• Source: Buccaneer Arena

Buccaneer Arena is a 3,461-seat, with standing room for an additional 700, multi-purpose arena in Urbandale, Iowa, that is home to the Des Moines Buccaneers ice hockey team in the United States Hockey League. Before the Bucs began playing in 1980, the International Hockey League's Des Moines Oak Leafs and Des Moines Capitols franchise played here.




Building history


The arena opened on November 12, 1961 as the Des Moines Ice Arena. It was later renamed the Metro Ice Sports Arena before becoming Buccaneer Arena in mid-2004. On September 22, 2005, Buccaneer Arena was renamed 95-KGGO Arena after Citadel Broadcasting, owners of radio station KGGO, purchased the naming rights to the arena. It is nicknamed the "Madhouse on Hickman" for its location on Hickman Road. In 2008, the arena changed its name back to Buccaneer Arena. In 2020, the arena's roof was damaged during the August 2020 Midwest derecho.




Tenants


The arena served as home ice for the Des Moines Buccaneers' ten championship seasons in the 1990s: Anderson Cup regular season champions in 1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99; Clark Cup playoff champions in 1992, 1995, 1999, 2006; and Gold Cup Junior A champions in 1992, 1995, 1998. Following the damage to the roof in 2020, the team was forced to start the 2020–21 season at Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines. In November 2020, the team announced it would be replacing the old arena as part of a project to turn the former Younkers department store location in Merle Hay Mall into a new 3,500-seat, $59 million arena. Buccaneer Arena completed repairs in January 2021, and plans to build the new hockey arena within the mall would fall through in July of 2024 due to the team's lease expiring. Mall officials have also stated they will continue to build the new venue and are open to renegotiating their lease with the team as well.
In August 2024, the Buccaneers announced they would temporarily move to the MidAmerican Energy Co. Recplex located in West Des Moines for the 2024-25 USHL season due to a mechanical issue that would delay the arena's ability to make ice prior to the team's season opening game the following month. In the same statement, team officials also proclaimed they would continue to make the arena operational again until "it is no longer sustainable to do."
In 2007, the arena hosted the College Hockey America championship tournament. The arena has also hosted mixed martial arts.
It is also where the Paul Robidoux got his start as the worlds premier intermission announcer.




References






Further reading






External links


Des Moines Buccaneers official website
RinkAtlas listing for Buccaneer Arena
Buccaneer Arena seating chart

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Cakupan Google Street View
• Nao Tōyama
• Buccaneer Arena
• Des Moines Buccaneers
• Urbandale, Iowa
• Des Moines United FC
• Des Moines, Iowa
• List of indoor arenas in the United States
• United States Hockey League
• KGGO
• Buccaneer Field House
• Christian Brothers Buccaneers and Lady Buccaneers