Skip To Main Content

Northeastern University Athletics

Northeastern Huskies

Matthews Arena banner
MATTHEWS ARENA TIMELINE
April 16, 1910 Boston Arena opens
April 27, 1912 Theodore Roosevelt presidential rally
Dec. 1, 1924 First Boston Bruins home game
Oct. 15, 1926 Balcony opens
July 22, 1927 Charles Lindbergh reception
July 9, 1928 Amelia Earhart reception
Jan. 17, 1930 First Northeastern men's hockey game
Feb. 12, 1930 Skating Club of Boston features Sonja Henie
Oct. 31, 1932 Franklin D. Roosevelt presidential rally
Sept. 3, 1946 John F. Kennedy appears at veterans rally with Admiral Chester Nimitz
Nov. 5, 1946 First Boston Celtics home game
Dec. 26, 1952 First Men's Beanpot hockey game
May 4, 1958 Jerry Lee Lewis concert
Mar. 16, 1979 First Women's Beanpot hockey game
Oct. 4, 1979 Northeastern purchases arena
Nov. 14, 1982 Dedication of George J. and Hope M. Matthews Arena
Aug. 2, 1993 Reggie Lewis funeral service
Nov. 3, 1995 Rededication of arena with renovated ice surface
Sept. 26, 2009 Women's ice hockey opens newly renovated arena with exhibition game
Jan. 5, 2019 Debut of 50-foot videoboard
Nov. 15, 2025 Final Men's Basketball game
Dec. 6, 2025 Final Women's Ice Hockey game
Dec. 13, 2025 Final Men's Ice Hockey game and building closure
When Matthews Arena opened in 1910, the arena brochure boasted, "It is the most complete home of sport in America – the largest, most complete and most elaborate temple erected for the devotees of sport in the world."

The arena was the world's oldest multi-purpose athletic building and housed the world's oldest artificial ice sheet up until its closure in 2025. The arena was named after the late George J. Matthews, Class of '56, and his wife, Hope M. Matthews. Matthews was chairman emeritus of the Northeastern Board of Trustees.

Perhaps more widely known as the Boston Arena, Matthews Arena was home to Northeastern's men's and women's hockey teams and men's basketball team. The building was one of the bastions of the country's sporting history and a spectator's dream for live athletic contests.

It was only fitting that the century-old emporium receive a special present on its 100th birthday on April 16, 2010 with a multi-million dollar renovation. A new roof, new locker rooms, new seats, new press box and a spectacular video scoreboard led the list of improvements.

The renovation was the third since Northeastern took over ownership of the building in 1979. The last in 1995 expanded the ice surface to 200-by-90 square feet of skating surface and vaulting the arena from the smallest rink in Boston to the largest.

The old ice house that gave birth to the Boston Bruins, the Boston Olympics and the New England Whalers also was the cradle of high school and college hockey in Greater Boston. The hockey programs at Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, MIT, Tufts and, of course, Northeastern all had their geneses at Matthews.

Tournaments that brighten New England winters such as the Beanpot and ECAC had their start at the Arena, as did competitive figure skating. In 1994, Nancy Kerrigan graced the ice at Matthews with an entourage that included Paul Wylie and Scott Hamilton, continuing an 85-year tradition of figure skating that numbers Sonja Henie, Dick Button and Tenley Albright.

The Matthews Arena chronology reads like a Who's Who in American sports, and starts with groundbreaking on Oct. 11, 1909. Legendary pugilists Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney and Joe Louis graced ringside, Finnish distance star Paavo Nurmi ran at the Arena in a BAA track meet, and Olympian Henie wove her magic-on-blades to phonograph music. The Boston Bruins played their first home game in the building and defeated the Montreal Maroons, 2-1, on Dec. 1, 1924. Less fortunate in their Arena debut were the Northeastern hockey Huskies, who lost, 2-1, to MIT on Jan. 17, 1930.

The Arena also played host to such professional hockey teams as the Boston Olympics, Whalers, Tigers and Cubs. Even the great Babe Ruth, then a young left-handed pitcher for the Red Sox, was a frequent visitor to the Arena. The Sultan of Swat passed idle time in the winter by playing in hockey scrimmages with the Arena A.C. team. Chuck Connors, alias The Rifleman, jumped center and smashed the glass backboard in the first-ever Boston Celtics game on Nov. 5, 1946. And, the world famous Texas Rangers brought their rodeo in 1932, complete with outlaw horses and wild steers.

Through the years, the arena hosted countless musical groups, including the first-ever appearance of the Motortown Revue starring Marvin Gay and the Supremes in 1962. Rock and rollers like Chubby Checker and Jerry Lee Lewis graced arena stages while Shirley Jones, Bob Dylan, Phish, Jimmy Eat World and hip hop artists Ludacris and The Roots also appeared over the decades.

The stately Victorian lobbies welcomed the modest and the mighty for more a century catering to the academic and athletic needs of Northeastern. Convocations, graduations and a large portion of the intramural docket were conducted at the Arena, whose walls once echoed with the podium entreaties of presidents Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Past Arena dignitaries included Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhardt, James Michael Curley, Reverend Billy Graham, Admiral Chester Nimitz and General Dwight D. Eisenhower. In the summer of 1993, the city of Boston and NU paid tribute to one of its heroes when it held funeral services at the Arena for Reggie Lewis, Class of 1988.

The Arena survived two crippling fires, one in 1918 and another in 1948, to prosper as a stationary jewel of the community and underwent numerous structural renovations over the years.

Northeastern's association with the Arena covers nearly 100 years, since hockey became a varsity sport at the University in 1929. Husky basketball adopted the Arena as its home in 1981, although the Huskies played a game there in 1936, losing to Rhode Island. For decades, the Arena was home to countless scholastic hockey teams — particularly those in the Boston City League — and to its next-door neighbor, Wentworth.

The Arena was also home to the Makris Varsity Club in its handsome headquarters, which included a theater-style viewing box. 

A pillar on the Northeastern campus and an iconic landmark in the City of Boston, Matthews Arena closed its doors for the final time on December 13, 2025 after 115 years. Northeastern hosted a number of celebrations in the leadup to the final athletic event, as well as initiatives including a commemorative logo, merchandise, in-game experiences and giveaways to create a lasting memory for fans and alumni as the university moves towards a new and exciting chapter.

The festivities began on November 15, 2025 with the final men’s basketball game as more than 100 alumni of the program returned to campus to see the Huskies take the court for the final time. Northeastern welcomed back the family of the late Reggie Lewis during a pregame ceremony, while Northeastern Hall of Famer Keith Motley addressed the crowd at halftime. More than 3,300 fans attended the final game, the highest attendance for a men’s basketball game in a decade.

The women’s ice hockey team treated more than 3,100 fans to a thrilling ending to its era in the Arena, scoring the go-ahead goal with two minutes left in regulation to top rival Boston College on December 6, 2025. More than 100 former players were in attendance who took the ice with the current team for a postgame gathering and photo opportunity.

After welcoming former players back with Decades Nights throughout the season, the men’s ice hockey celebrations reached a crescendo on December 13, 2025 as the Huskies took the ice against crosstown rival Boston University. The hottest ticket in town, the fans came early and stayed late, providing an atmosphere in the building that was second to none and worthy of one of the bastions of the country’s sporting history.

Northeastern hosted an on-ice post game celebration emceed by NESN and NHL Network hockey analyst and Northeastern parent Billy Jaffe. The ceremony featured remarks from Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Madigan and video features highlighting the building’s rich history and the emotional connection that it holds in the hearts of people far and wide. The conclusion of the event saw a representative from nearly every decade of the Arena’s lifetime that included Hockey Hall of Famers, Northeastern Hall of Famers and current and former NHL players, take the ice as Northeastern passed the torch from one generation to the next, symbolizing the program’s move to the next chapter of its history. Watch the closing ceremony of Matthews Arena by clicking here.