Bell Centre

History and Construction

Construction on the Bell Centre began on June 22, 1993, shortly after the Canadiens won their 24th Stanley Cup at the Montreal Forum. The arena officially opened on March 16, 1996, and was initially named the Molson Centre after the brewing company that owned the Canadiens at the time. Following the sale of the team, Molson elected not to retain the naming rights, leading to an official name change on September 1, 2002, after Bell Canada acquired them. The building was designed by a local consortium, distinguishing it from many North American arenas typically designed by the firm Populous and its predecessors.

In October 2015, a $100 million renovation plan for the Bell Centre was announced. The project included replacing all seats, renovating hallways and concession areas, adding new restaurants, installing public Wi-Fi, and converting the adjacent Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal into a pedestrian-only street. These renovations were planned to proceed without interfering with the arena's normal operations. The arena's location in downtown Montreal's Ville-Marie borough places it near major landmarks like the 1250 René-Lévesque skyscraper and provides direct connections to public transit via the Lucien L'Allier commuter rail terminal and the Bonaventure and Lucien-L'Allier Metro stations.

Arena Design and Features

The Bell Centre covers an area of 1.568 hectares and is renowned for its steeply sloped grandstands, a design feature intended to improve sightlines for spectators. The seating is arranged in a three-tier layout, with the lower 100 level seats coloured red, the 200 level known as Club Desjardins featuring premium amenities, and the upper 300 level. Unique zones within the arena include the Ford Zone at one end, with section cheerleaders and flashing lights, and the Family Zone at the opposite end, which offers child-specific ticket prices and limited alcohol sales. Washrooms on the 100 level are centralized on a specific lower level at each end of the arena.

After some initial criticism that the building felt generic compared to the historic Forum, the Canadiens began decorating the interior with tributes to the team's history, including a ring of honoured players around the top seating level. The arena also features the Molson Ex Zone, which has a live band stage and its own red theme. A notable design quirk is that seats behind the press gondola in sections 318, 319, and 320 have their own scoreboards on the gondola's back because the main scoreboard is blocked from view. The Bell Centre is one of only two NHL arenas, alongside Boston's TD Garden, that uses an old-style siren to mark the end of periods, a tradition inherited from the Montreal Forum.

• The main scoreboard was replaced prior to the 2008-09 season with four 47-square-metre video panels, the largest in the NHL until 2012.
• A new scoreboard with rounded edges and smaller, angled internal screens was installed in 2024.
• The arena contains six restaurants within its complex.
• It is directly connected to Montreal's underground city and Central Station.

Ice Hockey Events

The Bell Centre's primary tenant is the Montreal Canadiens, who have played to near-consistent sell-out crowds since October 2005, often leading the NHL in attendance. The arena has hosted numerous significant hockey events beyond regular season games. It was the venue for the final two games of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey championship series, where the United States defeated Canada, and for two pool games in the 2004 World Cup. The 2009 NHL All-Star Game was held at the Bell Centre, as were the NHL Entry Drafts in 2009 and 2022, the latter seeing the Canadiens select Juraj Slafkovský first overall.

In 2021, the arena hosted its first Stanley Cup Final, with Games 3 and 4 played against the Tampa Bay Lightning under public health restrictions that limited capacity. The Bell Centre has also become a venue for women's professional hockey, hosting a record-setting sell-out crowd of 21,105 for a Montreal Victoire PWHL game against the Toronto Sceptres on April 20, 2024. The PWHL returned on March 1, 2025, for another game. In February 2025, the arena was one of two host venues for the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, staging the first four round-robin games featuring national teams from the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland.

Other Sports and Major Events

Beyond hockey, the Bell Centre hosts a wide array of other sporting events. It has been a regular site for NBA preseason games since 2010, primarily featuring the Toronto Raptors as part of the NBA Canada Series. Of the nine preseason games held there by 2026, six were sold out, with attendances reaching 22,114. The arena also hosted two Toronto Tempo WNBA games during the 2026 season. In mixed martial arts, the Bell Centre made history by hosting UFC 83 in April 2008, the first UFC event in Canada, headlined by Montreal native Georges St-Pierre. Several other UFC events have followed, with the most recent being UFC 315 on May 10, 2025.

Professional wrestling has a storied history at the venue, including four WWE pay-per-view events: Survivor Series 1997, No Way Out 2003, Breaking Point 2009, and Elimination Chamber 2023. The 1997 Survivor Series was the site of the infamous "Montreal Screwjob" involving Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. The arena has also hosted numerous episodes of Raw and SmackDown, including the 1,200th episode of SmackDown in August 2022 and Saturday Night's Main Event XLIII on January 24, 2026. All Elite Wrestling made its Montreal debut at the Bell Centre in December 2023 and returned for its Redemption event on July 26, 2026. The arena was scheduled to host the 2020 World Figure Skating Championships, which were cancelled due to the pandemic, but it successfully hosted the 2024 edition instead.

• First UFC event in Canada: UFC 83 (April 2008), headlined by Georges St-Pierre.
• Notable WWE events: Survivor Series 1997 (site of the "Montreal Screwjob"), Elimination Chamber 2023 (first Chamber in Canada).
• NBA preseason games: 9 held since 2010, with 6 sell-outs.
• Figure Skating: Hosted the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships.

Concerts and Entertainment

The Bell Centre is Montreal's premier venue for large-scale concerts and entertainment, consistently ranking among the world's busiest arenas based on ticket sales. It has hosted a vast array of international musical artists across all genres. The most frequent performer at the arena is Quebec-born superstar Céline Dion, who has given 50 performances there between 1996 and 2020. Her shows spanned multiple world tours, including the Falling into You: Around the World tour, Let's Talk About Love World Tour, Taking Chances World Tour, Summer Tour 2016, and Courage World Tour. Her final show of the Let's Talk About Love World Tour on December 31, 1999, at the Bell Centre marked her last performance before a three-year hiatus from music.

The arena's design allows for flexible configurations to suit different types of events, with capacities ranging from 15,000 for concerts down to 5,000 for theatre-style events. Its central location and integration with Montreal's public transit and underground city make it highly accessible for large crowds. The consistent high attendance for both sporting and non-sporting events has cemented the Bell Centre's reputation as a vital economic and cultural engine for the city. In 2012, it was ranked as the fifth-busiest arena in the world based on ticket sales for non-sporting events.

Honours and Tributes

The rafters of the Bell Centre are adorned with banners celebrating the history of the Montreal Canadiens and other Montreal sports icons. The most prominent are the 24 banners representing the Canadiens' Stanley Cup championships. The team has also retired the jersey numbers of many legendary players, which hang from the rafters. Unlike some other NHL arenas, the Canadiens do not display banners for division or conference championships, focusing solely on Stanley Cup victories and retired numbers.

In a unique tribute to another departed Montreal franchise, the Canadiens raised a banner on October 18, 2005, honouring the Montreal Expos of Major League Baseball. The Expos left the city for Washington, D.C., after the 2004 season, and their mascot, Youppi!, was subsequently adopted by the Canadiens. The Expos banner features the retired numbers of Gary Carter (8), Andre Dawson and Rusty Staub (10), and Tim Raines (30). These numbers are not retired by the Canadiens but serve as a memorial to the baseball team's legacy in the city.

Questions about Bell Centre

What major professional wrestling controversy happened at the Bell Centre?

The Bell Centre was the site of the infamous "Montreal Screwjob" during the Survivor Series pay-per-view event on November 9, 1997. In the main event, WWF Champion Bret Hart was controversially defeated by Shawn Michaels when the match was called without Hart's submission. This incident, orchestrated by WWF owner Vince McMahon due to Hart's impending departure to a rival promotion, remains one of the most discussed moments in professional wrestling history. The arena later hosted a related promo by Michaels in 2005 where he referenced the event.

Has the Bell Centre hosted any Stanley Cup Finals?

Yes, the Bell Centre hosted its first Stanley Cup Final games in 2021. Games 3 and 4 of the series between the Montreal Canadiens and the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning were played inside the arena. Due to public health restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, capacity was limited to 3,500 fans for the Final, though the Canadiens had hoped for a larger allowance. The team returned to full capacity of 21,105 for its home opener later that year on October 16, 2021.

What other sports leagues have used the Bell Centre besides the NHL?

The Bell Centre has hosted events for several other sports leagues. It has been a venue for NBA preseason games since 2010, primarily featuring the Toronto Raptors. It hosted two Toronto Tempo WNBA games in the 2026 season. The Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) has held games there, including a record-setting match for the Montreal Victoire in 2024. The arena has also been a major site for UFC mixed martial arts events since 2008 and hosted the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships.

What is the seating capacity of the Bell Centre for a Canadiens hockey game?

The Bell Centre has a seating capacity of 20,962 for Montreal Canadiens ice hockey games. This makes it the largest indoor arena in Canada and the second largest ice hockey arena in the world, trailing only the SKA Arena in St. Petersburg, Russia. The arena's capacity varies for different event types, with concerts accommodating 15,000 people. For amphitheatre configurations, capacity ranges from 10,000 to 14,000, while theatre style events can host between 5,000 and 9,000 attendees.

When did the Bell Centre open and what was its original name?

The Bell Centre opened on March 16, 1996. It was originally named the Molson Centre, reflecting the ownership of the Montreal Canadiens by the Molson brewing company at the time of its construction. The name was officially changed to the Bell Centre on September 1, 2002, after Bell Canada acquired the naming rights. This change occurred following the sale of the hockey team by Molson, who elected not to keep the naming rights.

Sources and further reading

• Bell Centre (Wikipedia)
• About (centrebell.ca)
• Bell Centre (stadiumandarenavisits.com)

Checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-23.