SaskTel Centre

History and Construction

The arena was conceived as a replacement for the aging Saskatoon Arena, a downtown facility built in the 1930s that had become known for its poor condition and was nicknamed "The Barn". Initial plans in 1982 approved a 5,000-seat venue at the city's Exhibition grounds, but the scope changed dramatically when local sports promoter Bill Hunter pursued purchasing and relocating the NHL's St. Louis Blues to Saskatoon in 1983, a plan requiring an 18,000-seat arena. This ambition sparked a prolonged and divisive debate over the optimal location, with two sites proposed: a downtown site west of the old arena on a decommissioned power plant lot, and a north industrial area near the airport. After a narrow city council vote of 6-5 in 1985 approved the north location, championed by Mayor Cliff Wright and Alderman Henry Dayday, a public petition with over 16,000 signatures forced a plebiscite. That 1985 vote saw 64 percent of residents reject the downtown option. A second plebiscite in 1986 confirmed the north industrial site with 70 percent support. Construction proceeded on an initial 8,000-seat building named Saskatchewan Place, which opened in 1988 and was expanded to 11,000 seats by 1990. The location remained controversial for decades as anticipated ancillary development, including a relocation of the exhibition grounds, failed to materialize and the hoped-for NHL franchise never arrived, though the arena did host the NHL's first neutral-site game on October 13, 1992, between the Calgary Flames and Minnesota North Stars.

In the early 1990s, Bill Hunter made another attempt to bring an NHL team to Saskatoon by applying for an expansion team. This attempt ultimately fell just short of securing adequate funding. In the early 2000s, Saunders Avenue, the street leading into the arena's parking lot, was renamed Bill Hunter Avenue in honour of Hunter. This was considered ironic by many Saskatonians because Hunter had lobbied for the arena to be built in a different location near the old Saskatoon Arena. The city then transferred the 'Saunders' name to a new street in the River Landing redevelopment area, which runs through the former site of the Saskatoon Arena.

Expansion and Naming Rights Evolution

A major renovation and expansion project was undertaken between 2008 and 2009 to prepare the arena, then known as Credit Union Centre, for the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. The project added 2,981 seats at a cost of $6.7 million, increasing the total capacity to over 15,000. Funding was secured through a $2 million loan from the City of Saskatoon, a $3 million provincial grant, and an approximate $500,000 contribution from Hockey Canada. During this period, a proposal from Ice Edge Holdings to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and host five of the team's NHL home games per season at the arena, beginning in December 2009, was considered. The logic paralleled the NFL's Bills Toronto Series, aiming to sell out the arena for monthly games. This plan was abandoned by May 2011. In August 2014, telecommunications company SaskTel acquired the naming rights, and the venue was renamed SaskTel Centre. A further naming rights partnership was established in 2017 when the Saskatchewan Rush lacrosse team, which had relocated from Edmonton in 2016, secured a sponsorship with Saskatoon Co-op, leading the arena to be called Co-op Field at SaskTel Centre during all Rush home games.

Major Sporting Events and Championships

SaskTel Centre has been the site of numerous premier hockey tournaments and championships throughout its history. The arena's inaugural event was a Saskatoon Blades WHL game in February 1988, where they defeated the Brandon Wheat Kings 4-3 before a sell-out crowd of 9,343. Troy Kennedy scored the first goal in arena history. The Blades hosted the Memorial Cup in 1989, reaching the final but losing 4-3 in overtime to the Swift Current Broncos, and again in 2013, where they won only one game. The arena has twice hosted the IIHF World Junior Championship, in 1991 and as a co-host with Regina in 2010, setting a hockey attendance record of 15,171 for a Canada-United States round robin game on December 31, 2009, matched in the gold medal game on January 5, 2010. It also hosted the 2018 4 Nations Cup women's tournament. The venue is a frequent host for Canadian curling championships, having staged the Tim Hortons Brier four times (1989, 2000, 2004, 2012) and the Scotties Tournament of Hearts once in 1991. Most recently, it hosted the 2021 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics.

In basketball, the arena was the site of the inaugural Canadian Elite Basketball League Championship Weekend in 2019, where the Saskatchewan Rattlers won the league's first title with a 94-83 victory over the Hamilton Honey Badgers. The facility has also hosted major professional wrestling events. During a World Wrestling Federation taping on October 12, 1992, Calgary's Bret Hart defeated Ric Flair to win his first WWF World Heavyweight Championship. In a match taped for Superstars that same night, Calgary's Bill Jordan was defeated by the debuting Yokozuna, who would later dethrone Hart at WrestleMania IX. In March 2023, All Elite Wrestling announced it would broadcast its Dynamite program from the arena on July 12, 2023, as part of a pair of shows in Saskatchewan.

• February 1988: Inaugural WHL game with Blades defeating Brandon 4-3.
• 1989 & 2013: Memorial Cup tournaments hosted by Saskatoon Blades.
• 1991 & 2010: IIHF World Junior Championship.
• 1989, 2000, 2004, 2012: Tim Hortons Brier.
• 1991: Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
• 2021: Canadian Olympic Curling Trials.
• 2019: Inaugural CEBL Championship Weekend (Rattlers win title).
• October 1992: WWF event where Bret Hart won the World Heavyweight Championship.
• July 2023: All Elite Wrestling Dynamite broadcast.

Concerts and Cultural Events

The arena has a long history as a major concert venue, hosting performances from a wide array of international artists since its opening. Early concerts included a show by pop singer Tiffany on June 16, 1988, and a performance by heavy metal band Metallica in 1992. A significant cultural event was the 2005 command performance for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, hosted by comedian Brent Butt as part of Saskatchewan's centennial celebrations. The 2007 Juno Awards were held at the arena, with a planned return in 2020 cancelled on March 12 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other notable concerts include a stop on Demi Lovato's Demi World Tour in October 2014. Garth Brooks set a major attendance benchmark with six sold-out shows from June 9 to 12, 2016, alongside Trisha Yearwood as part of their World Tour. The shows broke the arena's existing concert attendance record set by Brooks himself in 1996, averaging 15,776 per show for an estimated total of 94,655 attendees.

The single-concert attendance record for SaskTel Centre was exceeded by Metallica's WorldWired Tour stop on September 15, 2018. That concert attracted 16,874 attendees in one of only two Canadian stops on the tour. The band dedicated their performance of "Nothing Else Matters" to those who had died in the Humboldt Broncos bus crash. In October 2019, SaskTel Centre also hosted a two-night stop on Elton John's Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.

Attendance Records and Tenant History

SaskTel Centre maintains several attendance records across different types of events, reflecting its status as a premier venue in the province. The overall attendance record of 16,874 was set by a Metallica concert on September 15, 2018. For hockey, the record of 15,171 was achieved twice during the 2010 World Junior Championship. The Saskatoon Blades' record attendance for a game against an out-of-province WHL opponent is 12,588, set against the Lethbridge Hurricanes on February 9, 2013. The Blades' overall home record is 14,768, first set in a March 19, 2023 game against the Regina Pats, equalled on March 24, 2023, and again on April 10, 2023, for game seven of a first-round playoff series against the Pats. For the Saskatchewan Rush lacrosse team, the highest attendance is 15,192, recorded on May 21, 2016, in a game against the Calgary Roughnecks.

The arena's primary tenants have been the Saskatoon Blades since its opening. The Saskatchewan Rush of the National Lacrosse League became tenants in 2016 after relocating from Edmonton. The Saskatoon Mamba of the Canadian Elite Basketball League joined as tenants starting with the 2023 CEBL season. The arena has also hosted other teams for tournaments, including the Saskatchewan Rattlers during the 2019 CEBL Championship Weekend.

Future Replacement and Downtown Plans

Studies and planning for a potential replacement for SaskTel Centre have been underway for several years. A 2018 study recommended constructing a new downtown arena and convention centre to replace both SaskTel Centre and the TCU Place convention facility, citing shortcomings in space for large event staging and rigging, poor location, and failure to meet modern standards compared to venues in equivalent markets. In August 2022, following an evaluation of five potential sites, a report was presented to city council recommending one of two downtown locations: the north downtown city yard, and the north parking lot of Midtown Plaza. On November 16, 2022, the Midtown site was officially selected as the preferred location for the proposed Downtown Entertainment and Event District. In February 2024, a proposed design for the district was unveiled, with the new arena tentatively carrying the working title "Saskatchewan Place", hearkening back to the original name of SaskTel Centre. These plans indicate a potential future shift of major events back to Saskatoon's urban core, though the existing arena remains in active use.

Gordie Howe Memorial Statue

A bronze statue honouring hockey legend and Saskatoon native Gordie Howe has stood outside the arena's main entrance since 2005. The statue, created by sculptor Michael Martin, had a complex journey to its current location. Completed in the early 1990s, it initially remained in Eston, Saskatchewan, until private donations funded its finishing. The City of Saskatoon initially declined to install it at the arena, questioning its artistic value and "enduring quality," leading to its purchase and placement on a street corner near Midtown Plaza by mall owners. Public and media criticism, including from a Saskatoon Star-Phoenix columnist and from Gordie Howe himself, argued the arena was a more appropriate location. The statue was finally moved to the arena entrance in 2005. Following Howe's death in June 2016, the site became a memorial, and in September of that year, the cremated remains of both Gordie and his wife Colleen Howe were interred at the base of the statue, creating a permanent tribute to the Hall of Famer and his family.

Architectural and Operational Features

While specific architectural details are not extensively documented, the arena's design evolved from its original 8,000-seat configuration to its current state accommodating over 15,000. The 2008 to 2009 expansion for the World Juniors was a key project that significantly enhanced its capacity and facilities. The arena's location in the north industrial area, adjacent to significant parking lots, was a defining characteristic born from the 1980s debates. Operationally, the venue is owned by the City of Saskatoon and has been managed under various naming rights partnerships. The dual naming convention for Rush games, as Co-op Field at SaskTel Centre, is a unique feature among Canadian arenas. The facility's limitations, as identified in the 2018 study, include inadequate space for large event staging and rigging compared to newer venues, which has fueled the push for a downtown replacement with modern amenities and better integration into the urban fabric.

Questions about SaskTel Centre

What teams currently play at SaskTel Centre?

SaskTel Centre is the home arena for three professional sports teams. The Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League have been tenants since the arena opened in 1988. The Saskatchewan Rush of the National Lacrosse League moved to Saskatoon in 2016 and play their home games there, with the venue called Co-op Field at SaskTel Centre for their matches. The Saskatoon Mamba of the Canadian Elite Basketball League also call the arena home, having begun play in the 2023 season. The arena has also hosted other teams for special events, such as the Saskatchewan Rattlers during the 2019 CEBL championship.

What is the seating capacity of SaskTel Centre?

Following a major renovation for the 2010 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, the arena's capacity was increased to over 15,000 seats for concerts and hockey events. The record attendance for a concert is 16,874, set by Metallica in 2018. For hockey, the record is 15,171, achieved during the 2010 World Juniors. The Saskatchewan Rush lacrosse team holds its own record of 15,192 attendees for a game in 2016. The original building opened in 1988 with 8,000 seats and was expanded to 11,000 by 1990 before the major 2009 expansion.

Why was there controversy over the arena's location?

The location of SaskTel Centre in a north industrial area was the subject of intense debate and public votes in the 1980s. Proponents of a downtown location, including Alderman Pat Lorje, were concerned about the negative long-term effects on the city's core and the accessibility of the northern site. After city council narrowly approved the north location in a 6-5 vote in 1985, a public plebiscite rejected a downtown option with 64 percent against. A second plebiscite in 1986 confirmed the north site with 70 percent support. The controversy persisted for decades as hoped-for development around the arena, including new services and the exhibition grounds, did not occur.

What major events has SaskTel Centre hosted?

The arena has hosted a wide array of major events. In sports, it has staged the Memorial Cup twice (1989, 2013), the IIHF World Junior Championship twice (1991, 2010), the 4 Nations Cup in 2018, and multiple Canadian curling championships including four Briers and the 2021 Olympic Trials. It was the site of the inaugural CEBL championship in 2019 and the NHL's first neutral-site game in 1992. In entertainment, it hosted the 2007 Juno Awards, a 2005 royal command performance, and concerts by major artists like Garth Brooks, Metallica, and Elton John.

Is SaskTel Centre going to be replaced?

Yes, there are active plans to replace SaskTel Centre with a new downtown arena. A 2018 study recommended a new facility due to the current arena's shortcomings in comparison to venues in equivalent markets. In November 2022, the city selected a site in the north parking lot of Midtown Plaza as the preferred location for a new Downtown Entertainment and Event District. A proposed design for the district, anchored by a new arena tentatively named "Saskatchewan Place", was unveiled in February 2024. This project aims to consolidate major event venues in Saskatoon's urban core.

What is the Gordie Howe statue at SaskTel Centre?

A bronze statue of hockey legend Gordie Howe, a Saskatoon native, is located outside the main entrance of SaskTel Centre. Originally completed by sculptor Michael Martin in the early 1990s, it was placed near Midtown Plaza after the city declined to install it at the arena. Following public advocacy, including from Howe himself, it was moved to the arena in 2005. After Howe's death in 2016, the statue became a memorial site, and the cremated remains of both Gordie and his wife Colleen were buried at its base in September 2016, making it a permanent tribute to the Hall of Famer.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Garbutt Disposal desk. Last updated 2026-10-22.