Philadelphia Flyers announce major plans for a new arena.

The Wells Fargo Center will soon be a thing of the past.

That might sound unbelievable for fans in Philadelphia who have called the Wells Fargo Center the home of the Philadelphia Flyers since 1996 when it was known by its original name, Spectrum II, but it will indeed be the case and in just a few short years according to today's major announcement.

The news was first broken by NHL insider Frank Seravalli who revealed on Monday morning that a major announcement was coming down the pipeline.

From Seravalli:

On the heels of $400+ mil renovation of Wells Fargo Center completed last summer, Flyers are set to announce plans today for a new arena in South Philadelphia in joint partnership with [the 76ers].

Dramatic reversal of 76ers move to Center City.

Big win for Flyers' future.

That was quickly followed up by the official announcement from the Flyers themselves who did in fact confirm that a new arena project was forthcoming, and that they plan to complete it by 2031.

From the official announcement:

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Comcast today announced that HBSE and Comcast Spectacor have entered into a binding agreement to form a 50-50 joint venture to build a world-class, state-of-the-art arena in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex that will be the new home of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers. 

National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman also released a statement regarding the major announcement.

"We’re thrilled to see Comcast Spectacor and HBSE unite to deliver a new state-of-the-art arena in South Philadelphia," wrote Bettman in a statement. "For the past 58 years, in both the Spectrum and Wells Fargo Center, those arenas and Flyers’ fans have consistently produced an atmosphere that is among the best in sports. This visionary and forward-looking facility will take the fan experience to a whole new level where the great pride and passion of Philadelphia sports fans will continue to be on full display."

This will obviously be a major change for multiple generations of Flyers fans but most seem to be welcoming the announcement with open arms, with many suggesting that the Flyers can't moved out of the "cursed" Wells Fargo Center soon enough.

Can't wait to see the new arena, although we will have to wait a few years before it becomes a reality.