As there are several ice hockey venues in Tampere, this primary one is usually called "Hakametsän jäähalli" (after the district where it is located) or, more precisely, "Hakametsä 1" to distinguish it from the two smaller halls nearby.

[3] Finland was awarded the opportunity to host the 1965 ice hockey World Championships, and Helsinki was to build an arena for the tournament.

However, Helsinki did not manage to finish the project in time, and Tampere was asked to build an arena and host the games instead.

Besides ice hockey, the venue has been used to host several other sports events, including the European and World Championships of boxing, wrestling, judo, and karate, and international matches of volleyball.

There are several bars, restaurants and fast food stalls around the ice hall, as well as fan shops and the VIP clubs of the two local hockey teams.

In the late 1990s and the early 2000s there were plans to build a new multi-purpose arena in Tampere, following the example of the Hartwall Areena built in Helsinki in 1997.