The Colisée, formerly Androscoggin Bank Colisée, Central Maine Youth Center, Central Maine Civic Center, and Lewiston Colisee, is a 4,000 capacity (3,677 seated) multi-purpose arena, in Lewiston, Maine, United States that was built from 1956 to 1958 and opened in the latter year to replace the Dominics Regional High School Arena and was initially constructed and operated by the Catholic parish of
- Venue
- The Colisée
- Town
- Lewiston, US
- Capacity
- 3,677
The Colisée, formerly Androscoggin Bank Colisée, Central Maine Youth Center, Central Maine Civic Center, and Lewiston Colisee, is a 4,000 capacity (3,677 seated) multi-purpose arena, in Lewiston, Maine, United States that was built from 1956 to 1958 and opened in the latter year to replace the Dominics Regional High School Arena and was initially constructed and operated by the Catholic parish of SS. Peter and Paul. Notably, it was used as a replacement venue for the boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston in 1965. Currently, it is the home of the Maine Nordiques of the North American Hockey League. The Colisée is also used for concerts, conventions and trade shows. There is 17,000 square feet (1600 m2) of exhibit space. For conventions, it can accommodate up to 4,800 patrons. The Maine Nordiques of the former professional North American Hockey League were the primary tenant at the Civic Center from 1973 to 1977. The Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association played exhibition games at the Civic Center. In 2003, the Lewiston Maineiacs came to the Central Maine Civic Center. The Central Maine Civic Center was renamed to the Lewiston Colisée (from the French word for colosseum, similar to the Colisée de Québec) to distinguish it from the Cumberland County Civic Center, the Augusta Civic Center, and the Bangor Civic Center. In 2007, the Maineiacs won the Presidents Cup, the QMJHL league championship. They remain the only U.S.-based QMJHL team to win the Presidents Cup. The Maineiacs folded at the end of the 2010-11 QMJHL season and the Sherbrooke Phoenix was created in its place. The Federal Hockey League held five home games at the arena in 2011 and 2012. Due to renovations to the Cumberland County Civic Center, the American Hockey League's Portland Pirates played at the Colisée during the 2012-13 AHL season for six games. The Pirates also played at the Colisée for the all but one of their home games for the 2013-14 AHL season due to a lease disp