Jovenitti: Sad to see the end of Mellon Arena

For those of you from outside the Pittsburgh area, the word “igloo” might not… For those of you from outside the Pittsburgh area, the word “igloo” might not invoke much emotion. But to some Pittsburghers, the mere mention of the Igloo can trigger a smile.

The Igloo, formally known as Mellon Arena, will take its final bow Thursday as it hosts its last regular season NHL game when the New York Islanders visit the Penguins.

Then known as the Civic Arena, its 1961 opening started a new era in arena engineering. The spherical dome roof opened — the first of its kind to do so.

The design was fit for some incredible concerts.

The roof was opened when the Beatles played there in 1964, which was probably a good thing, because the screams would have blown the roof off, anyway.

Sadly, the now-obsolete Igloo will be vacant next season, as the Penguins move across the street to the state-of-the-art Consol Energy Center.

Sure, the new arena is sorely needed, but what makes Mellon Arena outdated is also what makes it so damn special.

There is literally no legroom in any of the seats. I’ve been in coach seats on airplanes with more space than the Igloo.

But that’s what makes a game there so great. Sure, your knees rest on the seat in front of you, but every seat is close to the action.

Even if you sit at the top of the arena, dangling from the ceiling in the F level, you are still pretty much over top of the goal and can still read each player’s jersey.

When the upper levels were constructed to add more seating capacity, it created some limited-view seats in the lower levels, including a few seats directly behind poles.

I sat in such a seat for a game. A steel beam was directly in my lap. My legs were pretty much straddling it. I had to use the beam to lift myself out of my seat every time the Penguins scored.

Yes, it was annoying, but I could still watch the entire game. I just had to keep moving my body from side to side.

I quickly made a new friend, because every time the puck went to the far side, I had to pretty much lean over her seat.

She was a season ticket holder, so she understood my predicament.

That is one of the greatest features of the Igloo: It brings people together, both physically and emotionally.

There are no cup holders in any of the seats, so you have to set your drinks on the ground by your feet — which is pretty dangerous, considering that in hockey, a goal can be scored at any moment.

So excitement-fueled spills happen quite often, and when they do, it is common for strangers sitting next to each other to become friends.

This happened to me last week.

Sidney Crosby scored his second goal of the game against Toronto and I kicked my beer over in jubilation. I immediately apologized to the guy sitting next to me, but he didn’t care. He understood, and he then went on to tell me about the many times he spilled his beer on people.

We then started talking about how the new arena will have cup holders in the seats, which will be nice, but it won’t have the same friendly feel as the Igloo.

I’m sure Consol Energy Center will be spectacular, but it is hardly unique.

Pretty much every new arena has the same type of design: a giant building with a fantastic glass façade. New Jersey, Kansas City and Raleigh all have arenas like this. Now Pittsburgh will be added to the list.

No longer will Pittsburgh’s venue be one of a kind. It won’t even be the only of its kind in Pittsburgh — the Petersen Events Center has the same style. I’ve yet to see the inside of the new arena, but hopefully, they will somehow manage to keep the cozy feeling of Mellon Arena alive in the Consol Energy Center.

I’ve sat in the upper level of the Prudential Center in New Jersey, and it was not very fun — not only because the Penguins lost to the Devils for the fifth straight time, but also because I felt like I was a mile away from the action — and I was in the front of the upper level.

Even if the Consol Energy Center manages to have a cozy feel to it, it will never be like the Igloo. There are only two regular season games left.

Pittsburgh fans need to cherish Mellon Arena while it lasts, because next year, the Penguins will no longer have a unique building in which to play.