Before the arena opened, however, Williams sold Cable Atlantic to Rogers Communications in order to pursue politics, but retained the naming rights personally.

Ultimately Williams chose to name the arena Mile One Centre, based on St. John's being the easternmost city in Canada.

[8] The Dobbin family were granted an expansion Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) franchise in 2004 to be later named the St. John's Fog Devils.

to the Fog Devils' demise including lack of fan support, a poor lease agreement and high travel costs.

[citation needed] The Fog Devils' departure left Mile One Centre without a major tenant for the first time since the building opened.

[10] Professional hockey returned to St. John's in 2011 when Winnipeg-based True North Sports and Entertainment announced a lease agreement with former Newfoundland and Labrador premier Danny Williams that saw their AHL franchise (formerly known as the Manitoba Moose) relocated to the Mile One Centre.

[17] The Growlers ceased operations on April 2, 2024, due to failing to fulfill the ECHL's league bylaws as well as financial reasons,[18] leaving the arena again without a hockey tenant.

On September 22, 2014, Mile One Centre held two split squad preseason games for the Ottawa Senators vs. the New York Islanders.

Both teams suited up and took pre-game warm-ups, but an unseasonably warm day in St. John's led to excess condensation inside the arena and pooling of moisture on the court, leading Raptors General Manager Glen Grunwald to take a microphone to centre court and announce the game would be cancelled in front of a sold-out crowd.

King, Our Lady Peace, Joe Cocker, Backstreet Boys, Bryan Adams, Barenaked Ladies, Blue Rodeo, Gordon Lightfoot, Billy Talent, Simple Plan, Elton John, Feist, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Pearl Jam, Bachman & Turner, Celtic Thunder, Leonard Cohen, Journey, Sting, Tegan and Sara, Sarah McLachlan, Carly Rae Jepsen, Hedley, Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, James Taylor, and Hilary Duff.