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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Xfinity Arena
Angel of the Winds Arena (originally known as Everett Events Center) is a multi-purpose sports arena complex in Everett, Washington, United States, designed and developed by the Everett Public Facilities District. It opened in October 2003 and primarily serves as the home of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League. The arena has 8,149 seats in its ice hockey configuration and 10,000 for concerts and other events. The naming rights to the venue were sold to Comcast in 2007 and subsequently to Angel of the Winds Casino Resort in 2017. The venue has hosted a variety of concerts and other performances, including the Ringling Brothers Circus, Disney on Ice, the Harlem Globetrotters, and Sesame Street Live.

The venue also hosted 2008 Skate America, a three-day ice-skating championship featuring world-class skaters. The events were both nationally and internationally televised on NBC. It was the first event of six in the 2008-2009 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating, a senior-level international invitational competition. This was Skate America's largest attendance ever recorded in its history.

History

Construction on the arena began in April 2002 after the demolition of two city blocks in downtown Everett, which included several historic buildings along Hewitt Avenue from the early 20th century. The Everett Historical Commission refused to grant waivers for the demolition, but were overruled by the Everett City Council. The arena, named the Everett Events Center, opened to the public on September 27, 2003, for a preview event attended by approximately 4,000 people. It cost $71.5 million to construct.

The Everett Events Center hosted its first Western Hockey League game on October 4, 2003, between the Everett Silvertips and Prince George Cougars. The new arena booked several events that had traditionally used the Tacoma Dome, including Disney on Ice and the Harlem Globetrotters.

Tenants and events

In 2016, the arena served as the host for the 2016 Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships. It also hosted WWE's flagship TV show Monday Night Raw on February 17, 2020, and December 2, 2024. It also hosted All Elite Wrestling's flagship TV show Dynamite on May 15, 2024.

Hockey

An Everett Silvertips regular season game at Angel of the Winds Arena in 2023

Angel of the Winds Arena is the home of the Everett Silvertips, a Western Hockey League franchise. In their first season (2003–04), the Everett Silvertips won the WHL Western Conference Championship.

The arena also hosted a preseason games between National Hockey League (NHL) teams several times, beginning in September 2009 between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Phoenix Coyotes. The game—the first between NHL teams in the region since 1997—was played in front of a sellout crowd of 7,281 spectators. The Seattle Kraken played a preseason game at Angel of the Winds Arena on October 1, 2021. Played as part of a regional tour prior to the inaugural season, the Kraken won 2–1 in overtime against the Edmonton Oilers.

The first American Hockey League regular season game to be played in Everett was between Kraken affiliates Coachella Valley Firebirds and the Calgary Wranglers on October 28, 2022.

Basketball

The arena was home to the International Basketball League's Everett Explosion for one season in 2007 before they moved to Monroe and were renamed the Snohomish County Explosion, where they played until 2010.

The Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association announced that it would play five home games during its 2019 season in Everett, while the rest are played at their temporary home in Seattle, the Hec Edmundson Pavilion on the University of Washington campus. The Storm played their season opener in Everett on May 25, 2019, using the same floor that had previously been installed at KeyArena. The team planned to return in 2020 for eight games in Everett, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all WNBA games were moved to Bradenton, Florida.

The Storm played all 16 home games of their 2021 season at Angel of the Winds Arena with up to 2,000 fans allowed to attend per the state's COVID-19 reopening guidelines.

Arena football

The Washington Wolfpack of the Arena Football League is set to debut in 2024 and will play home games at Angel of the Winds Arena. It is the third arena football team to play at the arena. The Everett Hawks played for one season in the National Indoor Football League and one season in af2 before folding in 2007. The Everett Raptors played for one season in the Indoor Football League in 2012.

Lacrosse

In 2010, Comcast Arena became home to the Washington Stealth of the National Lacrosse League. The franchise was previously known as the San Jose Stealth, and before that the Albany Attack. After four seasons in Everett, the Washington Stealth were relocated to British Columbia in 2014.

Curling

In 2017, the arena, then known as Xfinity Arena, was host to the USA Men's and Women's Curling National Championships. The men's championship was won by 2018 Winter Olympics gold medalists Team John Shuster, while Team Jamie Sinclair captured the women's crown.

Banked track roller derby

Angel of the Winds Arena is also home to the Tilted Thunder Rail Birds, a Seattle-based, all-female, banked track roller derby league.

Tennis

On February 7–8, 2020 Angel of the Winds Arena hosted USTA Fed Cup qualifying event with competing teams USA and Latvia.

Rodeo

Several bull riding tours have held events at the arena. The Professional Bull Riders's premier series, the Unleash the Beast Series, made its Everett debut on April 6, 2022. It returned in 2023 and 2024.

Other uses

Angel of the Winds Arena is used for annual high school and community college graduation ceremonies through agreements with several local school districts.

The arena hosted a campaign rally for then-presidential candidate Donald Trump on August 30, 2016. He spoke for 48 minutes in front of an estimated 9,184 people in attendance; the event cost $79,000 in extra policing and other staffing, which was partially recouped by the rental fee.

On April 1, 2020, the arena opened as a COVID-19 quarantine center with 150 beds amid the coronavirus pandemic. The quarantine center was meant for patients with COVID-19 and are unable to self-isolate or quarantine at home.

Conference Center

The Edward D. Hansen Conference Center is a three-story addition to the arena that cost US$12 million to construct. The facility includes a 11,385-square-foot (1,057.7 m) ballroom that is capable of accommodating 800 guests. In addition to the ballroom, the conference center has three executive meeting rooms available as private meeting space. The conference center hosts approximately 200 events annually. It is also home to a public art collection, which includes artwork from the Pilchuck Glass Collection.

Ice rink

The Xfinity Community Ice Rink is an NHL regulation 200' x 85' ice rink that is located inside Angel of the Winds Arena. It is a public ice skating rink, which is used for public skating, local hockey leagues, figure skating, instructional sessions, and much more. Currently the rink is open year-round, and has the versatility to transform into a 57,000-square-foot (5,300 m) space with the capability to host trade shows, expositions, consumer shows and special events.

Concerts

List of Concerts

References

  1. ^ 2011-12 WHL Media Guide Archived February 2, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
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  26. ^ Patterson, Nick (October 27, 2023). "Washington Wolfpack: Everett's arena football team gets a name". The Everett Herald. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
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  28. ^ "NLL.com -- Official Website of the National Lacrosse League - Articles - STEALTH MOVE NORTH TO WASHINGTON". nll.com. Archived from the original on June 21, 2009.
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  36. ^ "At Everett rally, Trump slams Clinton, Syrian refugees". The Seattle Times. August 30, 2016. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  37. ^ Winters, Chris; King, Rikki (September 1, 2016). "Everett spent $79,000 in staffing, equipment for Trump". The Everett Herald. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  38. ^ Davey, Stephanie; Riley, Rachel (April 1, 2020). "Everett hockey arena opens as COVID-19 quarantine center". The Everett Herald. Retrieved April 1, 2020.
  39. ^ "Edward D. Hansen Conference Center".
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