On Oct. 11, 2002, a dedicated group of London, Ont., junior hockey fans left their former stomping grounds at the south end Ice House for a new downtown arena.
The London Knights would go on to beat the Plymouth Whalers 5-4 and Budweiser Gardens would go on to establish itself as the centrepiece of London’s entertainment landscape.
When asked what he remembers about the event, the first ever to be held at what was then called the John Labatt Centre, general manager Brian Ohl sums it up in one word: “Panic.”
“We didn’t get into the building until the day before. We were unboxing things and getting ready. It was a last-minute rush to get people in the doors and to be able open the doors. There was a lot of things behind the scenes that caused us a little bit of stress.” Ohl said.
“The first night, we realized it was the right spot. It’s a beautiful location right there in downtown. We were quite pleased with it.”
Two days after the arena’s inaugural Knights’ home opener, the Bud hosted its first concert as Our Lady Peace performed in front of a sold out crowd.
Countless others would later take the stage, including The Tragically Hip, Prince, Elton John, Shania Twain and Rihanna.
“You look at all the events, the two Memorial Cups, all the countless Knights wins, the Brier and World Figure Skating, we packed a lot in. It’s nice and it validates a lot of courageous people’s efforts 20-something years ago,” Ohl added.
Chris Campbell is the former marketing director for Budweiser Gardens and played a pivotal role in landing the arena a chance to host the Juno Awards in 2019.
As to how Bud Gardens got the hosting gig, Campbell says, “it’s really the people.”
“We had to make some incredible things happen. We had to fit an event that doesn’t really fit in that venue… so really it’s the leadership and the team at the venue, it’s not just the bricks and mortar,” Campbell said.
As for the future of Budweiser Gardens, Ohl says he and his team have no plan to rest on their laurels.
“We’re still cranking out concerts and events… and then we’re looking at trying to find ways to make sure that the building stays relevant in this changing environment of sports and entertainment,” Ohl told Global News.
“We’re looking at things and trying to find ways to do things to the building to keep it fresh and cutting edge with the rest of North America.”
The near-future of the arena will see some Ontario Hockey League action this Friday as the Knights host the Mississauga Steelheads before the ice turns into a stage for Bryan Adams, who will perform at Budweiser Gardens on Saturday night.
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