Colisée de Québec is the historic home of hockey in Québec City. Constructed in 1949, it was home to Québec’s junior and senior teams from the Québec Aces to Québec Remparts. It was originally a 10,004 seat arena but was gradually enlarged (sometimes building up into the rafters) as the fans packed in to see the likes of Jean Beliveau and Guy Lafleur in their formative years. Ultimately, big league hockey moved in with the WHA Québec Nordiques in 1972. The Nordiques won Avco Trophy in 1977 before moving to the National Hockey League in 1979.
The NHL Nordiques, of course, lasted through the 1980s, when they were a tough team presenting a worthy provincial rival to Les Canadiens, until the mid-1990s when they were forced to move to Denver. It was a cruel twist as the team was finally reaping the benefits of top draft picks and player development accrued from the misery of losing in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
After a failed effort to keep professional hockey in the rink with the IHL Québec Rafales, the QMJHL Québec Remparts (same name but different lineage as the historic Remparts from eras gone by) eventually called Le Colisée home full-time and junior hockey once again took off at the barn. Under the stewardship of Patrick Roy, the Remparts have made Le Colisée the best barn for junior hockey I’ve ever visited. It is a charming building and a must-visit for any hockey fan.
One constant at the Colisée since 1960 has been the Québec Pee-Wee tournament. The arena has hosted many significant international games as well, including Canada Cups, Rendezvous ’87 and the 100th edition of the IIHF World Championship in 2008.
The arena with its aged beauty kind of belongs among the forts, ramparts and cobblestone streets in the old city. Still, it is a great site with ample parking, easy access and plenty of room for a future modern arena that would be a necessity for an NHL return to this beautiful city. Luckily most stories about a new arena plans for Québec have indicated the Colisée would not be demolished – perhaps for the purpose as a secondary venue in a Winter Olympic bid or simply for the Remparts and the Pee-Wee tournament.
Across the park is the 5,000 seat Pavillon de la Jeunesse (built 1931) – a former home of the original Québec Remparts. I didn’t know about this venue when I visited. Check it out at Kevin Jordan’s excellent QMJHL Arena Guide.
Finally, here is the view from the VIA rail track behind the arena and a ticket stub from the game I attended:
stadium nerd 