This article delves into the history of two distinct venues: the Rocket Ice Rink, a nostalgic skating destination with unique architectural features, and Rocket Arena in Cleveland, a modern multi-purpose arena that has become a cornerstone of the city's sports and entertainment scene.
Rocket Ice Rink: A Mid-Century Modern Gem
The Rocket Ice Skating Rink, operational for over 30 years, evokes memories of a bygone era. While the exact dates of its opening and closure remain unknown, its architectural style suggests it was built sometime between the 1940s and 1960s.
Architectural Style
The exterior of the Rocket Ice Skating Rink showcased a unique blend of Mid-Century Modernist and Cubist design elements, a departure from the Googie style often associated with that period. The building featured both horizontal and vertical lines, with twin "Monoliths" at the center front, an unusual feature in Art Deco and Mid-Century architecture.
This design seemed to be an attempt to revive Art Deco within the Modernist movement of the Mid-Century era. Before its demolition, the building was painted in dark deep red and tan, colors that were likely introduced later, as they were too dark for the 1950s.
The End of an Era
The Rocket Ice Skating Rink was known for its warped floor and distinctive neon sign. After its closure, the building was used as a storage facility before being destroyed by a fire in February 2011, leading to its demolition.
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The closing this month of Oklahoma City's only ice rink leaves at least five Oklahoma City ice skating groups out in the cold.
Starena, 815 N Virginia, closed April 1, less than a year after it was remodeled and opened under new ownership.
The rink has a history of failure. It once was known as the Rocket Roller Rink. Later, it became Starena, home of the Oklahoma City Stars ice hockey team. But the rink closed in 1983 after the Stars went bankrupt.
With the arena's third failure this month, it's beginning to look as if it doesn't pay to be "hooked on hockey" in Oklahoma City, said Cathy Eggleston, president of the Oklahoma City Stingers coed amateur hockey team.
Agreeing are members of the Oklahoma City Figure Skating Club, Ice Angels Precision Drill Team, Oklahoma City Amateur Hockey Association and the Oklahoma City Senior Hockey League.
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"It's such a shame it keeps having to close, but it's certainly not for lack of interest," said Barbara Holbrook, coach of the Ice Angels and former Starena manager.
"The people of Oklahoma City do enjoy ice skating. We've had record numbers of skaters. But it's hard to have people get interested when, every time they do, the rink closes."
Mrs. Holbrook said her 14-member drill team probably will practice on land, then travel to Tulsa to skate on the public rink there.
The trip seems inevitable to other ice fans, too.
"Our club will not dissolve, but we'll have to go to Tulsa every weekend," said Paul Ayyat, president of the 35-member Oklahoma City Figure Skating Club. "The members (ranging in age from 7 to 16) won't be learning anything new, but at least they won't forget what they've already learned."
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Ayyat said the Figure Skating Club practiced four days a week at Starena and attended public skating sessions during the week and on weekends.
But the problem is even more severe for Oklahoma City's three ice hockey groups. Because the ice rink in Tulsa is for public skating, pucks and sticks are not allowed on the ice.
"We'll be defending a trophy in Little Rock April 28, and we'll have to go into the game without having practiced for three weeks," said Steve Gordon of the Oklahoma City Senior Hockey League.
"I guess this means we'll have to go into mothballs. The closest rink available for ice hockey now is probably in Dallas," he said.
Kirk Hagan, president of the Amateur Hockey Association, agrees.
"It's going to put about 90 amateur hockey players in a very difficult position," he said.
"We practiced at Starena Monday through Friday and had our games on the weekends. The season ended last month and we won't start again until October, so we still have hopes, though."
Use of the Starena was good this last year, with both organized teams and recreational skaters. I'd hope someone would fill the void with a new rink. We haven't given up. It's looked darker than today.
Who knows?
Rocket Arena: A Cleveland Landmark
Rocket Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The building is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL). It also serves as a secondary arena for Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball and is the planned home of the new Cleveland WNBA team, which is scheduled to begin play in 2028.
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In the past, the arena has served as the home venue for a number of additional teams, including the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League, the Cleveland Rockers of the Women's National Basketball Association, the Cleveland Barons of the American Hockey League, the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League, and the Cleveland Crush of the Legends Football League.
From Gund Arena to Rocket Arena
Rocket Arena opened in October 1994 as part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex with adjacent Progressive Field, which opened in April of that year. The facility replaced Richfield Coliseum as the primary entertainment facility for the region and the home of the Cavaliers, and supplanted the Wolstein Center at Cleveland State University, which opened in 1991, as the primary concert and athletic venue in downtown Cleveland.
From its opening in October 1994 until August 2005, it was known as Gund Arena, named for former Cavaliers owner Gordon Gund, after he paid for the naming rights. After purchasing a majority of the Cavaliers in March 2005, Dan Gilbert bought the naming rights in August 2005 and renamed the building Quicken Loans Arena after his mortgage lending company Quicken Loans.
Rocket Arena seats 19,432 people in its basketball configuration and up to 18,926 for ice hockey. It is a frequent site for concerts and other athletic events, such as the men's and women's basketball tournaments of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), hosting since 2000 and 2001, respectively.
Rocket Arena was preceded in downtown Cleveland by the Cleveland Arena, a facility built in 1937 with a seating capacity for basketball of approximately 12,000. The Cleveland Arena was also the home of an earlier professional basketball team, the Cleveland Rebels of the Basketball Association of America, the original Cleveland Barons ice hockey team, and hosted several games of the Cincinnati Royals of the NBA in the 1960s. By 1970, however, Cleveland Arena was outdated and in disrepair. The Cavs played there their first four seasons.
Evolution and Renovations
During the 1980s, the site of the Central Market, a fruit and vegetable market that dated back to 1856, was selected for construction of a multi-purpose domed stadium for the Cleveland Browns and Cleveland Indians, but the ballot measure to fund it was defeated by voters. The market site was acquired in 1985 and cleared in 1987 in a continued push for new downtown sports facilities by city and business leaders.
Gilbert purchased the then-inactive Utah Grizzlies franchise of the American Hockey League on May 16, 2006, and announced that it would move to Quicken Loans Arena to replace the departed Cleveland Barons. The team name was announced as the Lake Erie Monsters on January 25, 2007, and began play in the 2007â08 season.
In December 2016, the Cavaliers announced plans for renovations to the arena that included an increase in the square footage of the concourses and open areas, along with upgrades throughout the building. After some initial setbacks, renovations moved forward, resulting in a modernized facility.
The seating capacity was reduced in 2018 as part of a major renovation project that expanded the concourses, removed three sections of seating in the upper level, and updated other parts of the facility. The main scoreboard at Rocket Arena, nicknamed Humongotron, is the fourth largest scoreboard used in an NBA arena. On the roof of the building is a large LED message board that measures 360 feet (110 m) by 90 feet (27 m). The sign was approved by the Cleveland City Planning Commission in March 2016 with the stipulation that only the arena's name or its naming rights sponsor can be shown.
Seating and Amenities
The arena seats 19,432 for basketball, with 2,000 club seats and 88 luxury suites. Seating is divided into three levels, with two main levels of suites and five "platinum suites" on the event level. Around the seating there are two main concourses, one on the ground level to access the 100 level seating and 32 lower suites, and an upper concourse for the top 200 level seating. The lower concourse also includes the ticket office and the two-level main team shop. In between is the club level, which provides access to the 60 upper suites and club seating. In the hockey and arena football configuration, capacity is 18,926. During most Monsters games, the upper-level seating is closed and covered by a large curtain, reducing capacity to 9,447. In the basketball configuration, when the upper-level seating is closed, capacity is listed at 11,751. 60% of the seating is located in the lower two levels.
In March 2017, in partnership with the non-profit organization KultureCity, the Cavaliers officially introduced the availability of accommodations during all events for guests with hypersensitivity needs, such as attendees with autism spectrum disorders. This includes staff training, free "sensory bags" with headphones, a blanket, and other items geared towards attendees with sensory needs, as well as a sensory room and exemptions from re-entry policies if they are overwhelmed by the environment.
Notable Events and Tenants
As the home of the Cavaliers and Monsters, Rocket Arena has hosted a number of notable events for each team, including playoff and championship games. Through the 2020â2021 season, the Cavs have hosted playoff games in 12 of their 27 seasons at Rocket Arena, including games three and four of the 2007 NBA Finals, 2017 Finals, 2018 Finals and games three, four, and six of the 2015 and 2016 Finals. The Monsters made their playoff debut in 2011 and returned to the playoffs in 2016. In the 2016 Calder Cup playoffs, the team advanced to the Calder Cup final and swept the Hershey Bears in four games for their first Calder Cup in franchise history. Games three and four were held at Rocket Arena.
Rocket Arena has been home to other franchises that have either relocated or folded. When it opened in 1994, in addition to being home of the Cavaliers, it was also the home arena for the Cleveland Lumberjacks of the International Hockey League (IHL). The Lumberjacks played at the arena until 2001, when the team folded along with the IHL. From 1997 to 2003, the Cleveland Rockers, one of the eight charter members of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), played at Rocket Arena. The team folded after the 2003 WNBA season because the Gunds, who still owned the Cavs at that point, no longer wished to operate the Rockers franchise, and a new ownership group could not be obtained.
The Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League qualified for the playoffs in six of their nine seasons in Cleveland and hosted playoff games in 2008, 2011, and 2014. During the 2014 season, the team finished 15â1 overall and advanced to ArenaBowl XXVII, which was held at Rocket Arena.
In addition to its professional sports tenants, Rocket Arena has hosted several intercollegiate sporting events. It has been home to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) men's basketball tournament since 2000 and the MAC MAC women's basketball tournament since 2001. "MAC Madness," as it is known, has become a strong draw for the arena. The men's semi-final and championship games routinely draw 10,000â15,000 attendees. In addition, the Rocket Arena has served as a host for games of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, hosting early-round games in 2011 and regional semi-final and final games in 2015.
Rocket Arena has also hosted games for the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship, hosting regional semi-finals and finals for the 2006 tournament and the Final Four and national championship games in the 2007 tournament and the 2024 tournament.
On August 29, 2021, Cleveland native and internet personality turned professional boxer Jake Paul took on former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley in an 8-round professional boxing match.
Rocket Arena was selected in July 2014 as the host site for the 2016 Republican National Convention. The arena hosted the first Republican presidential debate of the 2016 election, aired by Fox News Channel, on August 6, 2015. The convention was held July 18â21, 2016.
Transforming the Arena: A Behind-the-Scenes Look
In the few hours before a Cavsâ home game, a team led by Sherman Cartwright, the senior director of operations at Rocket Arena, will dust off the court the city knows and loves. âThey're the heartbeat of the venue,â Antony Bonavita, the executive vice president and chief venues and development officer of facility operations, says about the behind-the-scenes team.
And like many unsung heroes, this crew works when no oneâs watching. A riser lies below a durable plastic subfloor. (âWe are the only team in the league that actually raises the floor,â Cartwright says.) Utilized to improve sightlines, the riser also provides the outline for the basketball court, which spreads the width of 15 wooden panels. Each is laid individually as retractable seating sections on the north and south courtsides are brought forward to provide the up-close experience that fans know and love.
The four-way screen that centers it all is simply lowered from its permanent place on the ceiling, but its fun, fiery effects come with a little extra precaution. âThereâs flames and pyro effects that come out of (the screen)," Cartwright says. âSo the fire marshal needs to come in to do a test to make sure it's good for the game.â Once that clears, things settle. For a little while, at least.
Thatâs because the Cavs arenât the only team that competes at this time of year. The Cleveland Monsters, who also call Rocket Arena home, start the hockey season in October, around the same time the NBA commences. (For example, in 2024 the home openers were back-to-back, on Oct. 25 for the Cavs and Oct. 26 for the Monsters.) Double headers at the arena are a not-so-rare phenomenon that Cleveland has seen periodically over the past few seasons. It deems fun for fans, but poses a tight task for Cartwrightâs team to handle.
Late after a Cavs game, around 50 staff members storm the floor for teardown, with less than 24 hours later to prepare the rink for a Monsters home game.
Though it would be cool to admit that the ice for a hockey rink will be made overnight, this part is actually done days in advance.
| Arena | Basketball Capacity | Hockey Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Rocket Arena | 19,432 | 18,926 |
A plant below the concrete floor, which spans about 200 feet long and 85 feet wide, is set between 14 and 16 degrees Fahrenheit. Giving it time to cool, staff returns the next morning with hoses to create nearly 15,000 gallons of ice directly on the floor. The ice is then painted white, and supplemental logos and goal lines are added and secured with a top coat of water.