Prudential Center
Prudential Center is a multipurpose indoor arena located at 25 Lafayette Street in the central business district of Newark, New Jersey.[1] Opened in 2007, it serves as the home of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL), the New York Sirens of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), and the men's basketball program of Seton Hall University. Fans and sports writers have affectionately nicknamed the arena "The Rock" in reference to the Rock of Gibraltar, the corporate logo of Prudential Financial, a financial institution that owns the naming rights to the arena and is headquartered within walking distance of it. At the time of its opening, Prudential Center was the first major league sports venue to be built in the New York metropolitan area since the Meadowlands Arena, the Devils' former home, opened in 1981. Since its debut, the arena has grown into one of the most prominent entertainment destinations in the New York metropolitan area, attracting millions of visitors each year and playing a central role in Newark's ongoing urban revival.
History and Construction
A project to build a new 18,000-seat arena in Newark, New Jersey first received funding from Newark's city council in 2002 when the team was owned by the Puck Holdings group. For years, the New Jersey Devils had been the subject of rumors regarding relocation; even when the team won the Stanley Cup in 1995, it was amidst rumors that the franchise would move to Nashville. Despite playing championship-caliber hockey in the 2002–03 season, the Devils only drew an average of 14,754 fans to their home arena, Continental Airlines Arena, an outdated facility that was not very accessible by public transit. The prospect of a modern, centrally located arena in Newark gave the franchise a new foundation from which to grow.
Construction commenced on October 3, 2005, on a 7.5-acre site in downtown Newark formerly occupied by industrial facilities and requiring extensive remediation due to loose fill soil conditions. Design on the arena started in 2004 and involved several engineering challenges; to the west of a very tight urban site, adjacent structures included a historic church, a rail station, and two low-rise buildings, while on the other three sides roads were underlain by a vital grid of underground utilities that had to remain operable during construction. The arena was designed by Populous and Morris Adjmi Architects.
The city of Newark pledged to contribute $210 million to the construction of the arena, using settlement money from its lease dispute over underpaid rent for use of Newark Liberty International Airport with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. The Devils paid for the remainder of the cost, meaning no new direct taxpayer funding was required for the construction of the arena. Prudential Financial purchased the naming rights in January 2007 for $105.3 million over 20 years, reducing the city's cost for the project. The arena had been referred to as "Newark Arena" before the deal.
Construction on the arena was completed in October 2007, with an estimated final cost of $380 million. In total, more than 18,000 tons of steel were used to build the bowl area and high roof, while 62,000 linear feet of ductwork were installed throughout the arena. The Devils had to play their first nine games of the 2007–08 NHL season on the road as construction on their home arena was being finished. For the soft opening on October 20, the Newark Boys Chorus performed at Prudential Center, which became the first use of the arena. It officially opened on October 25, 2007, with a series of 10 concerts by the New Jersey native rock group Bon Jovi, featuring a star-studded lineup of opening acts including Big & Rich, Gretchen Wilson, Daughtry, The All-American Rejects, and fellow New Jersey native group My Chemical Romance.[2]
Design and Facilities
The arena is owned by the Newark Housing Authority and operated by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE), owners of the Devils. Located at 25 Lafayette Street, Newark, NJ 07102, the arena seats 16,514 for ice hockey and up to 18,711 for basketball. Prudential Center's 9,585-square-foot, 44-plus-ton scoreboard is the largest in the world. The Prudential Center is one of four NHL arenas with its own practice rink.
The interior's lower level concourse provides views of downtown Newark on the Edison Place and Mulberry Street sides through large windows. Throughout the lower concourse, jerseys of most high school hockey teams in New Jersey hang from the walls. One 6,000-square-foot mural encompasses a long stretch of the lower concourse wall and features Devils legends Martin Brodeur, Scott Stevens, and Ken Daneyko, along with tributes to other New Jersey sports figures and Newark landmarks, with depictions including Seton Hall men's basketball legends Richie Regan and Terry Dehere, soccer player Tony Meola, and tennis legend Althea Gibson.
Championship Plaza was opened on October 3, 2009, and the public square celebrating the Devils' history is located opposite the arena on Mulberry Street between Edison Place and Market Street. The most prominent piece of the plaza is a 22-foot-tall, 7,000-pound stainless steel hockey player statue. On the opposite end of the arena, a statue of former Devils goaltender Martin Brodeur was dedicated outside of the Lafayette Street entrance tower and practice rink on October 22, 2016.[3]
Sports Tenants
New Jersey Devils
The Prudential Center primarily serves as the home arena for the New Jersey Devils, a National Hockey League franchise that previously played at Meadowlands Arena from 1982 to 2007. The New Jersey Devils played their first home game at Prudential Center on October 27, 2007, defeating the Ottawa Senators 4–2, transitioning from their prior venue at Continental Airlines Arena. The Devils' first playoff series-clinching win at the arena was on May 25, 2012, when they defeated the rival New York Rangers 3–2 in overtime on a goal by Adam Henrique to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Games 1, 2, and 5 of the 2012 Stanley Cup Finals were played at the arena.
The arena also became the home arena for the New York Sirens of the Professional Women's Hockey League starting with the 2024–2025 season.
Seton Hall Pirates
The Prudential Center is the home court of the NCAA's Seton Hall Pirates men's basketball team, which played in the Meadowlands from 1985 to 2007. The arena also hosts select home games for the Seton Hall Pirates women's basketball team and the NJIT Highlanders men's basketball team. The Pirates utilize a spacious locker room that used to be occupied by the NBA's Nets franchise; branded with Seton Hall's marks, the locker room features personalized wooden lockers, a large lounge area with leather furniture, LED TVs, and a dedicated training room space.[4]
New Jersey Nets
The Prudential Center was originally intended to also be the home of the New Jersey Nets, but the team was sold to real estate developer Bruce Ratner, who intended to build an arena in Brooklyn for the team, and the Nets remained in the Meadowlands while awaiting construction of what became the Barclays Center. However, the construction of the Barclays Center was plagued by lawsuits and economic issues during the late 2000s recession, and in the fall of 2009, the Nets played two preseason games at the Prudential Center while considering a possible move there. On April 23, 2012, the Nets played their final game at the Prudential Center, after which they relocated to the Barclays Center to become the Brooklyn Nets at the beginning of the 2012–13 NBA season.
Entertainment and Major Events
In addition to its sports tenants, the arena hosts more than 175 concerts, family shows, and special events each year. By 2023, Prudential Center ranked among the top five concert venues worldwide by earnings. Ranked in the top 10 nationally by Pollstar, Billboard, and Venues Today, the arena is recognized as one of the premier venues in the United States and around the world, welcoming approximately 1.75 million guests annually.
Prudential Center has hosted major sports and entertainment events since it opened, including the 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional, the 2012 NBA Draft, the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Final, the 2013 NHL Draft, and Super Bowl XLVIII Media Day. The MTV Video Music Awards have been held there multiple times, and major music acts including Taylor Swift, Rihanna, and Bad Bunny have made it a regular stop on their tours. The Prudential Center is also notable for its role in the American K-pop industry, having hosted Korean music acts since 2011 and reflecting New Jersey's growing affinity for East Asian culture.[5]
In December 2013, the arena ranked third nationally and ninth internationally for self-reported annual revenue.
Newark Revitalization
A public-private partnership between the City of Newark and Devils Arena Entertainment made the Prudential Center a reality that has changed the face of downtown Newark and made it a destination for sports and live entertainment in the region. Much like the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Prudential Center was expected to boost Newark's urban renaissance; small-scale projects in the immediate vicinity of the arena around Four Corners have led to the construction of new hotels, loft conversions, and a restaurant row.
The development of Mulberry Commons, a city square originally proposed as the centerpiece of a commercial and residential complex near the arena, stagnated for a decade before construction began in October 2017; the park opened after 15 years of delay on May 30, 2019. The Prudential Center participates in an array of initiatives that give back to the Newark community, including featuring local Black-owned businesses on the venue's branding, enriching the lives of local youth, and addressing issues like hunger by donating food leftover from events.[6]
Welcoming over 2 million visitors annually, Prudential Center is located just two blocks from Newark Penn Station in Newark's dynamic Arts and Education District, providing easy access to the city's thriving dining scene and rich cultural attractions.[7]
Transportation and Access
Prudential Center is located just two blocks from Newark Penn Station in Newark's Arts and Education District. The closest station is Newark Penn Station, which is less than a five-minute walk from the arena; this station connects to NJ Transit, PATH trains, Amtrak, and the Newark Light Rail. With direct service to Newark on six rail lines, more than two dozen bus routes, and the Newark Light Rail system, visitors can travel to the arena from almost anywhere in New Jersey as well as New York and Philadelphia.[8]
For those driving, the arena is near several major roads, including I-280, I-78, the NJ Turnpike (I-95), Route 21, US-1/9, and US-22. There are over 3,500 parking spaces within two blocks of the arena.[9]
Quick Facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Address | 25 Lafayette Street, Newark, NJ 07102 |
| Opened | October 25, 2007 |
| Construction Cost | ~$375–380 million |
| Seating (Hockey) | 16,514 |
| Seating (Basketball) | 18,711 |
| Owner | Newark Housing Authority |
| Operator | Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment |
| Primary Tenant | New Jersey Devils (NHL) |
| Architect | Populous / Morris Adjmi Architects |
| Nickname | "The Rock" |