Tampereen jäähalli

Tampereen jäähalli (Tampere ice hall, often called ´´Hakametsä``) is a sports arena in Tampere, Finland. It is primarily used for ice hockey, and is the home arena of Ilves and Tappara of the SM-liiga. It was built in 1965, and currently the capacity for hockey games is 7800 spectators (6600 seats, 1200 standing).

As there are several ice hockey venues in Tampere, this primary one is usually called "Hakametsän jäähalli" (after the district where it is located) or, more precisely, "Hakametsä 1" to distinguish it from the two smaller halls nearby.

History
Tampereen jäähalli is the oldest ice hockey arena in the country.

Finland was awarded the opportunity to host the 1965 World Championship, and Helsinki was to build an arena for the tournament. However, Helsinki did not manage to finish the project in time, and Tampere was asked to build an arena and host the games instead.

The first game in the arena was an all-star game between Tampere and the rest of Finland, played in January 29, 1965. The score was tied at 4-4. The first league game was played by the local teams Ilves and Tappara in January 31, with Ilves taking a 5-3 win.

Originally, the spectator capacity of the Tampereen jäähalli was 10,200 people, with only 1,573 seats on the eastern side of the rink.

Features
The stands in the arena are of a rather rectangular shape, and are composed of a single level main stand and an overhanging balcony on the western side. On the eastern side there are 20 suites as well as facilities for the media. The last remaining standing places are located in the far corners of the stands. Currently the majority of the seats are padded, with some unpadded plastic seats remaining in both ends and on the balcony.

In 2007, a new video screen cube was installed in the arena. Of note is the fact that the balcony hanging over the B stand blocks the view to the screen from there. This has been augmented by placing tv monitors under the balcony that mirror the output of the scoreboard.

Around the concourse under the stands there are several bars, restaurants and fast food joints, as well as the merchandise shops and VIP clubs of the two local hockey teams.

Other uses
Besides hockey, the venue has been used to host several other sports events, including the European and World Championships of boxing, wrestling, judo, and karate, and international matches of volleyball. Over the years there have also been several concerts by both domestic and international artists in the hall.

Future
In the late 1990s and early 2000s there were plans to build a new multi-purpose arena in Tampere, following the example of the Hartwall Areena built in Helsinki in 1997. However, these plans did not come to fruition, and the Hakametsä arena continues to serve as the primary hockey venue in the city.