PeoplesBank Arena

PeoplesBank Arena, formerly the XL Center

PeoplesBank Arena is downtown Hartford's arena, which hosts many home games for UConn men's and women's basketball, along with UConn men's hockey and the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack. Wikipedia lists capacity at about 15,495 for basketball and 14,750 for hockey; the arena itself describes it as over 15,000 seats. For basketball, the best seats are the lower-level sidelines, sections 102–105 and 114–117. For value, the center of the 200 level along either sideline, 202–205 and 214–217, keeps the whole court in view.

The name is new; the building is not. It opened on January 9, 1975, as the Hartford Civic Center, became the XL Center in 2007 and was renamed PeoplesBank Arena on June 2, 2025, after Massachusetts-based PeoplesBank signed a naming deal. Searches for an XL Center seating chart lead to the same building, though the 2025 renovation changed the premium seating, so use a current map.

Reading the new seating map

The arena's own basketball seating map, published after the renovation, shows two main levels plus a ring of premium spaces.

Lower level: sections 101–124

Sections 101–106 line one sideline, the side with the team benches; the map marks the home bench in front of 102 and the visitors in front of 105. Sections 113–118 line the opposite sideline. The ends run from 107 to 112 and from 119 to 124, with 109–110 and 121–122 directly behind the baskets. About 5,000 new lower-bowl seats were installed in 2025.

Upper level: sections 200–241

The 200 level mirrors the lower bowl: 201–206 over the bench side, 213–218 across, and the longer end runs of 220–230 and 231–241 behind the baskets.

Premium spaces

• Loge boxes: numbered boxes along the top of the lower sideline sections, with in-seat dining and club access, plus Loge 52 and 53 at the ends.
• Bunker Suites: five suites at court level in front of sections 114–116.
• Electric Boat Heritage Club: a dining and bar club with seats numbered 400–414 high above the 213–218 sideline.
• Executive suites: on both the 100 and 200 levels at one end, plus a Directors Suite near the Church and Trumbull entrance.

A new event-level club opened in 2025 for club seat, loge box and suite buyers.

Best seats for UConn basketball

For UConn basketball, the bench side and the opposite sideline are both strong; the choice is mostly about budget.

• Best overall: 103–104 and 115–116 at midcourt, lower and middle rows. Section 103–104 puts you behind the benches; 115–116 face them.
• Strong alternatives: 102, 105, 114 and 117, still sideline, slightly off center.
• Behind the baskets: 109–110 and 121–122 are the closest end seats; usually cheaper, but depth perception across the court is harder.
• Upper-level value: 203–204 and 215–216, the center of the 200-level sidelines.

Seats to think twice about

The far upper end sections, such as the ends of the 220s and 230s, are the longest view in the building. The lowest rows of 114–116 sit behind the court-level Bunker Suites, so check the row before buying there.

Wolf Pack hockey and concerts

Hockey

For Wolf Pack and UConn hockey, the arena uses a separate hockey map. The sidelines are again the place to be: the middle of 101–106 and 113–118 in rows high enough to see over the glass. Many hockey nights use a curtained configuration of about 9,801 seats, which closes much of the upper level and makes lower sideline seats easier to get.

Concerts

For end-stage shows, the arena publishes a general concert map. Floor seats are closest, and the lower sideline sections a few sections back from the stage give height and a clean angle. Sections immediately beside or behind the stage can lose the screens, and the upper end sections facing the stage are the most distant but see the full production. The building has a long concert history, including 21 Grateful Dead shows.

Parking and getting downtown

The arena does not run its own parking. Downtown Hartford has about 45 lots and garages near the building, operated by third parties, and the arena points fans to the Hartford 21 garage, where parking can be bought in advance, and to LAZ Parking lots, which take reservations. As of 2026, metered street parking downtown is free every day from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. and all day on weekends, a useful option for evening games if you arrive early.

• From the north: I-91 to Exit 32B (Trumbull Street).
• From the east: I-84 to Exit 50 (Main Street), then Trumbull Street.
• From the west: I-84 to Exit 49 (Ann Uccello and High Street), then Church Street.
• Rideshare: Lyft is the arena's official rideshare partner.

Entrances are at Church and Trumbull streets, on Trumbull Street, and at Ann Uccello and Church streets. Rates vary by operator; check the arena's parking page before you go.

Bag policy, doors and entry

As of the 2026–27 season, PeoplesBank Arena allows handbags of normal size after a search, but bans large bags, backpacks, luggage, coolers, parcels and briefcases. The arena does not publish a size limit and offers no bag check, so anything refused goes back to the car. Check the venue's current policy before you go.

• Doors: one hour before the event unless the listing says otherwise; the arena suggests arriving 45 to 60 minutes early.
• Tickets: mobile; for some events, such as Connecticut Sun games, tickets live in the AXS app and cannot be printed.
• Re-entry: not allowed.
• Payment: cashless concessions, with a reverse ATM outside section 107.
• Children: age 2 and up need a ticket.

Guest Services is at section 124, where sensory bags and weighted lap pads can be borrowed.

From the Hartford Civic Center to PeoplesBank Arena

The Hartford Civic Center opened in January 1975 and soon became home to the NHL's Hartford Whalers, who stayed until 1997. On January 18, 1978, the roof collapsed during a snowstorm; no one was hurt, and investigators blamed design errors rather than the snowfall alone. The arena reopened on January 17, 1980.

The Wolf Pack arrived in 1997, the Boston Celtics played occasional games here until 1995, and the building hosted the 1986 NHL All-Star Game and WrestleMania XI. After a 35-million-dollar upgrade in 2014, the 2025 overhaul, about 145 million dollars, brought new lower-bowl seats, a rebuilt concourse, new locker rooms and new premium spaces. The arena reopened on October 17, 2025, with a Wolf Pack game. More history is on the arena's Wikipedia page.

Sources

• Wikipedia – PeoplesBank Arena
• PeoplesBank Arena – Seating maps
• PeoplesBank Arena – FAQs
• PeoplesBank Arena – Directions and parking
• PeoplesBank Arena – Premium experiences
• Connecticut Public – XL Center renamed (June 2, 2025)
• WFSB – Arena reopens after 145 million renovation
• Connecticut Sun – Hartford games FAQs