Built in 1963, the Marcel Dionne centre is one of the QMJHL's most historic arenas. Now, the city of Drummondville and the Voltigeurs are moving forward to give the barn a facelift, with an expected completion date in 2028.

Changes to the arena will include the addition of 700 seats, re-designed press gallery, locker rooms, bath rooms, ticketing offices and lodges, the creation of a new restaurant, prestige seating areas, addition of flexible boards, the expansion of the ice rink size and replacement of the arena's roof. 

The project has been decades in the making, with the club supposedly talking about modernization efforts as early as 2007. All-in-all, the renovations were last estimated to cost $51 million in 2023, however the city has been reticent to release an updated figure since.

Club president Eric Verrier spoke to the press about what the new arena renovations meant for the historic club. "This is a promising project, not only for us, but for the entire community," he said in French per Radio Canada. He said that he believes this will should help improve attendences and improve the spectator experience, while also offering high-end infrastructure and improve the safety for prospective players.

Newer facilities should help the team improve its chances at landing high-end American and import players. 

Despite all these positives, some questions have been raised about the project including by the namesake of the arena, Hockey Hall of Famer and Drummondville-native Marcel Dionne.

"When you want to renovate an old infrastructure, it's rarely profitable," the NHL legend said in an interview with Vingt55. "It's a major expense, and Drummondville deserves better... I think it's a missed opportunity to do something truly worthy of the city's ambitions."

The Voltigeurs are still expected to continue playing at the Marcel Dionne centre throughout the renovations, with the only caveat that the team will spend the majority of its road games at the beginning of the season -- much like Rimouski did this past season as its arena was undergoing a makeover ahead of hosting the Memorial Cup.

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