HERSHEY, Pa. – There are a number of top-notch college ice hockey venues nationwide. Next to none, however, boast the tradition and history of Hersheypark Arena, the facility Lebanon Valley's ice hockey programs call home.
The "old barn," as the arena is affectionately referred to by central Pennsylvania hockey fans, has had dozens of well-known athletes compete, celebrities perform, and even a president celebrate a birthday within its confines, all while housing the Hershey Bears, one of the most successful franchises in the history of minor league sports, for 66 years.
HERSHEYPARK ARENA TIMELINEThe Bears, the American Hockey League's oldest franchise and the longest tenured North American hockey club outside of the NHL's "Original Six" teams from Montreal, Toronto, Boston, Chicago, New York, and Detroit, called Hersheypark Arena home from 1936-2002. During that span, the Bears won eight of their AHL-record 11 Calder Cups in 1946-47, 1957-58, 1958-59, 1968-69, 1973-74, 1979-80, 1987-88, and 1996-97.
HERSHEY BEARS HISTORY AT HERSHEYPARK ARENAPresident Dwight D. Eisenhower celebrated his 63rd birthday among 6,000 guests, including golfing legend Ben Hogan, at Hersheypark Arena during a two and a half hour celebration on Oct. 13, 1953. The festivities, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Republican Finance Committee, had all the trimmings, including a six-foot tall birthday cake and a candlelight salute to the 34th President of the United States.
PHOTOS FROM DWIGHT EISENHOWER'S 63RD BIRTHDAY PARTYFrank Sinatra performed at Hersheypark Arena on May 10, 1994 in one of the last concerts of his legendary six decade career. Less than nine months later, Ol' Blue Eyes gave the final public performance of his life. In addition to Sinatra, musical icons including Elton John, the Eagles, and Liberace graced the Arena's stage during its prime. The Ice Capades, the Harlem Globetrotters, the Ringling Bros. and WWE personalities the likes of Andre the Giant, Hulk Hogan, and the Rock have headlined shows within its confines.
VINTAGE PHOTOS OF HERSHEYPARK ARENAPerhaps most famously, however, Hersheypark Arena was the scene of one of the most historic performances in all of sports: Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game. On Mar. 2, 1962, the Philadelphia Warriors' center and future Basketball Hall of Famer netted the highest single-game point total by a player in the history of the game against the New York Knicks; a feat that has yet to be matched or surpassed some five and a half decades later.
WILT 100At the time of its building in 1936, Hershey Sports Arena, as it was originally known, was the largest monolithic, concrete structure in North America. It remains one of the few such buildings left standing today. The nearly 80 year old structure, originally built at the instruction of Milton S. Hershey to provide jobs to some 250 workers during the Great Depression, has housed LVC men's ice hockey since its first year of competition in 1998-99. Soon, the Dutchmen's women's team will make its program debut on the same ice. In 2012, the arena received a refurbished roof and exterior to ensure it will continue to house hockey for another 75 years or more.
For over six decades, professional hockey was a staple at Hersheypark Arena. The Bears have since moved across the parking lot to the 10,500 seat Giant Center, built in 2002. The Dutchmen, however, have made sure that the Arena's original purpose, to house and showcase top-notch hockey, continues to this day.
With its move back to NCAA Division III, the men's team will continue to build on the success of Lebanon Valley's first 15 seasons while the women's program will join the fray and lay the foundation for the school's newest athletic offering.
And with history echoing from every one of the tradition-laden building's 7,286 seats, what better place to do it than the one-of-a-kind Hersheypark Arena?