Consol Energy Center Consol Energy Center ( ) is a multi - purpose indoor arena in the Uptown area of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . The arena is home to both the Pittsburgh Penguins , the city ' s National Hockey League ( NHL ) franchise , as well as the Arena Football League ' s Pittsburgh Power , which began play in 2011 . Construction was completed on August 1 , 2010 , and opened in time for the 2010 – 11 NHL season . The arena replaced the Penguins ' former arena , Mellon Arena ( currently known as Civic Arena ) , which was completed in 1961 . A ceremonial ground - breaking was held on August 14 , 2008 . The arena is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ( LEED ) gold - certified arena in both the NHL and AFL . As soon as the center opened it was lauded as one of the best arenas in the world , winning both for " Best New Major Concert Venue " and the best NHL arena for 2010 – 11 . The arena is named for Consol Energy , which purchased the naming rights in December 2008 . Planning and funding . The Lemieux Group explored options to build a replacement for Pittsburgh Civic Arena , the oldest arena in the NHL , since its purchase of the Penguins in 1999 . In an attempt not to use public funding , the Penguins filed for a slots license under the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board . The Penguins were granted the license , though the decision of which casino company would receive approval was the Gaming Control Board ' s decision . The Lemieux Group reached an agreement with Isle of Capri Casinos , which offered to fully fund a $ 290 million arena , if Capri could also construct a $ 500 million casino nearby . Other casinos , including Majestic Star Casino and Forest City Enterprises , also agreed to partially contribute to the arena ' s funding . On December 20 , 2006 , the Gaming Control Board awarded the license to Majestic Star Casino , who agreed to pay $ 7 . 5 million for the first 30 years , in addition to the Penguins paying $ 4 million per year . The casino experienced financial difficulty , which could have led to taxpayers financing the entire project . However , on August 14 , 2008 the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board selected Neil Bluhm to take ownership of the casinos , which pulled the casinos out of risk of bankruptcy . The arena ' s funding plan was agreed upon by Penguins owner Mario Lemieux , Pittsburgh mayor Luke Ravenstahl , and Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell on March 13 , 2007 , after much negotiation . During negotiations , the Penguins explored moving the franchise to Kansas City or Las Vegas ; after the deal was made the Penguins agreed to stay in Pittsburgh for at least thirty more years . Lemieux later stated that relocating the franchise was never a possibility , but instead it was a negotiation tactic to help the team get funding for the arena from both state and local officials . The arena was originally scheduled to open for the 2009 – 10 NHL season ; however , this was pushed back to the 2010 – 11 NHL season . The arena was expected to cost approximately $ 290 million , but rose to $ 321 million due to increased cost of steel and insurance . The Penguins agreed to pay $ 3 . 8 million per year toward construction , with an additional $ 400 , 000 per year toward capital improvements . After $ 31 million cost rise , the Penguins pledged an additional $ 15 . 5 million , while the State and Sports and Exhibition Authority split the difference . In September 2009 , the State contributed an additional $ 5 . 08 million from the " Pennsylvania Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund " to cover a rising " interest on variable rate bonds " . The arena is expected to help the surrounding area grow financially ; plans are in place to construct a bar and a grocery store nearby . In October 2008 , the Penguins reached an agreement with the Horizon Properties Group to build a 135 - room hotel adjacent to the arena . A " nationally - franchised hotel " is expected to open in August 2010 . A 15 - foot montage of pictures inspired by the works of August Wilson will be created for Fifth and Centre Avenues . Design and construction . Populous , formerly HOK Sport , designers of PNC Park and Heinz Field , designed the building , while the ICON Venue group and Oxford Development oversaw the building of the arena . More than a dozen buildings were razed in order to create room for the new arena . On April 8 , 2008 , Populous presented design renderings to the Pittsburgh City Planning Commission , receiving negative feedback . Local architect Rob Pfaffmann went so far as to say , " If I put a Home Depot sign on that , it looks like a Home Depot . " Populous returned on May 6 with new plans , which were unanimously approved by the City Planning Commission . The Penguins have contacted the Pittsburgh Technology Council , which includes 1 , 400 businesses , in order to find new technologies to implement into the arena ' s design . On demand replays from touch - screens will be available in luxury suites , while " Yinz Cam " — a system developed by Carnegie Mellon University students — will allow any fans to view instant replays from multiple angles on their cell phones . The arena ' s capacity will be 18 , 087 for hockey , in honor of Sidney Crosby ' s number " 87 " , and 19 , 000 for basketball games . The venue will hold 14 , 536 to 19 , 758 for concerts , depending on the layout . The venue will also include 2 , 000 club seats and 66 suites , in honor of Mario Lemieux ' s number " 66 " . Ticket prices will range from $ 115 , 000 to $ 150 , 000 per season for luxury boxes to individual game tickets at $ 22 . Ken Sawyer , Penguins ' chief executive officer , has asked that the interior be modeled after Jobing . com Arena in Phoenix . " I was just taken aback by their seats , " said Sawyer , " Even when I was up in a high level , I had a great view . " NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called the building " very well designed . " Bettman liked the size of the concourses and the view offered of Pittsburgh ' s skyline . Mario Lemieux along with officials from the state and local governments ceremonially broke ground on a new hockey arena on August 14 , 2008 . Shovels , with shafts made from team captain Sidney Crosby ' s used hockey stick s , were used for the ground - breaking ceremony . Erection of structural steel took place from January 2009 to August 2009 . The arena is named for Consol Energy , the largest producer of bituminous coal in the United States , which signed a 21 - year agreement with the Penguins in December 2008 . Secondary sponsors of the arena will be PNC Wealth Management , UPMC , Verizon , American Eagle Outfitters , and Dick ' s Sporting Goods , the last three being existing sponsors carrying over from the Civic Arena . Consol Energy Center is one of the only major sports venues whose soft drink contract isn ' t with Coca - Cola or Pepsi . ( Coca - Cola previously held the contract with Civic Arena . ) Instead , Dr Pepper Snapple Group holds a contract , and serves its own products such as RC Cola , Diet Rite , Cherikee Red , and Sunkist Orange Soda , in addition to its more popular brands such as Dr Pepper , 7 Up , and A & W Root Beer that are typically sold alongside Coke or Pepsi products in other venues . As Heinz Field sells Coke products and PNC Park sells Pepsi products , this makes Pittsburgh ' s three major sporting venues each selling different soft drinks . In 2012 , Heinz Field joined PNC Park in pouring Pepsi products , breaking a 50 - year commitment with Coca - Cola . The final years of the Civic Arena were without a pouring rights contract due to its impending demolition . In this time , Coke retained pouring rights in fountains ( seemingly due to the cost of a large scale changeover ) and Dr Pepper / 7up products were exclusively sold in bottles . This is one of the few times that a venue this large has sold products from competing soft drink companies . Hockey . Penguins . Team owner Mario Lemieux and captain Sidney Crosby officially christened the new ice on July 27 , 2010 , the same day as the official press conference to announce the 2011 NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field . The two skated for about five minutes before being joined on the ice by a group of young hockey fans all wearing Lemieux ' s # 66 or Crosby ' s # 87 jerseys . The Penguins opened the arena with a preseason game on September 22 , 2010 with a 5 – 1 win over the rival Detroit Red Wings . Penguins ' forward Mike Comrie scored the very first goal in the new arena , 81 seconds into the game . The team also added a third home preseason game to the schedule . Team president David Morehouse said , " Our feeling is that more fans will want the chance to see and experience Consol Energy Center , so we thought it made sense to add the third preseason home game . " The Penguins officially opened the building on October 7 , 2010 against their cross - state rival s Philadelphia Flyers , with the Penguins falling 3 – 2 . The first goal was scored by the Flyers forward Daniel Brière at 2 : 51 in the 2nd period , a power play goal . The first Penguin goal was scored by forward Tyler Kennedy 44 seconds into the 3rd period . The stars of the game were awarded to Kennedy , Claude Giroux and Flyers rookie goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky , who made 29 of 31 saves in his NHL debut . The Penguins earned their first win at the arena on October 15 , 2010 against the New York Islanders , prevailing on an overtime power - play goal by defenseman Alex Goligoski . It was also the first overtime game at the new arena . Goaltender Brent Johnson earned the win for the Penguins , making 22 saves . The first playoff game in the Consol Energy Center was against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 13 , 2011 . The first playoff goal in the building was scored by Alex Kovalev . The Penguins would go on to win the first playoff game by a score of 3 – 0 . Marc - Andre Fleury had a 32 save shutout . The Penguins would go on to lose in seven games . Collegiate . On July 13 , 2010 , the arena was selected to host the 2013 NCAA Frozen Four , scheduled for April 11 and 13 , 2013 . The Penguins along with Robert Morris University will mark the first NCAA Division I Men ' s Ice Hockey championship held in the state of Pennsylvania and also the first major team sport in NCAA history to hold its national championship game in the city of Pittsburgh . " We are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen to host the 2013 Frozen Four at the Consol Energy Center , " RMU head men ' s ice hockey coach Derek Schooley said . " The Frozen Four will be a major showcase for the city of Pittsburgh as well as our emerging hockey program . This is one of the NCAA ' s premier events , and Robert Morris and the city of Pittsburgh will be an excellent host . " The first collegiate event at the Consol Energy Center was the fifth - annual College Hockey Showcase on October 17 , 2010 , hosted by Robert Morris . In the events first game the Lady Colonials were defeated by the women ' s Northeastern Huskies , 4 – 3 . The Colonials ACHA club team beat Pitt 6 – 4 . In the arena ' s first NCAA men ' s game , the Colonials men ' s team defeated Air Force , 3 – 2 . In conjunction with the 2011 NHL Winter Classic , held on January 2 at nearby Heinz Field , a collegiate game and an American Hockey League game were contested at the Consol Energy Center on December 30 , 2010 . The first game matched the RIT Tigers men ' s ice hockey team against the Robert Morris Colonials ; RIT won 4 – 3 . The second game matched the top - level affiliates of the two Winter Classic teams ( the Penguins and the Washington Capitals ) , the Wilkes - Barre / Scranton Penguins and the Hershey Bears ; the Bears won 1 – 0 . Basketball . Both the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University have dedicated locker rooms in the arena for use by the schools ' basketball teams . Both the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University made their first appearance on December 1 , 2010 in the City Game , the first ever basketball game hosted in the venue . A neutral venue , Pitt was designated as the home team for the game , which the Panthers won 80 – 66 . The first points at the arena were made by Duquesne freshman guard T . J . McConnell , with a basket at 27 seconds into the game . The arena hosted the 2010 SEC / Big East Invitational with Auburn University vs . Rutgers University and University of Pittsburgh men ' s basketball team vs . Tennessee , Pitt ' s second appearance at the Consol . The games were televised nationally on ESPN2 and ESPN respectively . Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon stated , " We ' re going to try to play there [ Consol Energy Center ] as much as possible . " Duquesne University will host 3 home games on December 12 versus West Virginia University , University of Dayton on January 30 , 2011 , and Xavier University on February 13 , 2011 . Duquesne University will host first and second round games of the 2012 NCAA Men ' s Division I Basketball Tournament at the arena on March 15 & 17 , 2012 . It will be the fourth time Duquesne plays host to games in the NCAA Tournament , previously doing so in 1997 , 2001 ( women ' s ) and 2002 all at Consol ' s predecessor Civic Arena . " Duquesne University is proud to bring one of the premier sporting events in the nation back to Pittsburgh , " said DU Athletics Director Greg Amodio . " We look forward to working with the city of Pittsburgh and the state - of - the - art Consol Energy Center in putting on a first class event . " The arena has been mentioned by National Basketball Association commissioner David Stern as a possible future home for an NBA franchise should one move to Pittsburgh . Arena football . Arena football is a game resembling American football that is played on a shorter indoor field between two teams of eight players each . The Arena Football League considered starting an expansion team in the arena , but the league folded in August 2009 . However , after a two - year hiatus , the AFL returned and has also considered an expansion team in Pittsburgh . On August 19 , 2010 , news sources reported that the Consol Energy Center will be the home of the Pittsburgh Power , which began play in the spring of 2011 . The team ' s ownership group will include former Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League Hall of Famer Lynn Swann . Pittsburgh will be the 5th city added for the 2011 AFL season , joining the San Jose SaberCats , Kansas City Command ( formerly the Brigade ) , New Orleans VooDoo and Philadelphia Soul – who were all previous members of the Arena Football League . Playing in a city renowned for its enthusiasm for sports , the Power finished its inaugural season with impressive attendance figures . In nine home games , the Power averaged 9 , 197 fans per game , a figure that includes an audience of 13 , 904 that showed up for the season opener against the Philadelphia Soul . Overall , the Power ranks sixth among the 18 Arena Football League teams in average attendance through 17 games , and its average attendance is about 1 , 000 people more than the AFL average . Transportation Access . Consol Energy Center is served by exits at Mile 1 of Interstate 579 and exits 70A and 72B of Interstate 376 it is also within 1 mile of Interstate 279 . Three blocks to the west of the Center is the Steel Plaza transit station of the Pittsburgh subway system . Events . The arena opened on August 18 , 2010 , with a performance by Paul McCartney . The demand for the first show was so great that tickets sold out within five minutes of going on sale . This prompted the addition of a second show , a day later on August 19 . Originally , Pittsburgh ' s own Christina Aguilera was planning to open the arena on August 3 , 2010 . Due to conflicts with construction , Aguilera canceled her show . Other performers during the arena ' s first month included Lady Gaga , Roger Waters and Rush . George Strait , Reba McEntire , and Lee Ann Womack performed at the arena on October 14 , 2010 . Fictional portrayals . " Justified " , an FX television drama that debuted in March 2010 , used the Center ' s final construction phase as a filming location to depict the " new Federal Courthouse " on the show . References . < / ref >