Rexall Place

Rexall Place
North face of Rexall Place
Former names	Northlands Coliseum (1974–1995) Edmonton Coliseum (1995–1998) Skyreach Centre (1998–2003)
Location	7424 118 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta T5B 4M9
Coordinates	53°34′17″N 113°27′22″W
Broke ground	November 3, 1972
Opened	November 10, 1974
Owner	Northlands
Operator	Northlands
Construction cost	C$17.3 million ($79.1 million in 2013 dollars)
Architect	Phillips, Barrett, Hillier, Jones Partners Wynn, Forbes, Lord, Feldberg & Schmidt
Structural engineer	Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd.
Services engineer	SE Johnson Ltd.
General contractor	Batoni Bowlen Enterprises
Capacity	Hockey: 16,839 Concerts: 12,000 (approx)
Tenants
Edmonton Oilers (NHL) (1974–present) Edmonton Rush (NLL) (2006–present) Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) (2007–present) Edmonton Drillers (CMISL) (2007) Edmonton Road Runners (AHL) (2004–2005) Edmonton Drillers (NPSL) (1996–2000) Edmonton Sled Dogs (RHI) (1994) Edmonton Skyhawks (NBL) (1993–1994) Edmonton Drillers (NASL) (1980–1982) Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL) (1974–1976)

Rexall Place is an indoor arena in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada situated on the north side of Northlands. It is currently the home to the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League, the Edmonton Rush of the National Lacrosse League and the Edmonton Oil Kings of the WHL. It is the third oldest NHL arena behind Madison Square Garden and the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, which opened in 1968 and 1972 respectively.

History

The then Skyreach Centre, seen in 2001.

When the arena opened on November 10, 1974, it was known as Northlands Coliseum to house the World Hockey Association Oilers, named after the nonprofit organization that still owns the arena today. Then it became the Edmonton Coliseum in 1994, and Skyreach Centre in 1998, before it changed to its current name during the middle of the 2003–04 NHL season when its naming rights were purchased by the Rexall medicine company, a subsidiary of Katz Group Canada; incidentally, the Katz Group now owns the Oilers and the Oil Kings through a subsidiary.

The arena was used to host games in the 1981 and 1984 Canada Cup hockey tournaments, including Game 2 of the 1984 finals between Canada and Sweden. In the 1995 World Junior Championships, which were held in various cities and towns throughout Alberta, Edmonton Coliseum was the site of several games, including Canada's 6–3 victory over Finland on New Year's Day. The arena was one of the venues for the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

The venue was the site of several Commonwealth Games sports in 1978, and part of Universiade (the World University Games) in 1983. It also hosted the World Wrestling Entertainment 2004 Backlash pay per view, and the CHL Top Prospects Game in 2008. Annual events include the Canadian Finals Rodeo and the Christian Conference, YC Alberta.

Before the 2007/08 season started, the Oilers dressing room was renovated for $3.5 million. The state-of-art room is now wider with a new medical room, lounge, bar, video room, weight room as well as other new facilities. Just after the entrance to the dressing room is a cubicle with 5 replica Stanley Cups in it that has all the names of the past Oilers who won cups with the team. Next to the 5 replicas is an empty space symbolizing that there is always room for another.

Arena information

Rexall Place at Night

The official capacity for hockey is currently 16,839, which is slightly less than the 17,100 the arena held before the 2001–02 NHL season. It is one of only three NHL arenas (the others being the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, also originally constructed for a non-NHL team, and the moribund Nassau Coliseum on Long Island) not capable of seating more than 17,000 fans in its current configuration. When it opened, the capacity was 15,423, but it was increased to 17,490 after the Oilers joined the NHL by adding an extra tier of seating on the side opposite the pressbox. This was increased to 17,498 in 1982 and to 17,503 in 1986. The arena underwent an extensive renovation in 1994 in which the seating capacity was reduced to make way for fifty-two luxury suites. Fifteen more suites were added in 2001. The arena can also be noisy, as noise levels have reached 119 dB during playoff games.

Rexall Place was the first NHL arena in Canada to have a centre-hung scoreboard with an electronic messageboard; the original scoreboard including a black-and-white dot matrix board. This was replaced in 1987 by a centre-hung scoreboard with a color matrix screen, which in 1994 was replaced with an eight-sided scoreboard with four video screens. The current centre-hung scoreboard, designed by Daktronics, features eight messageboards at the top and four videoscreens at the bottom, separated by LED rings.

Future

Main article: Edmonton Downtown arena

Given the age and small size (for an NHL venue) of Rexall Place, the construction of a new arena for the Edmonton Oilers was proposed by the Katz Group in 2010. An agreement was reached in January 2012 between the Katz Group and the City of Edmonton for the construction of the new arena in Downtown Edmonton. Construction is expected to start in the summer of 2013, and be completed before the 2016-17 hockey season.

Notable events

• Gymnastics in the 1978 Commonwealth Games.
• The 1981 Canada Cup, along with three other venues in Canada.
• The 1984 Canada Cup, along with six other venues in Canada.
• The 1989 National Hockey League All-Star Game.
• The 1995 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, along with 12 other venues in Alberta.
• The 1999, 2005, and 2013 Tim Hortons Briers.
• Toronto Raptors preseason games in 1999 and 2008
• The 2004 Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view event, produced by World Wrestling Entertainment.
• The 2007 Ford World Men's Curling Championship.
• The 2008 CHL Top Prospects Game.
• The 2008 National Lacrosse League All Star Game.
• The 2009 Canadian Olympic Curling Trials.
• The 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (in December 2011), along with the Scotiabank Saddledome.

Live recordings

The following bands recorded live performances in the arena:

• ABBA started here their North American tour 1979, part of the tour document was recorded here.
• Billy Graham videotaped his 1980 Northern Alberta crusade at the arena.
• Dottie West recorded her 1983 Showtime special Dottie West: Full Circle with the Alberta Orchestra at the arena, which also featured Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, John Schneider, David Frizzell and Shelly West in August 1982.
• Yes filmed their 1984 concert film 9012Live at the arena.
• Nickelback filmed their 2002 concert video Live at Home at the arena.
• Our Lady Peace recorded part of their 2003 record Live at the arena.
• Michael W. Smith recorded his live "Worship" DVD at YC Alberta.
• Corb Lund recorded his 2007 concert on video during the course of the Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! tour.
• Thousand Foot Krutch filmed their concert at YC Alberta on May 28, 2010 at the arena. A live CD and DVD of the show is planned for a June 7, 2011 release.
• Metallica filmed part of its upcoming 3D film during 2 concerts, August 17–18, 2012. Unknown release date

External links

• Rexall Place official website
• Rexall Place at Hockeyarenas.net

Events and tenants
Preceded by Edmonton Gardens	Home of the Edmonton Oilers 1974 – present	Succeeded by Downtown arena
Preceded by Red Deer, Alberta	Host of YC Alberta 2000 – present	Current holder
Preceded by Ottawa Civic Centre	Home of the Edmonton Rush 2006 – present	Current holder
Preceded by Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan	Host of the Tim Hortons Brier 2013	Succeeded by TBA
Preceded by HSBC Arena & Dwyer Arena, New York	Host of the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships along with Scotiabank Saddledome 2012	Succeeded by Ufa Arena & Ufa Ice Palace, Russia
Preceded by Colisée Pepsi, Quebec City, Quebec	Host of the CHL Top Prospects Game 2008	Succeeded by General Motors Centre, Oshawa, Ontario
Preceded by Halifax Metro Centre	Host of the Canadian Olympic Curling Trials 2009	Succeeded by MTS Centre, Winnipeg
Preceded by Rose Garden Arena, Portland, Oregon	Host of the National Lacrosse League All-Star Game 2008	Succeeded by Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado
Preceded by Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, Massachusetts	Host of the World Curling Championships 2007	Succeeded by Ralph Engelstad Arena, Grand Forks, North Dakota
First Arena	Home of the Edmonton Drillers (CMISL) 2007	Succeeded by Servus Credit Union Place, St. Albert, Alberta
Preceded by Saskatchewan Place, Saskatoon	Host of the Tim Hortons Brier 2005	Succeeded by Brandt Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan
Preceded by Ricoh Coliseum, Toronto	Home of the Edmonton Road Runners 2004-2005	Succeeded by Cox Convention Center, Oklahoma City
Preceded by Worcester's Centrum Centre, Massachusetts	Host of the WWE Backlash 2004	Succeeded by Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, New Hampshire
Preceded by an indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois	Home of the Edmonton Drillers (NPSL) 1996-2000	Dissolved
Preceded by Winnipeg Arena	Host of the Labatt Brier 1999	Succeeded by Saskatchewan Place, Saskatoon
First Arena	Home of the Edmonton Sled Dogs 1994	Succeeded by Orlando Arena
Preceded by St. Louis Arena	Host of the NHL All-Star Game 1989	Succeeded by Pittsburgh Civic Arena
Preceded by Edmonton Gardens	Home of the Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL) 1974–1976	Succeeded by Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon