Latest news with #ThomasSenecal
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hartford's XL Center re-named PeoplesBank Arena
Hartford's downtown arena will now go by a new name: PeoplesBank Arena. On Monday, the State of Connecticut announced the Holyoke, Massachusetts-based company purchased the naming rights to the venue, which had been known as the XL Center since 2007. CT Insider reported the deal is worth $20 million over 10 years. PeoplesBank — different than People's United Bank, which merged with M&T Bank a few years ago — has five branches in Hartford County with a six set to open soon. 'We chose to invest in this arena because we believe in Hartford,' PeoplesBank CEO and chairman Thomas Senecal said at a ceremony. 'We believe in the revitalization happening here, the momentum building downtown, the renewed energy in the business district, the arts, the restaurants, the culture. And of course, the sports.' Originally called the Hartford Civic Center, the arena serves as the part-time home for three UConn sports teams: Men's basketball, women's basketball and men's hockey. The two basketball split their home games between Hartford and Gampel Pavilion in Storrs. The Ice Bus moved downtown on a full-time basis after joining Hockey East in 2014 but scaled back to just 4-6 games per season once the new on-campus ice rink, Toscano Family Ice Forum, opened in 2022. The venue also houses the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, concerts and other events throughout the year. Originally opened in 1975, it's currently undergoing a $145 million renovation that will add premium seating, an upgraded concourse, new locker rooms and other improvements. The work is expected to be completed by October. More from Le Moyne transfer Dwayne Koroma commits to UConn men's basketball Dorka Juhász to sit out 2025 WNBA season UConn Baseball clinches share of Big East regular season title with sweep over Butler UConn assistant Ben Kantor leaving for Georgia Tech UConn softball wins Big East Tournament, earns first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2001 2025 forward Jacob Ross commits to UConn men's basketball
Associated Press
02-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Hartford home of UConn Huskies basketball renamed PeoplesBank Arena
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The Hartford venue that's the part-time home of the storied UConn men's and women's basketball teams has a new name: PeoplesBank Arena. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont joined officials from the arena's management company and PeoplesBank to announce a new naming rights deal Monday on the floor of what had been called the XL Center since 2007. Terms of the multi-year agreement were not released. 'We chose to invest in this arena because we believe in Hartford,' said Thomas Senecal, CEO and chairman of PeoplesBank, based in Holyoke, Massachusetts. 'We believe in the revitalization happening here, the momentum building downtown, the renewed energy in the business district, the arts, the restaurants, the culture. And of course, the sports.' The UConn men's and women's basketball teams generally play half their home games in Hartford and the other half at Gampel Pavilion on the school's Storrs campus. The men's team has won six national championships, including in 2023 and 2024, and the women's team has won a dozen, including this year's title. The UConn men's hockey team also plays some games in Hartford, where the arena is home to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. The arena, originally known as the Hartford Civic Center, turned 50 years old this year and hosts music concerts and other events throughout the year. It's currently closed for a $145 million renovation to add new seating, loge boxes, private box space and an upgraded main concourse, among other projects. It's scheduled to reopen in the fall. The Civic Center also was home to the NHL's Hartford Whalers, who left town in 1997 and became the Carolina Hurricanes. Three years after it opened, the arena was destroyed when its roof collapsed in 1978 due to design faults, only hours after a UConn men's basketball game.
