Even though Toronto and Canada have often been known for their love for Hockey and the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors have made a name for themselves over the past couple of decades and have become one of the most popular sports teams in the world. Therefore, it’s only natural that both Leafs and Raptors fans have a top-notch arena to coexist and watch their teams dominate: the Scotiabank Arena. Here, we’re going to let you know everything there is to know about one of the most beautiful sports arenas in Canada.
Scotiabank Arena: From The NBA And NHL To The National Lacrosse League
Formerly Air Canada Centre, this multi-purpose arena is owned by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. It’s home to the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, and formerly of the Toronto Rock, Toronto Phantoms, and Toronto Marlies. According to BuzzFeed, it’s the most photographed location in Canada.
What was Air Canada Centre before?
Long before this arena was the Air Canada Centre, and eventually renamed Scotiabank Arena, it used to be the Canada post delivery building. Then, by 1993 when the NBA decided to expand to Canada, officials chose this downtown location as the perfect site for an arena. It was just south of Lake Shore Boulevard along Bay Street and north of the Union Station, right near York Street. That made it a perfect location as it was at immediate walking distance of public transportation. Scotiabank arena opened with a top-notch opening concert with local band The Tragically Hip rocking the place. This arena was known as Air Canada Centre from 1999 to 2019 until Scotiabank Arena bought the naming rights for $800 million of Canadian dollars. Notably, this arena helped boost the city’s economy and incentivized construction on the downtown core of Toronto.
Why are the seats covered at Scotiabank Arena?
If you thought seats were covered because of special guests, then we’re sorry to tell you you’re wrong. The seats of this arena are covered to prevent the puck from hitting the fans during hockey games, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Is Scotiabank Arena cashless?
You don’t need to bring in cash with you if you’re looking to hit the food court at Scotiabank Arena. Like any other arena in the NBA, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment announced that this would be a 100% cashless arena and they would only accept debit and credit cards as well as contactless payment methods.
Is Scotiabank arena full capacity?
It’s not unusual to see Leafs and Raptors games at full capacity in this arena. That’s why they can always rely on Maple Leaf Square if they don’t have tickets to actually enter the arena. Whether if they’re playing against the New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, or Washington Wizards, the Maple Leaf Square attracts thousands of Leafs or Raptors fans every single night, especially when their teams play playoff games on the road. The outside wall of the atrium features a massive video screen that provides a top-notch watching experience. You can even spot an occasional Toronto Rock jersey every now and then.
How many seats are in a row at Scotiabank Arena?
This arena can host up to 18,800 fans for lacrosse games; 5,200 for the theatre; 19,800 for concerts; 19,800 for basketball (20,511 with standing room); and 18,800 for hockey (20,270 with standing room). When it comes to seating, the lower level near the ground floor has 28 rows of seats in most sections.
How big is the Scotiabank Arena?
This multi-purpose arena located at 40 Bay Street is 665,000 sq ft in size. This arena cost $265 million Canadian dollars, which would translate to $391 million in 2020 dollars, and was designed by Brisbin Brook Beynon Architect.
Why are the Toronto Raptors playing in Tampa?
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and regulations from Canadian authorities, the Raptors had to leave downtown Toronto to play in the United States. Needless to say, it wasn’t easy to choose between multiple sports venues but eventually, they decided to play at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.
Why is Toronto called Raptors?
Even though most people wanted to bring back the Toronto Huskies name, eventually they decided to pursue a new identity to prevent confusion with the Minnesota Timberwolves logo. Beavers, Bobcats, Dragons, Grizzlies, Hogs, Raptors, Scorpions, T-Rex, Tarantulas, Terriers, and Towers (in honor of the CN Tower) were near the finalists, with the team eventually leaning towards ‘Raptors’ to make the most of Jurassic Park’s popularity at the time.
Toronto Raptors: A Giant In The Making
The Toronto Raptors haven’t been around for that long. They’re one of the youngest teams in the National Basketball Association, being founded in 1995. Even so, their history goes way back. Believe it or not, the first NBA game in history took place in an arena in Toronto, more specifically at Maple Leafs Garden.
The Toronto Huskies faced the New York Knicks, and even though the team folded after that season, the city often dreamed of having a franchise again. The team was formally created in 1993 and joined the league two years later to help them expand their horizons to a country that favored professional hockey and other events more than any other sport. But, as it usually happens with recently-born teams, the Raptors couldn’t find success right away. They failed to make the playoffs for the first couple of years until eventually, Maple Leaf Gardens Ltd (now known as Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.) bought the team and helped increase its popularity by moving them to a new arena.
Obviously, it was also Vince Carter’s presence that put the Raptors on the map, kicking off their era at the Air Canada Centre with the right foot. With Carter, the Toronto Raptors played their first playoff matches ever, becoming one of the greatest sensations in the world thanks to his explosive, emphatic dunks. Sadly, their first playoff berths were unsuccessful and they failed to transcend until he eventually left the team on bad terms.
Carter eventually returned in front of a sell-out crowd and shared his farewell in the arena but that’s a story for another day. Carter’s departure led to another rebuild and countless struggles, with the average Canadian fan choosing to watch the National Hockey League or even attend a Toronto Rock game before attending a basketball game. Chris Bosh became the face of the franchise in 2003 but they couldn’t find much success until he blossomed as a two-way star in 2006. Bosh, however, would eventually leave to team up with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the Miami Heat and the struggles came back, but it would be different this time.
DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry became one of the most entertaining duos in the Eastern Conference and constantly led the Raptors to the playoffs and brought thousands of fans to the arena, but once again to no avail. Then, Masai Ujiri decided to trade away DeRozan and bring in Kawhi Leonard, one of the boldest, most controversial moves in NBA history, but it paid off immediately. The Raptors won the NBA championship in Leonard’s lone year on the team, capping up perhaps the best NBA playoff runs in recent history. And even though he’s no longer a part of the franchise and neither is Lowry, coach Nick Nurse has been an incredibly competitive squad that takes pride in playing physical, suffocating defense.
With Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and young standouts OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes, it’s just a matter of time before the Raptors become a powerhouse again and Raptors fans fill Jurassic Park during the Raptors’ playoff runs and, who knows? even during a championship game, as some of them have already found the promised land with their respective development teams.
So, if you’re looking to plan a sports trip up north and visit Canada, don’t forget to take a tour of one of the loudest NBA arenas on the planet. You just need to get down at Union Station and you’re all set. Both the Leafs and the Raptors can coexist in downtown Toronto, and with all due respect to hockey fans, nothing compares to the atmosphere at Jurassic Park.
Check out their schedule for the upcoming events or, hopefully, some NBA playoff matches featuring some of the best young players in the league. Unlike the Vancouver Grizzlies, they survived, and now want to take what’s theirs.
