Slush Puppie Place
Slush Puppie Place is a 5,000-seat indoor arena in downtown Kingston, Ontario. Opened in 2008 as the K-Rock Centre, it is the home of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League.
History
The arena was designed by Brisbin Brook Beynon Architects, and was constructed by EllisDon Construction. It was built on city-owned land known as the "North Block", which at the time was being used as a parking lot. An archaeological dig of the area was necessary since the southeast portion of the site was the former location of part of the historic Fort Frontenac. The remaining ruins of the fort's northwest bastion is located directly across the street from the main entrance.The groundbreaking ceremony took place July 28, 2006, with construction beginning on November 3, 2006. On February 6, 2008, local radio station CIKR-FM purchased the naming rights to the arena for 10 years in a $3.3 million agreement, naming it the K-Rock Centre.
In February 2012, Kingston City Council voted to rename the street on which the arena is located, formerly a part of Barrack Street, to The Tragically Hip Way in honour of Kingston band The Tragically Hip.
In August 2013, the arena's name was amended to Rogers K-Rock Centre to reflect Rogers Communications' current ownership of CIKR. In 2018, the naming rights were sold to Chris McKercher—owner of the local Leon's franchise—renaming the arena to Leon's Centre. The five-year agreement was valued at $257,000 per-year. In January 2024, J&J Snack Foods acquired the naming rights via its Slush Puppie subsidiary, renaming the arena to Slush Puppie Place. The 15-year agreement is valued at around $2.2 million, and includes branding and concessions placements.
Notable events
Ice hockey
The Kingston Frontenacs played their first game at the arena on February 22, 2008, losing 3–2 to their rivals, the Belleville Bulls. Kingston native Don Cherry performed the ceremonial puck drop prior to the game.Two days later, on February 24, 2008, the Frontenacs earned their first win at the arena, defeating the Peterborough Petes 7–4.
Concerts
The inaugural concert at the arena was performed by Kingston-based The Tragically Hip on February 23, 2008. The arena has since hosted several concerts and entertainment events by artists including Elton John, Avril Lavigne, Neil Young, Cirque du Soleil, Deadmau5, Jerry Seinfeld, Bryan Adams, Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, Carrie Underwood, Brooks & Dunn, Leonard Cohen, Reba McEntire, Billy Talent, Sting and hometown band, The Glorious Sons among many others.On August 20, 2016, The Tragically Hip played the final concert of their Man Machine Poem Tour at the arena; the tour was announced after it was made public that lead singer Gord Downie had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The concert was broadcast nationally by the CBC's radio, television, and digital platforms as the special presentation The Tragically Hip: A National Celebration. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was also in attendance.