Step Inside: Centre Bell – Home of the Montreal Canadiens

Home of the Montreal Canadiens

Centre Bell is home to the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League. Located at 1909 Canadiens-de-Montréal Avenue in Montreal, the venue is the largest ice hockey arena in North America (and second-largest in the world to St. Petersburg, Russia’s SKA Arena).

In addition to serving as the home arena for Canadiens hockey, Centre Bell is also regularly used for concerts as well as basketball, ice skating, professional wrestling, mixed martial arts and other events.

Below, take a step into Centre Bell, including the stadium’s history, parking and admission, and capacity and seating options, as well as food and beverage options inside the arena.

Centre Bell History

Centre Bell opened in 1996 as Molson Centre, three seasons after the Canadiens took home the Stanley Cup for the 24th time in the team’s history. (At the time, the team was owned by Canadian brewery Molson, Inc., who gave up naming rights when they sold the team to Bell Canada in 2002.)

Since moving into the arena, the Canadiens have made the Stanley Cup playoffs more than a dozen times, though they haven’t clinched the championship again since their 4-1 victory against the Los Angeles Kings in 1993. In its first year of operation, Centre Bell hosted the final two games of the 1996 World Cup of Hockey championship series.

Other major hockey events that have taken place at the arena include the 2009 NHL All-Star Game and both the 2009 and 2022 NHL Entry Drafts. Since 2010, the venue has also regularly hosted select preseason NBA games for the Toronto Raptors, as well as games in the NBA Canada Series.

In the fall of 2015, Centre Bell underwent a round of major renovations, with all seats being replaced, as well as renovated hallways and concession stands, new restaurants added, public Wi-Fi installed and the conversion of Canadiens-de-Montréal Avenue into a pedestrian-only street.

Centre Bell hosted its first Stanley Cup Final in 2021, when the Canadiens lost, 4-1, to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In 2024, the Montreal Victoire, a new addition to the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), played their first match at the arena against the Toronto Sceptres, and Centre Bell also hosted the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships. In 2025, Centre Bell was one of two venues to host the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off.

Numerous musical artists have brought high-profile tours to Centre Bell since its opening, including the likes of Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Shakira, Elton John, Billy Joel, Olivia Rodrigo, Sabrina Carpenter, Janet Jackson, Linkin Park, Barbra Streisand, Tina Turner, Cher, Kylie Minogue, Shania Twain and more. Celine Dion holds the record for the most performances at the arena with 50 total from 1996 to 2020.

 

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Parking and Admission at Centre Bell

Parking at Centre Bell is open to the public for a fixed rate of $20 to $45 depending on the day and event. Attendees can pay for parking with credit and debit cards only. On event nights, parking at the arena opens at noon; on days without events, parking is open from 5:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monthly parking passes can be purchased here.

Centre Bell is also accessible via Montreal’s public transit at Bonaventure, Lucien-L’Allier, Gare Centrale and Gare Lucien-L’Allier stations.

Centre Bell is dedicated to being accessible for all members of the public. As such, the arena offers accessible parking with dedicated parking spots on level B, section B113.

Items prohibited inside Centre Bell include all backpacks, coolers and sports bags (regardless of size), any bag larger than 10 cm x 15 cm x 4 cm, hard-covered briefcases, any weapon, knife (including pocketknives, cutters, blades or any other knives), aerosol, pepper spray, blunt objects or objects considered dangerous or risky; flags, banners or posters that might obstruct an audience member’s view; outside food, drinks, alcoholic beverages, glass bottles and cans; professional cameras with lenses over 2.5” or any other type of detachable lens; professional video/audio recording equipment, selfie sticks or similar monopods; drones or other similar objects; bells, horns and any object that makes noise; any animals; fireworks or other pyrotechnical apparatus; laser pointers; computers and tablets; souvenir cups; and any object deemed suspicious by security personnel.

Additionally, smoking and vaping are prohibited inside Centre Bell.

Centre Bell Capacity & Seating Options

Centre Bell has a seating capacity of 21,105 for hockey games — making it the largest ice hockey arena in North America. Seating at Centre Bell is split between 100, 200 (including Club Dejardins and the VIP Space), 300 and 400 levels with two levels of luxury suites. During concerts, additional floor seating is added to the venue. A seating chart of the venue can be viewed on Ticketmaster.com.

Wheelchair accessible seating (with a companion seat) is available on level 100 (red), row N with direct access to street-level doors. Each ticketholder in a wheelchair can be accompanied by one person. Patrons with functional mobility limitations can contact Centre Bell customer service at 1-877-668-8269 for assistance with their ticket purchase.

How much are Montreal Canadiens tickets?

Ticket prices for Montreal Canadiens games depend on a variety of factors, including date and time, city, matchup, seat location, and when the tickets are purchased. The average ticket for a Montreal Canadiens game can cost anywhere between $100-$200.

Food & Beverage Options at Centre Bell

Centre Bell offers a diverse array of restaurants including Mythik, 9-4-10 Steakhouse, Canti Osteria, Bazarette, La Mise au Jeu and La Cage.

Additional food and beverage options include HABSburger, HABSdog, HABS Déli, Pizza Pizza Trattoria, Mito, CHOPA, Chquick Chquick, Sna’QC, Deli Montreal, La Classique, Tim Hortons, Centre Bell’s famous hot dogs at Le Hot de MTL and more.

Concessions throughout Centre Bell feature a variety of both vegetarian and gluten free options for attendees with dietary restrictions.