# Bell Centre
The **Bell Centre** (French: Centre Bell) is a multipurpose indoor arena in downtown Montreal, Quebec, that opened on March 16, 1996 as the Molson Centre and serves as the home of the [Montreal Canadiens](https://www.edgepedia.org/montreal-canadiens) of the [National Hockey League](https://www.edgepedia.org/national-hockey-league).[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about) With a hockey capacity of over 21,000, it has the largest capacity of any NHL venue.[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about) • [2](https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/groupe-ch-selects-levy-as-hospitality-partner-at-bell-centre-sept-5-2025)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Opened | March 16, 1996, originally as the Molson Centre[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about) |
| Primary tenant | Montreal Canadiens (NHL), its home for three decades[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about) |
| Hockey capacity | Over 21,000; commonly listed as 20,962, with other published figures of 21,105 and 21,273[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about) • [3](https://rg.org/en-ca/guides/championship-guides/canadian-nhl-arenas-factbook-capacities-names-team-identity) • [4](https://dam.mtl.org/m/2b8ef521a59f1716/original/Fiche-facilities-Bell-Centre.pdf) |
| Address | 1260 rue De La Gauchetière, downtown Montreal; served by the Lucien-L'Allier métro station[5](https://www.imtl.org/edifices/Le-Centre-Bell.php) |
| Configuration | First arena in North America to use a rolling gantry, allowing setups from 3,000 to 21,000 seats[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about) |
| Premium spaces | 120 luxury boxes on two levels; five restaurants[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about) |
| Certification | LEED-EB V2 Silver since October 2009[5](https://www.imtl.org/edifices/Le-Centre-Bell.php) |
## Origins and construction
The arena was built to replace the Montreal Forum on Sainte-Catherine Street, which had become too small for demand and for the new financing criteria of NHL teams.[5](https://www.imtl.org/edifices/Le-Centre-Bell.php) The Molson Centre officially became the new home of the Canadiens on March 16, 1996.[6](https://devilsmedia.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/montreal-canadiens-media-guide.pdf) The building was constructed on land where the rail lines leading to Windsor Station once ran; the tracks now stop on the arena's west side, giving rise to the Lucien-Lallier commuter station, and the construction blocked access to the old Windsor Station, which was later converted to office use.[5](https://www.imtl.org/edifices/Le-Centre-Bell.php)
**Design and builders.** The architects and designers were Lemay & Associés, leMoyne, and Lapointe Magne.[5](https://www.imtl.org/edifices/Le-Centre-Bell.php) Construction in the dense urban environment was entrusted to Magil Construction; Ronald Corey, then president of the Canadiens, framed the project's success around two key factors.[7](https://www.magil.com/en/projects/bell-center) The building received an architecture award from the Ordre des architectes du Québec in 1996 in the commercial architecture category.[5](https://www.imtl.org/edifices/Le-Centre-Bell.php)
## Capacity and configuration
Published capacity figures differ by configuration and source. The arena's own site says it seats over 21,000 for Canadiens games;[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about) a Canadiens factbook lists it as over 21,000, commonly given as 20,962;[3](https://rg.org/en-ca/guides/championship-guides/canadian-nhl-arenas-factbook-capacities-names-team-identity) Tourisme Montréal's facilities sheet gives 21,273;[4](https://dam.mtl.org/m/2b8ef521a59f1716/original/Fiche-facilities-Bell-Centre.pdf) and a Groupe CH corporate document gives a total of 21,105 seats.[8](https://downloads.ctfassets.net/k2tsvy3dt9oa/4WIsRC8JqsKwzBGynZ8RGX/dfa452a22f15f78f000d7051a96b6720/EN_-_Corporate_events_at_Group_CH_2025-26.pdf) All of these make it the largest hockey arena in the NHL by capacity.[2](https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/groupe-ch-selects-levy-as-hospitality-partner-at-bell-centre-sept-5-2025)
The building is a modular amphitheatre equipped with a giant jumbotron and computer-controlled equipment for rapid reconfiguration. It was the first arena in North America to use a rolling gantry, allowing configurations ranging from 3,000 to 21,000 seats for concerts, sporting, and corporate events.[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about)
## Tenancy and attendance
The Canadiens have played at the arena since it opened. Through the 2014-15 media guide, the team had played 731 games there, with a record of 370 wins, 251 losses, 46 ties, and 64 overtime losses, and had averaged more than 20,000 spectators in each of its 18 complete seasons at the building.[6](https://devilsmedia.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/montreal-canadiens-media-guide.pdf)
## Events and entertainment
Beyond hockey, the Bell Centre hosts concerts by local and international artists and a variety of sporting and corporate events. It houses the headquarters of the exclusive promoter evenko, which produces more than a hundred events each year.[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about) In 2024, Pollstar ranked it the second busiest amphitheatre in Canada.[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about) A Pollstar year-end chart of top arenas by tickets sold listed the Bell Centre at 25,156 tickets per show average, and a City of Hamilton compilation of concert rankings placed it second in Canada and 20th worldwide with 571,770 tickets sold at a concert capacity of 15,000.[9](https://s3.amazonaws.com/venuesnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/01103444/121321_Pollstar_Top200Arenas_Top20_RS.pdf) • [10](https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=124941)
## Hospitality and renovations
**Premium spaces.** In May 2025 the Canadiens announced La Voûte CIBC, a 9,000 square-foot all-inclusive ice-level hospitality area extending into 325 premium seats across three sections, developed since 2023 and formally launched with the 2025-26 season.[11](https://www.nhl.com/news/canadiens-cibc-partner-on-new-premium-space-at-bell-centre) Groupe CH's president of sports and entertainment, France Margaret Bélanger, has described expanding the arena from within using previously unused space as an ongoing process.[12](https://canespr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/clips122325.pdf)
**Food service.** In September 2025, Groupe CH renewed its partnership with Levy, extending a 23-year hospitality relationship that covers most premium spaces, including four fine dining restaurants (Canti, La Mise au Jeu, Mythik, and the 9-4-10 Steakhouse), suites, backstage and player catering, and the Air Canada Signature Club.[2](https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/groupe-ch-selects-levy-as-hospitality-partner-at-bell-centre-sept-5-2025)
## Location and access
The arena sits in the heart of downtown Montreal and is easily accessible by public transit.[1](https://centrebell.ca/en/about) It is served by the Lucien-Lallier métro station, with bus routes 150, 410, 420, 427, 430, and 435 nearby.[5](https://www.imtl.org/edifices/Le-Centre-Bell.php) An on-site garage at 1225 Saint-Antoine Street West opens at noon on event days, charges $20 to $45 per event night, and accepts card and debit only.[13](https://concertsremembered.app/venues/centre-bell)
## References
1. [Centre Bell – About us](https://centrebell.ca/en/about)
2. [Groupe CH selects Levy as hospitality partner at Bell Centre, Montréal Canadiens (September 5, 2025)](https://www.nhl.com/canadiens/news/groupe-ch-selects-levy-as-hospitality-partner-at-bell-centre-sept-5-2025)
3. [Canadian NHL Arenas Factbook: Capacities, Names, Team Identity, rg.org](https://rg.org/en-ca/guides/championship-guides/canadian-nhl-arenas-factbook-capacities-names-team-identity)
4. [Tourisme Montréal – Bell Centre facilities sheet](https://dam.mtl.org/m/2b8ef521a59f1716/original/Fiche-facilities-Bell-Centre.pdf)
5. [Le Centre Bell, Images Montréal (IMTL)](https://www.imtl.org/edifices/Le-Centre-Bell.php)
6. [Montreal Canadiens Media Guide – Arena History](https://devilsmedia.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/montreal-canadiens-media-guide.pdf)
7. [Magil Construction – Bell Centre project](https://www.magil.com/en/projects/bell-center)
8. [Corporate events at Group CH 2025-26](https://downloads.ctfassets.net/k2tsvy3dt9oa/4WIsRC8JqsKwzBGynZ8RGX/dfa452a22f15f78f000d7051a96b6720/EN_-_Corporate_events_at_Group_CH_2025-26.pdf)
9. [Pollstar Top 200 Arenas, VenuesNow (2021)](https://s3.amazonaws.com/venuesnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/01103444/121321_Pollstar_Top200Arenas_Top20_RS.pdf)
10. [City of Hamilton – concert venue rankings document](https://pub-hamilton.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=124941)
11. [Canadiens, CIBC partner on new premium space at Bell Centre, NHL.com (May 7, 2025)](https://www.nhl.com/news/canadiens-cibc-partner-on-new-premium-space-at-bell-centre)
12. [News clippings, December 23, 2025 (Canes PR)](https://canespr.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/clips122325.pdf)
13. [What Is It Like to See a Concert at Centre Bell? A Fan's Guide, Concerts Remembered](https://concertsremembered.app/venues/centre-bell)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Hockey and remaining team sports › Ice hockey venues, seasons, and year-records*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license