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Matthews Arena (formerly Boston Arena) is a historic multi-purpose arena in Boston, Massachusetts currently owned by Northeastern University. It is the world's oldest multi-purpose athletic building still in use, as well as the oldest arena in use for ice hockey. There are current plans to demolish the historic arena and replace it with a new facility.
It is the original home of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Boston Bruins (the only team of the NHL's Original Six whose original home arena still exists for the sport of ice hockey), the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Boston Celtics, and the World Hockey Association (WHA)'s New England Whalers (now the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes)
Today it is used by the Northeastern Huskies men's and women's ice hockey teams, and the men’s basketball team, as well as various high school ice hockey programs in the city of Boston. The venue also hosts Northeastern's graduation ceremonies, its annual Springfest concert, and other events.
The arena was scheduled to open on Christmas Day 1909, but construction delays pushed back the opening until April 25, 1910. The arena's inaugural event was an ice carnival to benefit the Sharon Sanatorium. Skating events were held throughout the day, including a performance by Irving Brokaw. The arena's first ice hockey game was won by the Harvard Freshmen hockey team, who defeated Newton High School, 4–0. The Harvard varsity squad played later that evening, losing to Crescent H. C., 1–0. The Arena's original ice surface was larger than the current standard at .
The first games of professional ice hockey at the Arena took place in March 1911 when a two-game $2,500 competition between two NHA teams, the Montreal Wanderers and the Ottawa Senators took place. The Arena was the home ice for a number of amateur and college hockey teams, including the Boston Athletic Association, Boston Arenas, Westminster Hockey Club, Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, and MIT Engineers.
From 1921 to 1932, the Boston Athletic Association Indoor Games were held at the arena.
The NHL's first US-based franchise, the Boston Bruins, made the Boston Arena their home from 1924 to 1928. Before the team began play, the Arena reduced its ice surface from 220 x 90 feet down to 200 x 80 feet to conform to NHL regulations. This also allowed the Arena to add 1,000 seats.
The Garden ran their shows at a loss in order to keep events away from the Arena. In 1934, the smaller Boston Arena Corporation, led by Henry G. Lapham, purchased a controlling interest in the Boston Garden. In 1936, the Boston Garden-Arena Corporation bought out the remaining stock owned by the Madison Square Garden Corporation.
In 1975, the MDC offered to sell the Arena to the city of Boston for $450,000. The city leased the building from the MDC pending completion of the purchase. The sale never took place and in 1977, the MDC leased the Arena at no cost to Northeastern University.
A 1995 renovation expanded the ice surface from .
This came as concerns surrounding the structural integrity of Matthews Arena increased: scaffolding was erected to support the east end of the arena in 2024, part of the student section as well as the Varsity Club (home to the arena's only licensed bar) were closed, and the foundation, built on reclaimed land once part of a wharf, was found to be sinking.
During the 1912 United States presidential campaign, the arena hosted a rally for President William Howard Taft and two rallies for the Bull Moose Party ticket, one headlined by presidential nominee Theodore Roosevelt and the other headlined by vice presidential nominee Hiram Johnson. Herbert Hoover and Al Smith both delivered speeches here during the 1928 campaign. The Democratic Party hosted two large rallies at the arena during the 1932 presidential campaign, one headlined by Smith and the other headlined by presidential nominee Franklin D. Roosevelt. Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey spoke at the arena during his 1948 presidential campaign.
Malcolm Nichols held a rally at the arena during his 1937 mayoral campaign.
In 1952, the Arena served as the first home to the annual Beanpot tournament between Boston's four major college hockey programs. From 1953 to 1970, it hosted the Boston Arena Christmas Tournament. The 1960 NCAA men's ice hockey tournament was held at the Boston Arena.
From 1972 to 1974, the venue was home to the Hartford Whalers of the World Hockey Association.
On November 5, 1946, the Boston Celtics played their first ever game in front of 4,329 fans at the Boston Arena. Boston Celtics (1946–Present) The team split its home games between the Garden and the Arena until 1955.
The Doors were booked to perform two shows at the Boston Arena on April 10, 1970. The second concert did not begin until after midnight and went on for two hours before arena management turned off the power. Lead singer Jim Morrison, who appeared to be intoxicated during the entire latter show, wanted to continue and smashed a microphone stand into the floor before being escorted off the stage. The shows were released as a live album, Live in Boston, in 2007.
Phish's New Year's Eve concert on December 31, 1992 was the band's highest attended concert to date and was broadcast live (and rebroadcast the following day) on WBCN.
Under Northeastern ownership, the arena has continued to host two concerts per year put on by the school's student-run Council for University Programs (CUP). Tickets for these shows are only available for purchase to the university's students, staff, and alumni. 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the spring concert, "Springfest."
For many years, the arena hosted Boston University's graduation ceremonies. Commencement speakers included Hamilton Holt, Harry Emerson Fosdick, Garfield Bromley Oxnam, Basil Joseph Mathews, Karl Taylor Compton, Roscoe Pound, George F. Zook, John Erskine, Alessandro Ghigi, Alf Landon, and Paul V. McNutt.
Boston hosted the American Legion's 1940 national convention. The formal session was held at the Boston Arena and featured speeches from Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation J. Edgar Hoover, Governor Leverett Saltonstall, and Mayor Maurice J. Tobin.
In 1946, the arena hosted the national encampment of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Future U.S. President John F. Kennedy was the general chairman of the convention. Speakers included fleet admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Governor Maurice J. Tobin, and Congressmen Joseph W. Martin Jr. and John W. McCormack.
Paul Bowser, Price and Dellamano Promotions, and Tony Santos promoted wrestling cards at the arena.
Boxing was once a mainstay at the arena and hosted bouts with Jack Sharkey and Marvelous Marvin Hagler.
In 1993, the arena hosted the funeral service for Boston Celtic captain and Northeastern alum Reggie Lewis.
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