Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minnesota
Image by Ken Lund
The Xcel Energy Center (also known as "The X") is a multi-purpose arena, located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is named for its locally based corporate sponsor Xcel Energy. With an official capacity of 17,954, the arena has four spectator levels: one suite level and three general seating levels. The building is home to the NHL’s Minnesota Wild.
The arena is owned by the city of Saint Paul and operated by the Wild’s parent company, Minnesota Sports & Entertainment. It is on the same block as the RiverCentre convention facility, Roy Wilkins Auditorium and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, in downtown St. Paul. It also served as official home to the 2008 Republican National Convention.
The concourse areas contain a hockey jersey from every high school in Minnesota hanging on the wall, reflecting the "State of Hockey." Surrounding the arena at all four corners are "crows nests." One features an organ and is played during Wild games. The second nest features a lighthouse which houses a foghorn that is blasted when the team takes the ice before games, for all Wild goals, and after a victory. The third is used for the Wild’s drum line. The fourth provides an additional stage for various uses.
Prior to its opening, the arena installed an integrated scoring, video, information and advertising display system from Daktronics, based in Brookings, South Dakota. The system includes a large LED circular, center-hung scoreboard with multiple displays, nearly 1,100 feet (340 m) of ribbon display technology mounted on the fascia and large video displays outside the facility. The center ice display was replaced during the summer of 2014. An array of 10 LED screens with the largest measuring 37.5 feet (11.4 m) wide by 19 feet (5.8 m) high. In the Summer of 2015 the arena began replacing every seat in the building with cushioned seating. This project was finished by early 2016.
