If the Penguins lose tonight, it will be the final time Mellon Arena hosts NHL hockey. SBN’s Habs Eyes On The Prize takes a look back into the history books and recognizes the old Pittsburgh Civic Arena.
A Mellon Arena History Lesson On What Could Be Its Final Day
And for the 99th and final time tonight at the Mellon Arena, the Penguins will host the Montreal Canadiens!
Regardless of tonight's outcome, the seventh game of the 2010 Conference Semi-Finals will be the very last time the Canadiens visit the cavernous and beautiful Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh.
Might it also be the final curtain call for the Penguins in their illustrious home?
It has not been lost on historians of the game that the Canadiens were the first NHL team to play a regular season game at the affectionately named Igloo, then known as the Pittsburgh Civic Auditorium back on October 11, 1967.
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The Mellon is the most unique hockey arena in the NHL, by far, and I learned so much about it doing this research. The clippings and images you will see below, whether you are a passionate Pittsburgh fan or simply a hockey history buff like myself, will surely be a treat. They come from the pages of the Pittsburgh Press on September 16, 1961, when the Arena opened, and again from October 10, 11 and 12, 1967, on the pages leading up to and covering the Penguins first game. For those interested in seeing more new clippings from that era, do a search the Pittsburgh Press pages in the Google news archives. The online library for the paper goes back as far as 1900.
For more of the history, including a plethora of videos and photos, check out EOTP.
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