History
Peter Karmanos, the President of Compuware and owner of the Detroit Whalers, arranged to build the Whalers a new home as soon as the 1995-96 season ended after playing that season at two temporary venues, the tiny Oak Park Ice Arena and the massive The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Compuware Sports Arena was constructed in 6 months time, ready for the 1996-97 season. The team remained the Detroit Whalers after moving to Plymouth Township and then were renamed the Plymouth Whalers in 1997-98.
The complex features two arenas: the main arena, in which the Whalers play their home games, is standard NHL-size and has seating for roughly four thousand people; it also has a larger (in terms of ice area) Olympic-size ice surface, which has much more limited seating on only one side of the ice. The latter is the home ice of Detroit Catholic Central High School, although they occasionally play games in the main arena when strong attendance is anticipated. The two arenas share concession stands, both of which have openings for both arenas simultaneously, allowing one set of staff to serve both arenas simultaneously. Attached to the complex is "CJ's Brewery Tap Room". The arena is home to the Detroit Ignition, a Major Indoor Soccer League / XSL team, as well as the Compuware Ambassadors minor hockey program. Previously, the arena hosted the now defunct Detroit Rockers of the National Professional Soccer League during its last season in 2000-2001
The arena also hosts the annual MHSAA high school state championships for boys ice hockey. On October 22, 2006, TNA hosted Bound for Glory (2006) at the arena.
During the summer months, the Arenas parking lot is home to a drive-in movie theatre that features double feature first run movies on three giant screens.
Compuware also hosts the commencement ceremonies for Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Livonia, Michigan), Northville High School, as well as for other high schools.
The Compuware Sports Arena works closely with The Crofoot and AEG Live to produce concerts of all types.
Read more about this topic: Compuware Arena
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“What has history to do with me? Mine is the first and only world! I want to report how I find the world. What others have told me about the world is a very small and incidental part of my experience. I have to judge the world, to measure things.”
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951)
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