Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

This article is about the arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. For the arena inside the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, see Mohegan Sun Arena.

Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

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Former names	Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Arena and Convention Center (1998–2000) First Union Arena at Casey Plaza (2000–2003) Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza (2003–2010)
Location	255 Highland Park Boulvevard Wilkes-Barre, PA 18703
Coordinates
Owner	Luzerne County Convention Center Authority
Operator	SMG
Capacity	8,300 (Hockey) 10,000 (Concerts)
Surface	Multi-surface
Construction
Broke ground	September 15, 1997
Opened	November 13, 1999
Construction cost	$44 million ($64.9 million in 2024 dollars)
Architect	Heinlein Schrock
Project manager	Hammes Company
Structural engineer	Quad3 Group, Inc.
Services engineer	Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
General contractor	Oscar J. Boldt Construction Company
Tenants
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL) (1999–present) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers (af2) (2002–2009)

Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza (originally Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Arena and Convention Center, formerly First Union Arena at Casey Plaza and Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza) is an 8,050-seat multi-purpose arena located in Wilkes-Barre Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, just south of the city of Wilkes-Barre, managed by SMG.

History

Built in 1998 due to the instrumental work of Pennsylvania Governor Robert P. Casey, Sr. and his successor, Tom Ridge and due to the dedication and support of State Representative Kevin Blaum, the arena was originally named the Northeastern Pennsylvania Civic Arena and Convention Center. In 2000, the naming rights were sold to First Union Bank, becoming First Union Arena, until the summer of 2003, when First Union Bank merged into Wachovia, at which point it became Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza. On January 20, 2010, the arena became Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza, as part of a 10-year naming rights contract with the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs racetrack and casino.

It has been home to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, of the AHL since 1999, and the former home of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers, of the AF2 League. In January 2012 it was planned to be the home to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Shamrocks of the North American Lacrosse League, but the league had folded.

Recognition and events

The Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza has been recognized by many entertainment magazines as one of the best in the country for arenas under 10,000 in capacity, especially for its attendance and ease of show setup and teardown. The Penguins hold the American Hockey League record for most sellouts in a season, selling out all 40 home games in 2002–2003 and 2003–2004, and ran a streak of 90 consecutive sellouts between March 2002 and October 2004, and 54 from December 2000 to February 2002.

Panoramic View

Other than Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey games, other events that occur at the arena include circus performances, an annual Christmas-time Trans-Siberian Orchestra performance, professional ice-skating shows, Harlem Globetrotters, and the annual graduation ceremonies for nearby King's College, University of Scranton, Luzerne County Community College, and Marywood University.

The arena hosted the 2007 WWE Draft on June 11, 2007 which was the final WWE Monday Night Raw appearance for the late Chris Benoit.

Some notable concerts include Bob Dylan, The Dead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Elton John, The Eagles and Lynyrd Skynyrd.

President George W. Bush spoke at the arena on October 22, 2004, during his campaign for re-election to the presidency of the United States.

On October 9, 2003, the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets played a preseason game at the arena.

Photo gallery

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  Side Angle View

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  Center Ice View

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  The Arena during a Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins hockey game.

External links

• Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza