| CAA Arena | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | 265 Canifton Road, Belleville |
| Broke ground | 1976 |
| Opened | 1978 |
| Renovated | 2016 |
| Owner | City of Bellevile |
| Surface | Ice (Mechanically-Frozen) |
| Tenants | Belleville Bulls (OHL) (1981–2015) Belleville Senators (AHL) (2017-Present) |
| Capacity | Hockey 4,365 |
CAA Arena (formerly Yardmen Arena) is a 4,365 seat multi-purpose arena in Belleville, Ontario, Canada. It was built in 1978, and was then known as the Quinte Sports Centre. It is home to the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League. It was previously home to the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League from 1981 to 2015. The Yardmen Arena has hosted the OHL All-Star Game twice, in 1983 and 2006.
The arena's name is in honour of a small group of railroaders known as "The Belleville Yardmen" who raised more than $3 million to contribute to its construction.
The Quinte Sports Hall of Fame is located in the lobby at the south end of the arena. Many photos and memories are located in there. The Belleville Bulls annual team photos are on display at the north end of the arena on the second level.
The arena originally had an international sized ice surface of 200 ft. length by 100 ft. width, which was the largest ice surface in the Ontario Hockey League during the Bulls' tenure. Yardmen Arena also has two balconies, on opposite sides of the ice. It was the only arena in the Ontario Hockey League to have a second level of seating until the John Labatt Centre was built in London, Ontario in 2002. The arena underwent an $18.5 million reovation that was completed in the fall of 2017. The projets brought the arena capacity up to 4,400 and reduced the size of the playing surface to an NHL-sized 200'x85'. The renovations were done in order to serve as the home of the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League.
On September 19, 2018 an agreement was announced to rename the facility, the CAA Arena, as part of an agreement to last a minimum of seven years.[1]