Montreal Arena, often called the Westmount Arena, opened on December 31, 1898, at the corner of St. Catherine Street and Wood Avenue in Westmount, Quebec. It is widely considered the first arena ever built specifically for ice hockey, featuring innovative rounded end boards that let the puck ricochet around the rink and speed up play, a design later copied by rinks across North America.
For two decades the building was the beating heart of Montreal hockey, hosting the amateur Montreal Hockey Club, Shamrocks, and Victorias before becoming home to the Montreal Wanderers and, from 1911, the Montreal Canadiens. It witnessed eight Stanley Cup championships and likely the first-ever NHL game on December 19, 1917, before fire destroyed it just two weeks into the league’s inaugural season.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers (NHL/NHA)
- Location: Westmount, Quebec, Canada
- Opened: December 31, 1898
- Demolished: Destroyed by fire, January 2, 1918
- Capacity: About 10,000 (roughly 4,300 seated)
- Notable fact: Considered the first arena purpose-built for ice hockey
A Rink Built for the Game
Unlike earlier rinks adapted from other uses, Montreal Arena was designed from the ground up for hockey. Its rounded corner boards were a genuine innovation, eliminating the dead puck battles that plagued square-cornered rinks and helping shape the flow of the modern game. Artificial ice-making equipment was added in 1915, keeping the surface playable even as Montreal winters varied.
The arena hosted amateur powerhouses like the Montreal Victorias and Shamrocks before the rise of professional hockey. It then became a battleground for the Wanderers and Canadiens, two teams that combined for eight Stanley Cup victories on its ice between the early 1900s and 1917.
The Fire That Reshaped the NHL
On January 2, 1918, barely two weeks after the newly formed National Hockey League dropped the puck for its first season, a fire broke out in the arena’s ice-making plant and consumed the building. Damage was estimated at $150,000, destroying the Canadiens’ and Wanderers’ equipment with only partial insurance coverage.
The Canadiens relocated to the smaller Jubilee Arena and carried on, but Wanderers owner Sam Lichtenhein folded the four-time Stanley Cup-winning franchise rather than rebuild, shrinking the fledgling NHL to three teams. A condominium building now stands on the site.
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12 x 10.5 x 6 in. — built to the common stadium clear-bag size. Check your venue's rules.
USB-charged warmers for cold night games — no disposable packets.
Keeps chili hot from the tailgate to the fourth quarter.
Montreal Arena FAQs
Why is Montreal Arena historically significant?
It’s considered the first rink ever built specifically for ice hockey, and it hosted eight Stanley Cup championships as well as one of the NHL’s first-ever games in December 1917.
What happened to Montreal Arena?
A fire broke out in the ice-making plant on January 2, 1918, destroying the building just weeks into the NHL’s first season.
Which teams played at Montreal Arena?
The Montreal Wanderers and Montreal Canadiens both called it home, along with earlier amateur clubs including the Montreal Victorias and Shamrocks.
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Photo: Arthur Farrell / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.