McNichols Arena

McNichols Sports Arena

Big Mac
The arena in 1994
Location	1635 Bryant Street Denver, Colorado 80204
Coordinates	39°44′34″N 105°1′21″W / 39.74278°N 105.02250°W / 39.74278; -105.02250Coordinates: 39°44′34″N 105°1′21″W / 39.74278°N 105.02250°W / 39.74278; -105.02250
Owner	City of Denver
Operator	Feyline
Capacity	Basketball: 16,700 (1975–77), 17,387 (1977–81), 17,251 (1981–86), 17,022 (1986–93), 17,171 (1993–99) Ice hockey: 15,900 (1975–77), 16,399 (1977–81), 16,384 (1981–86), 16,061 (1986–99)
Construction
Broke ground	August 8, 1973
Opened	August 22, 1975
Renovated	1986
Closed	September 29, 1999
Demolished	January 24, 2000
Construction cost	US$16 million ($71.2 million in 2016 dollars)
Architect	Charles S. Sink & Associates
Structural engineer	Ketchum, Konkel, Ryan, & Fleming
Tenants
Denver Spurs (WHA) (1975–76) Colorado Rockies (NHL) (1976–82) Colorado Flames (CHL) (1982–84) Denver Nuggets (NBA) (1975–99) Colorado Avalanche (NHL) (1995–99) Denver Grizzlies (IHL) (1994–95) Denver Dynamite (AFL) (1987, 1989–91) Denver Avalanche (MISL) (1980–82) Colorado Xplosion (ABL) (1996–98) Denver Daredevils (RHI) (1996)

McNichols Sports Arena was an indoor arena located in Denver, Colorado. Located adjacent to Mile High Stadium and completed in 1975, at a cost of $16 million, it seated 16,061 for hockey games, 17,171 for basketball games and contained 27 luxury suites, which were installed as part of a 1986 renovation. It was named after Denver mayor William H. McNichols, Jr., who served from 1968 to 1983. A small-scale scandal surrounded the naming, because McNichols was in office at the time. The 1986 renovations also saw the original Stewart-Warner end-zone scoreboards, which each had color matrix screens, upgraded by White Way Sign with new digits and to include new color video screens (which replaced the matrix screens).

The arena remained closed after the Nuggets and Avalanche moved to Pepsi Center and was demolished in 2000 to make space for a parking lot surrounding Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

McNichols Sports Arena was the home of the Denver Nuggets of the ABA and NBA for its entire existence from 1975 to 1999 It also hosted multiple hockey teams, including the Denver Spurs of the WHA during the 1975–76 season, the Colorado Rockies of the NHL from 1976 to 1982, the Colorado Flames of the CHL from 1982 to 1984, the Denver Grizzlies of the International Hockey League from 1994 to 1995, and the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL from 1995 to 1999.