The 2010 Olympic Winter Games ice hockey tournaments will be staged in two venues — Canada Hockey Place and the UBC Thunderbird Arena (also known as the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre). In addition to being home to the National Hockey League’s Vancouver Canucks, the facility is one of the most active entertainment venues in North America. Since its opening in September 1995, it has attracted the biggest names in show business to its stage and welcomed more than 10 million visitors.

The arena is sponsored by General Motors Canada. As corporate sponsors are unable to brand sporting venues during the Olympics, General Motors Place, commonly known as GM Place will be temporarily renamed Canada Hockey Place during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, in February 2010.

Venue Capacity: 19,300
Elevation: 8 meters

On June 7, 2006, the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) announced that the 2010 Winter Games ice hockey tournaments will be played on North American-sized ice surfaces, rather than converting to the larger international size. This decision precluded any modifications to the existing ice sheet, allowing for economic savings and ensuring no environmental impact. Additional locker rooms will be built as part of the venue preparations for the Games.

Post-Games Use

Canada Hockey Place hosts approximately 100 events each year, ranking it among the busiest facilities in North America.