The Colisée de Québec stood for 66 years as the sporting heart of Quebec City, opening on December 8, 1949 on the site of an earlier arena that had burned down the year before. Designed with an International Style exterior and an Art Deco interior by architects Robert Blatter and the firm Rinfret and Bouchard, the arena originally seated 10,034 spectators and expanded over the decades to a final capacity of 15,176.
Best known as the longtime home of the Quebec Nordiques — first in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1979 and then in the NHL from 1979 to 1995 — the Colisée also hosted its beloved annual Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament from 1960 through 2015, drawing young players from around the world each February. The arena closed on September 14, 2015 when the new Videotron Centre opened nearby, and sat largely empty for nearly a decade before demolition was announced in February 2025.
Stats at a Glance
- Teams: Quebec Nordiques (WHA/NHL), Quebec Remparts (QMJHL)
- Location: 250 Blvd. Wilfrid-Hamel, Quebec City, Quebec
- Opened: December 8, 1949
- Closed: September 14, 2015
- Original Capacity: 10,034
- Final Capacity: 15,176
- Naming Rights: Colisée Pepsi (1999–2015)
Home of the Nordiques
When the Quebec Nordiques joined the World Hockey Association in 1972, the Colisée de Québec became one of the loudest and most passionate arenas in professional hockey. The building’s intimate barrel-vault structure amplified crowd noise to legendary levels, giving Quebec City fans a ferocious home advantage. After the WHA folded, the Nordiques entered the NHL in 1979 and the Colisée was expanded to meet league seating requirements, eventually reaching 15,176 seats.
The Nordiques called the Colisée home until their controversial relocation to Denver in 1995, where they became the Colorado Avalanche. The departure left a wound in the city’s hockey culture that lingered for decades, and the arena itself stood as a monument to that era — still hosting the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL until its final night in 2015.
A Stage for International Hockey
Beyond its professional tenants, the Colisée de Québec hosted some of the sport’s most significant international moments. The arena welcomed games during the 1974 Summit Series — the WHA counterpart to the iconic 1972 series — co-hosted the 2008 IIHF World Championships, and served as a venue for the 1978 World Junior Championships. Its Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament, running from 1960 to 2015, brought roughly 2,300 young players from 16 countries each winter and helped launch the careers of future NHL stars.
The arena’s final public event was the closing night of Metallica’s Lords of Summer Tour in 2015, underscoring how the Colisée had served not only hockey but the broader cultural life of Quebec City throughout its 66-year history. Quebec City announced demolition plans in February 2025, with the two-year project expected to begin no earlier than 2026.
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Colisée de Québec FAQs
What teams played at the Colisée de Québec?
The arena’s most famous tenant was the Quebec Nordiques, who played there from 1972 to 1995 in both the WHA and NHL. Other tenants included the Quebec Aces (AHL), the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL), the Quebec Rafales (IHL), and the Quebec Citadelles (AHL).
Why did the Colisée de Québec close?
The Colisée closed on September 14, 2015, when Quebec City’s new Videotron Centre opened. The modern arena offered updated amenities and a larger footprint, making the 66-year-old Colisée redundant as a major-event venue.
Is the Colisée de Québec being demolished?
Yes. In February 2025, Quebec City announced plans to demolish the Colisée and redevelop the site as a mixed residential project. Demolition was expected to begin no earlier than 2026 and take approximately two years to complete.
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Photo: Eric Fortin / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.