Edmonton is No Good Episode 4: New Rink, Same Stink

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by wwkayaker

I was in the new rink last night and it was great to watch Columbus win! The rink is nice but there are so many bottleneck areas creating lines. To get to the upper level, you need to take one of two escalators. Picture the lineup when you have 8000 people trying to get on the escalator. Bathroom lineups are long. Attempting to leave was worse...the two escalators were jam packed and it was slow moving. The atmosphere was so quiet. The old building was raucous while this rink seems like a vacuum.

This is something a number of us have noted for years now. Back when Oilers fans were thumping their chests about crowd noise records being set at Rexall Place during the 2006 playoffs it was clear that the corrugated steel design of that old building greatly escalated decibel levels.

Regardless of whether the new arena is amazing, it is embarrassing for Edmonton residents to carry on about it like they do. And it is pretty sad—sad that the best part of that city is a hockey arena.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

And it is pretty sad—sad that the best part of that city is a hockey arena.

For decades, the best part of the city was a shopping mall, so it's a step up.

[Jay Random]

Strictly speaking, the best part of the city was and is the QE2 heading south.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by getbak

For decades, the best part of the city was a shopping mall, so it's a step up.

Yeah... but it had a FCUK store.

[wwkayaker]

It was great to hear others in attendance comment on the poor atmosphere. The city went for a home run and they didn't get it. Parking was a disaster as well. My buddy and I parked in the park ace at city centre mall. It took us 25 minutes to get drive down from the third level to the exit.

The best part was listening to fans cry when penalties weren't called for 'indiscretions' on McDavid. For the majority of the game, McDavid was a non factor. He had several prime chances from the slot but instead passes to guys with horrible shooting angles. I had to laugh when the fans were getting pissed at the saviour's play.

[Clarkey]

Originally Posted by wwkayaker

I was in the new rink last night and it was great to watch Columbus win! The rink is nice but there are so many bottleneck areas creating lines. To get to the upper level, you need to take one of two escalators. Picture the lineup when you have 8000 people trying to get on the escalator. Bathroom lineups are long. Attempting to leave was worse...the two escalators were jam packed and it was slow moving. The atmosphere was so quiet. The old building was raucous while this rink seems like a vacuum.

Lineups to the urinals and long lines at the concessions is so bush league for 2016.

[wwkayaker]

^yep, the lineups were the most noticeable issue. The lineup to get up the escalator was probably 200 people long. The lineup moved quickly but it was quite the bottleneck. I didn't explore the upper tier much but my buddy and I were wondering how the two escalators satisfied the fire code. I wouldn't want to be there if there was an emergency evacuation required...picture all of the upper tier folks trying to exit via two escalators each the same width as your typical escalator but much longer.

[wwkayaker]

^^Infrastructure issues were the lineups. Obviously the biggest disaster was the home team!

[oilyfan]

The escalators are for convenience. For fire exit purposes there are multiple fire exit stairs heading down from the upper concourses.

http://www.rogersplace.com/concourse-maps/

[Eric Vail]

Justin Schultz with a goal and 2 assists to lead the Penguins to victory. He leads the Pens and the entire NHL with a +18. He also is coasting along with 17 points which puts him at #13 in the NHL.

Nice to see him bounce back after going -93 in Edmonton. Just has to get the Oiler stink off him and he can turn into a good player.

[flamesforcup]

Who wouldve thought at this time last year Justin ####ing Schultz would lead the league in +/- and Brodie would be last -_-

[Komskies]

Must be a J. Schultz thing. Jeff Schultz led the league with a +50 in 2009-10.

[The Fonz]

Justin 'Jeff' Schultz

[Locke]

Its amazing how much things get better the farther away they get from Edmonton.

Its almost a direct and causal relationship.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

LOL Edmonton sure loves to pat themselves on the back. I haven't been in the arena but the more I see pictures (and if you watch Oilers broadcasts it's non-stop commercials of it) of the exterior the more it kind of looks like a cheap tin can building from the outside. I'm sure it's nice inside but I don't know if that design will age gracefully on the outside.

Yeah, no. I hate the Oilers as much as anybody but the rink looks unbelievable in person no matter the light. The problems about lines and bathrooms are somewhat true, even at the Kings games I went to.. but overall it blows the Dome out of the water. Again, the Oilers still suck... and there's still a billion things to rag on Edmonton for.

[N-E-B]

Originally Posted by Acey

Yeah, no. I hate the Oilers as much as anybody but the rink looks unbelievable in person no matter the light. The problems about lines and bathrooms are somewhat true, even at the Kings games I went to.. but overall it blows the Dome out of the water. Again, the Oilers still suck... and there's still a billion things to rag on Edmonton for.

The inside is awesome but I agree with EE that the outside is ugly.

[Eric Vail]

Originally Posted by Acey

Yeah, no. I hate the Oilers as much as anybody but the rink looks unbelievable in person no matter the light. The problems about lines and bathrooms are somewhat true, even at the Kings games I went to.. but overall it blows the Dome out of the water. Again, the Oilers still suck... and there's still a billion things to rag on Edmonton for.

Is it $600 million better than the Saddledome?

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Eric Vail

Is it $600 million better than the Saddledome?

You mean $400 million because, you know inflation? Given the amenities, the second rink, LRT link, and the other things included in the project... yeah. It is.

I shot some promo stuff for them and it's pretty hard to take a bad picture. All mine were before it was barfed on by Oilers fans, however.


MacEwan Station - Edmonton LRT by Acey, on Flickr

[Eric Vail]

Originally Posted by Acey

You mean $400 million because, you know inflation? Given the amenities, the second rink, LRT link, and the other things included in the project... yeah. It is.

I shot some promo stuff for them and it's pretty hard to take a bad picture. All mine were before it was barfed on by Oilers fans, however.

Edmonton's new downtown arena, built in less than three years at a total cost of more than $600 million, is officially open.

Rogers Place, the new home of the Edmonton Oilers, was opened in a ceremony Thursday evening.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...oors-1.3753743

[Acey]

You said $600 million better, which would imply the difference in cost between the two buildings. Unless you think the dome was built for free.