Inside Rexall Place, Home of the Edmonton Oilers

Official Review by Jim Parsons, Stadium Journey Correspondent

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Lately, Daryl Katz, owner of the Edmonton Oilers, has been working hard in the Edmonton area on securing the start-up of a new downtown arena that would see the Edmonton Oilers playing out of one of the NHL’s most state-of-the-art facilities.

As it is now, Rexall Place serves it’s intended purpose, and is currently home to the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL, the Edmonton Rush of the NLL and the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL. It also hosts most of Edmonton’s big concert events and though it is one of the oldest venues in the NHL, it has often been renovated to keep the facilities up to date.

Food & Beverage   3/5

Rexall Place offers your typical stadium food. You’ll find the standard peanuts, pretzels, hot dogs and nachos, along with a reasonable variety of beers, specialty drink stands and a few other options. One nice upgrade is the bar area located on the same level as the walkway that brings the players from the dressing room to the ice-surface. While the fans are enjoying a beverage, they can cheer on their team as they make their way to game action.

Atmosphere   5/5

Despite the Oilers somewhat less than mediocre success over the past few years, Rexall Place is one of the NHL loudest arenas (at times it can reach 1.4 decibels) and is sold out for every home game the Oilers play. Much of that can be attributed to the magical run for the Oilers in the 2006 NHL playoffs and since then, fans can’t find a seat in the house.

Edmonton isn’t much for homegrown celebrities, but you’ll find a mix of well-to-do business owners and face-painted jersey wearing lunatics walking the halls and screaming, “Go, Oilers, Go!” Fans come out regardless of the Oilers record, the extremely cold winter weather and can make an otherwise bad game still entertaining.

In addition the fan that wants Oilers merchandise, will find no shortage of jerseys, hats, gear and more.

Neighborhood   3/5

One of the reasons for the desire to move the stadium to the downtown core is due to the lack of options in the current location. A new downtown arena would really boost downtown living and business and the Oilers understand it will improve the quality of Edmonton as a city.

Currently, Rexall is located next to Northlands Agricom and Northlands Park, so for horse racing, trade show and gambling fans, there are options, but not much for the casual fan.

Colors Restaurant

A sports better’s paradise, Colors is located inside Northlands Park. It’s got your standard sports fan food, tons of screens to watch games and see the results of horse racing and is a short walk to the stadium.

Diesel Ultra Lounge

Right across from the stadium is one of Edmonton’s newest nightlife hotspots. Diesel Lounge does good business when the stadium isn’t being used, but when Rexall is rockin’, you can bet that the club isn’t much less packed after a game. With the newest hits mixed by Edmonton’s top DJ’s and a live to air radio station, there is plenty to party about.

Outside of these two options, there is a real lack of eating options for Rexall fans.

Fans   4/5

With ever increasing ticket prices, fans still come out in droves. Edmonton itself is a fairly well off city in terms of economic position, but many fans are spending every penny of their disposable income and do so even during times where the Oilers aren’t pushing for the playoffs.

After the 2006 playoff run, more and more fans are becoming fans without a knowledge base of the team besides Wayne Gretzky and the glory days of the 80’s Oilers, but for the most part, Oiler fans are extremely knowledgeable hockey fans and eat, sleep and breathe the Oilers. In Edmonton, the players are amongst the cities biggest celebrities.

Access   4/5

Getting into Rexall Place if you’re driving isn’t overly difficult, but it can be busy. You can take Wayne Gretzky Drive north or south depending on the side of the city in which you’re coming, but give yourself extra time as it gets backed up.

Another option is Edmonton’s revamped LRT system that takes fans directly next to the stadium and is a great (still busy) route for fans who aren’t concerned about parking next to the arena.

Parking isn’t great, but it isn’t terrible. There are plenty of businesses and privately owned lots where fans can park for the night for anywhere from $6-$12. Timing can be key, as the attendants like to pack cars in, thus getting out could take a few extra minutes.

Return on Investment   3/5

Tickets are a bit harder to get if you’re going with a friend or significant other. There are often half-priced game day tickets available at the last minute, but seating is limited as are the amount of seating together.

In terms of overall appearance and comfort, if the Oilers continue to charge the prices they are charging, they will need to make upgrades. All renovations, including the $3.5 million upgrade to the locker room area haven’t made their way back to the fans off or on the ice. The goal was to create a more inviting place for NHL players and make the Oilers a more attractive team, yet the franchise continues to have difficulty attracting free agents and the on-ice winning record hasn’t improved.

Extras   3/5

Rexall Place still does hold a warm place in people’s heart’s as the statue of Wayne Gretzky still stands and fans can remember back to a time when the Oilers were far and away the best team in the NHL and home to the greatest hockey player to ever live.

Take a look at the many Stanley Cup banners and you’ll understand why Oiler fans still hold hope that one day the Oilers will again be a contending team.

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