The Hartford Civic Center opened its doors on January 9, 1975, as the centerpiece of a downtown Hartford revitalization project that also included a mall, convention space, and a hotel. It quickly became home to the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association, who became the Hartford Whalers upon joining the NHL in 1979, and to UConn’s men’s and women’s basketball programs, who have played there since 1976.
The arena is remembered as much for a near-disaster as for its sports history. In the early hours of January 18, 1978, the building’s space-truss roof collapsed under the weight of accumulated snow and ice, just hours after nearly 5,000 fans had watched a UConn-UMass basketball game beneath it. No one was hurt, but the venue closed for two years of rebuilding before reopening in 1980. The building has since been renamed twice, becoming the XL Center in 2007 and, after a $145 million renovation, PeoplesBank Arena in 2025.
- Carolina Hurricanes played here 1975–1978 and 1980–1997. See every Hurricanes arena →
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Hartford Whalers (NHL/WHA, 1975-1997), UConn basketball, Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL)
- Location: Hartford, Connecticut
- Opened: January 9, 1975
- Capacity (original, hockey): about 10,507
- Capacity (current): about 14,750 (hockey) / 15,495 (basketball)
- Current name: PeoplesBank Arena (since June 2025)
- Notable event: Roof collapse on January 18, 1978, with no injuries
A Near-Miss That Changed the Building
The 1978 roof collapse came just hours after a packed UConn-UMass basketball game had let out, sparing the arena from what could have been a mass-casualty disaster. Investigators traced the failure to design errors in the roof’s space-truss system, compounded by a heavy load of rain, sleet, and snow. The arena was rebuilt and reopened in 1980 with a stronger roof structure, and hockey, basketball, and concerts resumed as before.
From Civic Center to PeoplesBank Arena
The building hosted the Hartford Whalers for over two decades, the 1986 NHL All-Star Game, and the 1994 NHL Entry Draft, along with dozens of concerts including 21 Grateful Dead shows. After the Whalers left for Carolina in 1997, the venue stayed busy with UConn basketball and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. It was renamed the XL Center in 2007, and in 2025 underwent a $145 million renovation that rebuilt the lower seating bowl and added premium spaces before reopening as PeoplesBank Arena that October.
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Hartford Civic Center FAQs
Does the Hartford Civic Center still exist?
Yes. The original building still stands in downtown Hartford, though it has been renamed twice and extensively renovated — it operated as the XL Center from 2007 to 2025 and reopened as PeoplesBank Arena in October 2025.
What caused the Hartford Civic Center roof collapse?
On January 18, 1978, the arena’s space-truss roof failed under a heavy load of accumulated snow, sleet, and rain, compounded by design and construction errors. The collapse happened in the early morning with no one inside, so there were no injuries.
Which teams played at the Hartford Civic Center?
The Hartford Whalers of the NHL (and earlier the WHA’s New England Whalers) played there from 1975 to 1997, alongside UConn’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, who have called the arena home since 1976.
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Photo: T.delconjr / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.