PeoplesBank Arena - Hartford Wolf Pack
- Greg Venuto
- Apr 12
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 13
Photos by Greg Venuto, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
PeoplesBank Arena 1 Civic Center Plaza Hartford, CT 06103
Year Opened: 1975
Capacity: 15,635
New Look In Hartford
The home of the Hartford Wolf Pack has a fresh feel after the building was closed for six months from May to early October for renovation. A refurbished seating bowl and locker room area are not the only new things as a new name was unveiled on June 2, 2025. The naming rights now belong to PeoplesBank Arena as part of a 10-year partnership ending its time with XL Insurance Company. The club and event space is probably the highlight of the renovation, located between sections 119-124.
The arena is owned by the City of Hartford, it is managed by the quasi-public Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA), under a lease with the city, and operated by Oak View Group. PeoplesBank Arena, once known as the Hartford Civic Center, was built in 1974 as part of a downtown project that included an adjacent mall, convention center, office space, hotel, and parking garage.
The original hockey tenants of the facility were the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association, who became the Hartford Whalers when the franchise joined the National Hockey League in 1979. When the Whalers left town in 1997 to become the Carolina Hurricanes, the New York Rangers placed their top farm team in Hartford. The Wolf Pack has won a single Calder Cup in 2000.
In addition to serving as home to the Wolf Pack, the arena serves as the occasional home of the UConn Huskies men’s and women’s basketball and men’s hockey teams.
The Hartford Wolf Pack, who play in the Atlantic Division, is the oldest continuously operating minor league hockey team in North America. The Wolf Pack began its existence as the Providence Reds in 1926 as one of the charter members of the Canadian-American Hockey League. The Reds played in Providence until the 1976 season, when they moved to Binghamton, New York, where they played as the Dusters, Whalers, and Rangers. Among all professional teams in North America, only the National Hockey League’s Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Boston Bruins have been in existence longer.
Food & Beverage 4
PeoplesBank boasts an impressive variety of concession stands. In addition to traditional arena fare, fans can find several local favorites among the choices.
Stadium Journey recommends Ted’s Cheeseburgers, opened in 1959 in Meridan, which features gourmet burgers cooked in a style unique to Central Connecticut: they are steamed. Steaming the burgers creates a juicy burger with a unique flavor.
Other notable stands include Randy’s Wooster St. Pizza (featured on Man vs. Food), the Portly Pig, H&H Barbeque, Suzie Q’s Smash Burgers, and Soul Bowls. Portable carts serve up a variety of snacks, including Potato Pit-Stop (speciality baked potatoes) and Carvel ice cream. Our Stadium Journey tip is hit up the Carvel next to section 113, which offers hot fudge and strawberry soft ice cream sundaes made to order for $10. The other location has pre-made ice cream cups.
The Sports Bar and Sportsbook features 80 TVs and a 100-foot video wall to keep track of all your bets. The attached bar features over 40 different beers on tap.
On Friday and Saturday nights, the Wolf Pack offers “Hockey Happy Hour”, where fans can hang out in the Heritage Club for two hours before face-off. For a $10 fee, fans can enjoy an appetizer buffet and two-dollar beers. There are also $2 hot dogs and beer nights every Friday. The promotion runs until the end of the first intermission.
The arena is a Pepsi venue. A large fountain soda (32 oz) is $7. Bottled water is $5.
A complete guide to concessions can be found here. Most Concession stands are cashless, so remember to bring your credit or debit card.
Atmosphere 3
The Wolf Pack offers the standard minor league hockey experience. This includes a solid sound system, a large jumbotron that features game highlights, an MC roaming the crowd conducting giveaways and pumping up the crowd, and a mascot named Sonar posing for pictures and signing autographs.
The crowd gets into the typical staples, including Chuck-a-Puck, t-shirt tosses and a 50/50 raffle. Chuck-a-Puck is held after the game.
Neighborhood 4
Hartford is rarely thought of as a destination city, but there is a lot to do in Connecticut’s capital city. The area around the arena features numerous restaurants and shops.
The top restaurants near PeoplesBank Arena include Salute (Italian), Agave Grill (Mexican), and Max Downtown (Steakhouse), all within a 3-minute walk. Other highly rated spots include Max’s Trumbull Kitchen and Feng Chophouse. Pratt Street is another good place to hang out. The historic, one-block, pedestrian mall is lined with quaint retail shops and rich architecture.
The area around the arena is safe and walkable. The Hartford Hilton, The Capitol Hotel, and Marriott Residence Inn are all within walking distance of the arena.
For fans interested in exploring the downtown area, there are some worthwhile attractions nearby. The Old State House is located a few blocks from PeoplesBank and contains exhibits on Hartford history. Tours are $8 for adults and discounted to $4 for AAA members. The State Capitol (open Monday-Friday) and Bushnell Park are popular attractions located nearby. The Mark Twain House and Museum and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center are both located just a short drive from the downtown area. Check out Hartford.com for more information.
Fans looking for other sporting options in Hartford can pair a WolfPack game with a UConn men’s or women’s basketball game here. The Hartford Yard Goats play a couple of blocks away at Dunkin’ Park. Hartford Athletic FC plays at Trinity Health Stadium on the Connecticut River waterfront. Fans looking to venture outside the city a bit will find the UConn campus in Storrs just over half an hour away.
Fans 3
The Pack is averaging 5,571 (17th overall), up from last year but still below the AHL average in terms of attendance. PeopleBank occupies much of the upper level, and there are still large empty sections in the building.
The crowd mostly consists of groups, families, and youth hockey teams mixed in with the casual and hardcore hockey fans (still pining for the return of the Hartford Whalers). The fans sport a mix of Wolf Pack, NY Rangers, and Hartford Whalers merch.
Access 4
The arena is located in downtown Hartford and is easy to reach via either Interstate 84 or 91. The arena is only a few blocks away from either highway. Traffic in the city is often difficult to navigate, particularly for weekday games. Be sure to allow extra time to arrive, as both highways back up regularly around rush hour.
There are close to 50 parking lots and garages in the downtown area, all within walking distance of PeoplesBank Arena. If you want to plan, the Wolf Pack’s website has a link to the downtown map here. In addition to these paid spots, on-street parking is readily available. Meters shut off at 6 PM, and many are free on Saturdays and Sundays.
There are three entry points, and the gates open 60 minutes before games. The main entrance at Church and Trumbull leads into the lobby. There are also entrances at Church and Ann St. and Church and Trumbull.
If entering the main entrance, fans will find themselves in a spacious lobby. This area was once part of Civic Center Mall, but is mostly empty now. The Wolf Pack ticket office is located here, as well as access to the attached parking garage and the Coliseum Club on the second level. The Wolf Pack operate their main souvenir stand here.
All seats in the building consist of folding stadium chairs. The seating bowl is steeply pitched, ensuring great sight lines. If seated in the lower rows, you will get your steps in walking up and down the steep stairs to get to the bathrooms and concessions. Tickets in the upper reaches of the 200 level are not sold.
Despite renovations over the years, the building retains its cramped and narrow concourses. Restrooms are small, but clean and adequate for the typical Wolf Pack crowd.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets to Wolf Pack games are split into three levels. End Zone seats cost $35, attacking zone tickets cost $30, and center ice tickets cost $48. Youth tickets are discounted by ten dollars across the board. Premium seats right on the glass cost $55. The Wolf Pack offers several ticket packages to help defray costs.
Parking in the garages nearby ranges in price from $10-$30. It’s best to use the Park Whiz App and book in advance. Fans can search the neighborhood for free on-street parking. Concessions, while on the high side, are in line with other venues in the area.
Extras 3
The plethora of banners hanging from the rafters is impressive as the building honors the Whalers and UConn men’s and women’s basketball teams, including the men’s 2023 and 2024 National titles. The Wolf Pack hung their 2000 Calder Cup and division title banners. The UConn collection includes banners honoring basketball Hall of Fame coaches Jim Calhoun and Gino Auriemma, which hang in the corners of PeoplesBank.
The building celebrates its past as the home of the Hartford Whalers. Hanging from the rafters are Whaler retired numbers and division championship banners. The Howe family, who all played together in Hartford, are honored in banner form. The other honorees are #2 Rick Ley, #5 Ulf Samuelsson, #10 Ron Francis, #11 Kevin Dineen, and #19 John McKenzie.
The lobby contains a display of some of the highlights of Hartford’s professional hockey history and the Whalers Hall of Fame.
Final Thoughts
The fans generate enough excitement for this to be a fun place to watch a hockey game, especially on weekends. Catching a UCONN women’s or men’s game or a concert is also a treat.
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