Located in the heart of downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota's capitol city, the Xcel Energy Center is a multi purpose sports and entertainment venue. As part of the RiverCentre Convention Complex, the Xcel Energy Center spans 650,000 square feet and is home to four separate concourses on four seating levels that hold 18,064 fans for National Hockey League games. The "X," as it is commonly called, is uniquely designed to welcome visitors and in 2004 was named "the best overall sports venue in the U.S." by ESPN.
The Xcel Energy Center is owned by the city of Saint Paul and operated by the Saint Paul Arena Company. The public investment in the Xcel Energy Center by the city of Saint Paul and the State of Minnesota was $130 million. The Minnesota Wild also made a substantial investment for enhancements to the venue in order to better the fan experience for hockey and other events. Naming rights for the arena were sold to the electric company conglomerate, Xcel Energy Inc., who paid 3 million dollars per year for 25 years.
Without a National Hockey League franchise since 1993, when the beloved Minnesota North Stars moved to Dallas; Minnesota, the self proclaimed "State of Hockey," waited seven long years to get their new NHL franchise, the Minnesota Wild.
The Xcel Energy Center was formally christened on Sept 29, 2000 with the first Minnesota Wild home preseason game. On opening night, the Wild organization retired their first jersey number, number one, to honor all Minnesota Hockey fans who are definitely rated number one. The venue has since hosted all of the Minnesota Wild home games, a Conference playoff game in 2003, several Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournaments, the 2004 NHL All-Star game, the 2002 WCHA Final Five and the 2002 Frozen Four. The attendance at the final game of the 2002 Frozen Four was 19,324 and established a new all-time record as the largest crowd to ever witness a hockey game in the state of Minnesota.
Along with sporting events, the "X" also plays host to ice shows, circuses, family shows, conventions and numerous concerts. Big name artists, including The Rolling Stones, The Who, U2, Bob Dylan and many others have "rocked" the confines of the center. Boasting fan-friendly seating and a state of the art acoustic system, there is no better place to see a game or a concert.
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The Xcel Energy Center continues to be a top-notch venue for watching hockey or seeing concerts. In the past year, the Xcel Energy Center has been graced by great musical talent such as: Eric Clapton, Barbra Streisand, Bob Seger, The Who, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Kid Rock, Kenny Chesney, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and more! In addition to hosting great musical artists, the Xcel also brought in Disney on Ice and Dancing with the Stars. Both shows offered great entertainment in a first class setting! The Xcel Energy Center keeps its schedule packed with sporting events, too. The Minnesota Wild (NHL) continue to heat up the Xcel with dramatic overtime wins and the Minnesota State High School hockey tournaments bring in some of the biggest crowds in the nation! The Xcel Energy Center puts on many excellent events and it?s no secret what a great facility the Xcel is, so be sure to buy your tickets early for the best selection!
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