Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
🏒 Pittsburgh Penguins

After more than forty years skating under the iconic retractable dome at the engineering marvel known as Civic Arena – affectionately dubbed the “Igloo” – the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins jumped across the street to a more contemporary home in 2010. With the opening of what was then called the Consol Energy Center, the Steel City’s new sports venue trifecta was complete, a trend that had begun less than a decade earlier with new homes for both the Steelers and Pirates.

Known as PPG Paints Arena since 2016, the Penguins’ palace seats just over 18,000 fans and was the result of efforts by legendary former player and team owner Mario Lemieux to replace old Civic Arena, then the oldest venue in the league. After years of deliberation, funding changes and notoriously unfounded threats of relocation, the $321 million arena finally came to fruition and was christened with a pre-season win over the Detroit Red Wings in the fall of 2010.

At the time of its debut, the venue was considered one of the most advanced in pro sports, with luxurious suites, integrated high-tech displays and a steep, intimate bowl design that puts even the furthest fans right on top of the action. The upper level is particularly unique, featuring a concourse that rims its top and affords unobstructed views to the ice.

Scattered throughout the arena are informational displays and thoughtful graphics celebrating the story of the Penguins, and several family photo ops are also present. Also freshly installed is a Hall of Fame space which honors some of the greatest players to have put on the Penguins sweater, from Lemieux to Jaromir Jagr to Ron Francis.

Originally blue and white, the team joined their major league peers and donned traditional Pittsburgh black and gold in 1980. But no matter what color scheme or logo they’ve used, the Pens have been a dominant franchise in their nearly 60 years of existence. Shooting their way into 6 Stanley Cups, Pittsburgh secured the trophy 5 times, including an impressive back-to-back victory – twice. The team also claims 9 division titles and a Presidents’ Trophy.

As PPG Paints Arena continues to undergo constant improvement – such as the installation of a new videoboard in 2023 – it remains a relevant and classy home for one of the NHL’s bluebloods.