We knew the arena seating could easily be expanded to 12,500 seats.
JACK McGREGOR
Penguins president in 1966, on adding nearly 2,000 seats to the Civic Arena to meet an NHL demand for expansion teams.
• 5,169 people attended the Hornets last game at the Civic Arena.

• The first hockey sellout at the Civic Arena was on February 3, 1968 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

• Before the start of the 1974-75 season the ice surface at the Civic Arena was reduced from 205 feet to 200 feet.

• The construction of E-Level balconies in 1975 increased the capacity of the venue by 3,000 seats.

• The 1983-84 season was the last year the arena was not sold out for a hockey game.

• 1993 renovation projects, including the addition of the F-level balconies, new luxury skyboxes and several privately catered club seats, added 1,000 new seats.

•The 2007-08 was the first season in the arena's history that the entire season was a sellout.


• The arena was sold out for the last 166 Penguins games.


For more on Civic/Mellon Arena history:



• In addition to the Penguins, 12 professional sports teams have called the Civic/Mellon Arena home:

- Hornets (AHL)
- Rens (ABL)
- Pipers (ABA)
- Condors (ABA)
- Bulls (MILL)
- Triangles (WTT)
- Phantoms (RHI)
- Stingers (MSL)
- Spirit (MISL)
- Gladiators (AFL)
- Crosfire (NLL)
- Explosion (ABA)





• The Beatles performed a concert on September 14, 1964.




• Elvis Presley performed there on June 25, 1973 and later on December 31, 1975.



• The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh was filmed at the arena in 1979.



• The arena was featured in the 1995 film, Sudden Death, starring Jean Claude Van Damme.
The Civic Arena (Mellon Arena) Attendance Records
The first hockey sellout at the Civic Arnea was on February 3, 1968 against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Pittsburgh Hornets emerged from five years of inactivity when they played their first game at the arena, a 2-1 loss to the Buffalo Bisons, on October 14, 1961, in front of 9,317 fans.

The Hornets never enjoyed a sellout at the arena, but came close on March 7, 1964 when 10,267 saw the Hornets defeat the Cleveland Barons, 4-1.

The Penguins played their first game at the Civic Arena when they lost to the Montreal Canadiens, 2-1, on October 11, 1967.  The arena's capacity was 12,580 and the most expensive seat was $5.

17,132 fans attended the Mellon Arena and watched the Penguins defeat the Boston Bruins, 6-4, during the 100th consecutive sellout.

The arena was sold out for the last 166 Penguins games including the last hockey game played at the Mellon Arena on May 12, 2010 when the Pens lost to the Canadiens, 5-2, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The arena's season-by-season attendance are listed below.
SEASON
ARENA
CAPACITY
GAMES
SELLOUTS
ATTENDANCE
AVERAGE
ATTENDANCE
1961-62
10,732
35
0
170,689
4,877
1962-63
10,732
36
0
174,226
4,840
1963-64
10,732
36
0
188,341
5,232
2
0
15,481
7,741
1964-65
10,732
36
0
152,571
4,238
2
0
8,865
4,433
1965-66
10,732
36
0
176,625
4,906
1
0
4,860
4,860
1966-67
10,732
36
0
206,657
5,740
5
0
31,684
6,337
1967-68
12,580
37
1
274,049
7,407
1968-69
12,580
38
0
228,285
6,008
1969-70
12,580
38
0
265,936
6,998
5
2
53,592
10,718
1970-71
12,580
39
3
377,182
9,671
1971-72
12,580
39
5
375,711
9,634
2
1
25,515
12,758
1972-73
12,866
39
7
436,601
11,195
1973-74
13,431
39
4
396,197
10,159
1974-75
13,404
40
11
448,977
11,224
5
4
66,833
13,367
1975-76
16,402
40
0
458,198
11,455
1
0
13,626
13,626
1976-77
16,404
40
1
401,580
10,040
2
0
25,961
12,984
1977-78
16,033
40
2
421,933
10,548
1978-79
16,033
40
3
457,209
11,430
3
2
45,702
15,234
1979-80
16,033
40
2
425,156
10,653
2
0
26,901
13,451
1980-81
16,033
40
0
413,407
10,335
2
0
26,688
13,344
1981-82
16,033
40
5
451,965
11,299
2
0
25,457
12,729
1982-83
16,033
40
1
336,300
8,408
1983-84
16,033
40
0
273,550
6,839
1984-85
16,033
40
4
400,711
10,018
1985-86
16,033
40
13
503,020
12,576
1986-87
16,033
40
26
598,614
14,965
1987-88
16,168
40
26
606,638
15,166
1988-89
16,025
40
34
629,345
15,734
6
6
96,150
16,025
1989-90
16,015
40
34
640,700
16,018
1990-91
16,164
40
28
637,072
15,927
13
13
210,132
16,164
1991-92
16,164
40
32
639,736
15,993
10
10
161,640
16,164
1992-93
16,164
41
30
660,290
16,105
8
8
129,312
16,164
1993-94
17,537
41
11
685,589
16,714
3
0
46,412
15,471
1994-95
17,181
24
9
386,599
16,108
7
2
114,894
16,413
1995-96
17,181
41
20
665,790
16,239
10
9
171,597
17,159
1996-97
17,181
41
21
684,346
16,691
2
2
34,710
17,355
1997-98
16,958
41
7
617,815
15,069
3
1
48,437
16,146
1998-99
16,958
41
5
607,822
14,825
6
4
99,787
16,631
1999-00
16,958
41
13
636,199
15,517
5
4
84,924
16,984
2000-01
16,958
40*
26
655,926
16,398
8
8
137,184
17,148
2001-02
16,958
41
18
641,641
15,650
2002-03
16,958
41
8
604,749
14,749
2003-04
16,958
41
1
486,961
11,877
2004-05
16,940
0
0
2005-06
16,940
41
12
647,975
15,804
2006-07
16,940
41
30
673,395
16,424
2
2
34,264
17,132
2007-08
16,940
41
41
700,137
17,076
11
11
188,452
17,132
2008-09
16,940
40**
40
682,291
17,057
2009-10
16,940
41
41
700,211
17,078
7
7
119,924
17,132
* = First home game was played in Japan
** = First "home" was played in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Penguins sold out 52 regular season and playoff games in 2007-08 - an arena and franchise record. The last time the Mellon Arena was not sold out? On February 6, 2007, 16,333 fans saw the Penguins defeat the Nashville Predators, 4-1.

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