MassMutual Center
| Company type | Public facility |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Convention center, Sports venue |
| Founded | 1972 in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States |
| Headquarters | Springfield , United States |
Area served | Western Massachusetts |
Key people | MGM Springfield (management since 2017) |
| Products | Arena events, conventions, exhibitions, sporting events, entertainment performances |
| Owner | Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (since 1997) |
| Website | www |
The MassMutual Center—previously known as the Springfield Civic Center—serves as a versatile arena and convention facility situated in the heart of Springfield, Massachusetts. The arena portion began operations in 1972, while the convention center was introduced in 2005. Together, they accommodate a wide array of gatherings including conventions, exhibitions, sporting events, and entertainment performances.
Initially owned by the City of Springfield until 1997, control was subsequently transferred to the Massachusetts Legislature and then to the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA). Between 2003 and 2005, the MCCA oversaw a $71 million refurbishment that modernized the 8,000-seat arena and incorporated a convention center capable of hosting multiple simultaneous functions or a single large-scale event.
Since July 2017, management of the venue has been under MGM Springfield, coinciding with the launch of its integrated casino, hotel, and retail complex.
In 2005, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company acquired naming rights through a 15-year contract, leading to the facility’s rebranding as the MassMutual Center.
The site is home to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League as well as the American International Yellow Jackets, participants in NCAA Men's Division I Ice Hockey competition.
Arena
A comprehensive $71 million renovation commenced in autumn 2003, involving demolition of an adjacent bank building, plaza, and exhibit hall. Completed by autumn 2005, enhancements included a new arena floor outfitted with upgraded ice rink piping and chillers alongside improved electrical, HVAC, and dehumidification systems. Audio-visual upgrades featured a centrally suspended four-sided scoreboard equipped with video displays plus an advanced sound system. Seating was restructured to comprise 6,455 fixed seats and an additional 222 club seats. New facilities incorporated a bar and lounge area, clubroom, executive suite, expanded restroom facilities, and refurbishment of 11 concession stands. The primary entrance was relocated from Main Street to Bruce Landon Way, adding a box office and lobby space. Throughout this two-year project—which was financed through city and state funds—the arena remained operational.
The arena is organized across three levels:
- Event Level: Box Office, Administrative Offices, Thunderbirds’ Office, Team Store
- Concourse Level: Seating for Lower and Upper Bowls, Center Grille Restaurant, Breakaway Bar & Lounge
- Upper Level: Broadcast Booths, The Executive Perch, Executive Suites
In summer 2015, the MCCA sanctioned a multimillion-dollar technology enhancement that included installing a new four-sided LED video board measuring 18 by 12 feet to replace the existing scoreboard along with upgraded LED lighting throughout the arena.
Convention Center
Concurrent with the arena’s renovations, a new convention center was constructed offering 100,000 square feet of space—making it the largest facility of its kind in Western Massachusetts. The center comprises two exhibition halls totaling over 40,000 square feet; three ballrooms combining for 15,000 square feet complete with an adjacent kitchen; five meeting rooms covering roughly 9,000 square feet; plus 21,000 square feet dedicated to pre-function areas. A connecting passageway between the convention center and arena provides an additional 19,000 square feet of flexible floor space. Among pre-function amenities is the Glass Alcove which offers expansive views of downtown Springfield’s skyline. The venue regularly hosts galas, weddings, trade shows, concerts, conventions, conferences, and diverse events.
The convention center is divided into two floors:
- Event Level: Meeting Rooms 1 through 5; Exhibition Halls A & B
- Upper Level: Ballrooms A, B & C; Glass Alcove
History
Following the 1978 collapse of the Hartford Civic Center roof, this arena temporarily accommodated the Hartford Whalers during their tenure in both the World Hockey Association and National Hockey League. It also served as the home for the Hartford Hellions of the Major Indoor Soccer League (1978-1992) throughout the renovation period. During 1978 and 1979, the venue hosted a total of 59 WHA regular season games along with postseason contests.
The facility has been a notable site for prominent wrestling spectacles, including the World Wrestling Federation's Saturday Night's Main Event XVI in 1988, the 19th WWF In Your House pay-per-view event in 1997, as well as episodes of WWE Monday Night RAW and two WWE SmackDown! broadcasts. A memorable moment occurred in 1992 when The Mountie captured the WWF Intercontinental Championship from Bret "Hitman" Hart at this location.
Since its inauguration in 1972, this arena has consistently housed American Hockey League teams. The Springfield Indians played here from the 1972–73 season until 1993–94, succeeded by the Springfield Falcons starting in 1994. The Falcons secured Northeast Division titles in consecutive seasons, 2012–13 and 2013–14, while affiliated with the Columbus Blue Jackets. After their acquisition by the Arizona Coyotes in 2016 and subsequent relocation to Tucson, they were succeeded by the Springfield Thunderbirds, who began competing here in the 2016–17 AHL campaign.
Situated within basketball's recognized "Birthplace," this arena hosted several NCAA Men's Division II Basketball Championship tournaments during 1977, from 1980 to 1994, and again between 2006 and 2011, prior to the event moving to Kentucky's Cincinnati suburbs in 2012. Additionally, it was the venue for the initial six editions of the NCAA Women's Division II Basketball Championship, spanning from 1982 through 1987.
The basketball team of UMass Minutemen has occasionally held home games at this site since 2010. Beginning in 2011, the Basketball Hall of Fame's Holiday Showcase featured UMass games here, drawing a sold-out crowd of 7,331 spectators for a notable matchup against Brigham Young University in 2013.
From fall 2009 onward, following acquisition by the HWS Group, this arena became home to the NBA D-League's Springfield Armor. Initially linked with three NBA franchises—the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and New Jersey Nets—the team eventually became exclusively affiliated with the Nets (later Brooklyn Nets) by the 2011–12 season. Under head coach Bob MacKinnon’s leadership that year, the Armor clinched their inaugural Eastern Division Championship. Their final home appearance attracted a full house on March 21, 2014.
NHL games
| Date | Visiting Team | Final Score | Home Team | Crowd |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 19, 1979 | Los Angeles Kings | 3–6 | Hartford Whalers | 7,626 |
| October 26, 1979 | New York Islanders | 2–1 | Hartford Whalers | 7,267 |
| November 2, 1979 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 3–5 | Hartford Whalers | 7,643 |
| November 9, 1979 | Chicago Black Hawks | 4–2 | Hartford Whalers | 7,618 |
| November17,1979 | Edmonton Oilers | 0–4 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
| November21,1979 | Buffalo Sabres | 3–5 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
| November24,1979 | Quebec Nordiques | 4–4 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
| November25,1979 | Atlanta Flames | 2–4 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
| November30,1979 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 5–7 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
| December7,1979 | New York Rangers | 7–4 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
| December19,1979 | Washington Capitals | 5–4 | Hartford Whalers | 7,100 |
| December22,1979 | Buffalo Sabres | 4–2 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
| December26,1979 | Philadelphia Flyers | 4–4 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
| January4,1980 | Washington Capitals | 6–3 | Hartford Whalers | 7,623 |
| January6,1980 | Detroit Red Wings | 2–1 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
| January17,1980 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 1–7 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
| January19,1980 | Chicago Black Hawks | 3–5 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
| January21,1980 | Winnipeg Jets | 2–7 | Hartford Whalers | 7,627 |
International hockey
| Date | Visiting Team | Result | Host Team | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 29, 1995 | Switzerland | 3–4 | United States | – |
| Russia | 5–2 | Sweden | – |
UMass HOF Games
| Date | Visitor | Final Score | Home Team | Crowd Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 20, 2010 | New Mexico State | 57–71 | UMass Minutemen | 2,274 |
| November 22, 2010 | TCU | 48–67 | UMass Minutemen | 1,512 |
| December 9, 2011 | Siena | 78–82 | UMass Minutemen | 4,236 |
| December 15, 2012 | Elon | 73–78 OT | UMass Minutemen | 3,085 |
| December 7, 2013 | BYU | 96–105 | UMass Minutemen | 7,331* |
| December 7, 2014 | Florida Gulf Coast | 84–75 | UMass Minutemen | 5,235 |
| December 5, 2015 | Ole Miss Rebels | 74–64 | UMass Minutemen | 3,765 |
| December 17, 2022 | North Texas | 62–44 | UMass Minutemen | 3,426 |
| December 16, 2023 | West Virginia | 79–87 | UMass Minutemen | 4,264 |
| December 21, 2024 | Arizona State | 78-62 | UMass Minutemen |
Significant Occurrences
The MassMutual Center has served as a venue for a diverse array of events, ranging from professional and collegiate sports competitions to concerts, comedy shows, ice skating exhibitions, family-oriented performances, and graduation ceremonies. A memorable incident occurred on April 6, 1986, when the KISS "Asylum" tour concert experienced a temporary interruption caused by a power surge; the performance recommenced smoothly after a 30 to 40-minute delay.
Athletic Events
- NCAA Division I ECAC New England Region tournaments held in 1975 and 1976
- NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Championships hosted from 1980 to 1994 and again between 2006 and 2011
- Freestyle Motocross event in 2008
- North American Grappling Association East Coast Championship in both 2010 and 2011
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic in 2010
- Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Basketball Championships for men and women from 2012 through 2014
- Skate America figure skating competition in 1996
- Group Stage of the 1996 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
- American Hockey League All-Star Game in 2019
- NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey East Regional scheduled for 2024
Musical Performances
- Queen during their News of the World Tour in 1977
- Kansas on the Point of Know Return Tour in 1977
- Bon Jovi as part of the Slippery When Wet Tour in 1987
- Yes performing on the 90125 Tour in 1984
- Van Halen's World Vacation Tour in 1979
- The Who during The Who By Numbers Tour in 1975
- The Jacksons’ World Tours in both 1974 and 1979
- Elvis Presley concerts held in 1975 and 1976
- Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue Tour in 1975
- Bruce Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge of Town Tour in 1978
- KISS with multiple tours including Destroyer (1976), Alive II (1978), Dynasty (1979), Asylum (1986), and Alive/Worldwide (1997)
- Grateful Dead shows spanning from 1972 to 1985
- Earth, Wind & Fire concert in 1978
- Black Sabbath’s Born Again Tour in 1984, marking Ian Gillan’s final performances with the band on vocals
- AC/DC’s Blow Up Your Video Tour in 1988
- Headbangers Ball Tour featuring Anthrax, Exodus, and Helloween in 1989
- Aerosmith’s Pump Tours across 1989 and 1990 with Skid Row as support
- Nirvana concert held in 1993
- Pantera’s Far Beyond Touring the World tour in 1994
- Mötley Crüe’s Carnival of Sins Tour in 2006
- Celtic Woman’s A New Journey (2007) and Voices of Angels World Tours (2017)
- Martina McBride’s Waking Up Laughing Tour in 2007
- Sugarland’s CMT on Tour featuring Little Big Town and Jake Owen in 2007
- Blue Man Group on their How to Be a Megastar Tour in 2008
- Three Days Grace Life Starts Now Tour in 2010 with Chevelle and Adelitas Way as opening acts
- Avenged Sevenfold’s Welcome to the Family Tour in 2011 alongside Three Days Grace and Bullet for My Valentine
- Wisin y Yandel’s Los Vaqueros: El Regreso Tour of 2011
- Mid-West Rock and Roll Express Tour featuring Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Ted Nugent in 2013
- Shinedown concert with Bush and Airbourne supporting acts in 2013
- Pitbull’s Global Warming Tour held that same year
- Justin Moore’s Off the Beaten Path Tour featuring Josh Thompson and Randy Houser during 2014
- Alan Jackson’s Keepin' It Country Tour with Jon Pardi and Brandy Clark as guests in 2015
- Stevie Wonder’s The Stevie Wonder Song Party: A Celebration of Life, Love & Music Tour performed in 2018
- Cher's Here We Go Again Tour including Nile Rodgers and Chic as special guests in 2019
- Aerosmith on their Deuces Are Wild East Coast Tour also during the year 2019
Additional notable events
- Saturday Night's Main Event XVI hosted by the WWF in 1988
- WWE's In Your House: D-Generation X pay-per-view event held in 1997
- Comedy tour featuring Larry the Cable Guy in 2008
- Louis C.K.'s performance tour during 2016
- Stand-up tour by Amy Schumer in 2016
- Bill Burr's comedy tour conducted in 2018
- The Comedy Get Down Tour in 2018, starring George Lopez, Cedric the Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, and D. L. Hughley
- Induction ceremony for the Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2021
- John Mulaney's From Scratch Tour in 2022
Conventions and conferences
- Convention of Daughters of the Nile held in 2007
- Market America Northeast Convention spanning from 2010 to 2012
- Brewery Collectibles Club of America CANvention event in 2012
- Women's Leadership Conference organized by Bay Path University
- The 64th National Square Dance Convention conducted in 2015
- Democratic State Convention convened in 2019
- Red Sox Winter Weekend event hosted in 2020
- Political rally for Bernie Sanders ahead of the Massachusetts Democratic Primary in 2020