Nationwide Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Since its completion in 2000, the arena has served as the home of the National Hockey League’s Columbus Blue Jackets (NHL). Furthermore, along with the Greater Columbus Convention Center, it is one of two facilities in Columbus that host events during the annual Arnold Classic, a sports and fitness event hosted by actor, bodybuilder, and former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Nationwide Arena was built near the former Ohio Penitentiary, with a West Street border on the east. The arena itself is built on top of the former prison parking lot. In addition, the parking lot for the arena and an apartment complex were built where the prison once stood. The arena was constructed in 2000.
Brittanie Cecil, 13, was struck in the head by a deflected puck during a Blue Jackets game against the Calgary Flames at Nationwide Arena on March 16, 2002. Two days later, she was the only NHL fan killed in a game-related accident. Because of her death, the NHL required safety netting in all of its arenas.
Columbus Mayor Michael B. Coleman made a pitch to the NBA in May 2012, requesting that an expansion or relocated team be relocated to Nationwide Arena.
Location
The Arena District, which surrounds Nationwide Arena, is a mixed-use neighborhood developed by Nationwide Realty Investors that includes restaurants, bars, offices, and residential buildings. The Columbus Clippers, an International League Triple-A baseball team, play in Huntington Park, located in the Arena District and developed by Nationwide Realty Investors. The arena serves as a focal point for the city, with other businesses benefiting from foot traffic. The Express is on the air! The entertainment complex is completed by a concert venue adjacent to the Nationwide Arena property.
Design
The brick arena is the focal point of an entertainment district about a half mile north of the Ohio Statehouse. The seating capacity for hockey is around 18,500, 17,171 for arena football, 19,500 for basketball, and up to 21,000 for concerts. Brittanie Cecil’s death on March 16, 2002, as a result of injuries sustained from a hockey puck flying into the stands at a Blue Jackets game, prompted the installation of nylon netting to catch pucks that fly over the acrylic glass at all professional ice hockey arenas in the NHL, AHL, IIHF, and ECHL. Bed Bug Exterminator Columbus
Facilities
Nationwide Arena also has a smaller ice rink called the OhioHealth IceHaus, which serves as the Blue Jackets’ practice rink and is also used for youth hockey games and public open skating times. Nationwide Arena became the first NHL arena to have an on-site practice facility, and it is still one of only four in the NHL, along with KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Address: 200 W Nationwide Blvd, Columbus, OH
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