleak outlook. That is, until the beloved Crunch arrived in town in 1994 after a two-year stint in Hamilton, Ontario.

The top-level affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Crunch have made Upstate Medical University Arena truly their own over the last thirty years. The team has won two conference championships and clinched four division titles on their hunt for the Calder Cup. Along the way, they’ve been affiliated with the Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Anaheim Ducks.

Inside Upstate Medical University Arena, classic art deco finishes adorn the entrances and hallways, spreading nostalgic vibes throughout the building. Plaques and pictures dedicated to veterans of foreign wars are present all around, enshrining those who served our country into the walls of the War Memorial forever. Further, exhibit cases on the lower level are full of military memorabilia and thought-provoking photos.

Under its unique arched concrete ceiling, the arena holds 5,800 strong for hockey games. Renovations in 1994 prepared the aging venue for the Crunch’s inaugural season, and further updates in 2018 really brought the place up to modern standards to help it stay as fresh as its AHL peers.

From the NBA All-Star Game in 1961, to the Frozen Four in 1967 and 1971, to the AHL All-Star Classic in 1998 and 2016, the War Memorial has hosted some of Syracuse’s biggest events over the last 75 years. And with the Crunch at the helm, there are surely many more marquee moments still to come.