Game #11: Edmonton Oilers (March 23, 2015)
March 24, 2015
Great to be home for game #11 of my 30 game trip! This game was different than the past ten games for a number of reasons. For the first ten games of my trip, all arena visits were the first ever for me, and all were in the U.S. As for Rexall Place in Edmonton, I’ve watched hundreds of games at Rexall, going back to when the arena was called Skyreach Centre, and before that, Northlands Coliseum.
After the New York Islanders move into their new building next season, the Oilers will play in the oldest arena in the NHL. But not for long! With Rogers Place scheduled for completion in time for the 2016-2017 season, Oilers fans have a lot to be excited about.
After watching games in places like Tampa, Dallas and Phoenix (Glendale) the past three games, it’s great to see the promenade/concourse/terrace areas some of the newer arenas have for fans to hang out before and after the game. (Or any other events which take place.) For Oilers fans, you have a lot to be excited about! The Ice District area of the planned new facility in Edmonton will give Oilers fans an opportunity to enjoy the hockey game experience in an expanded fashion.
Being home for game #11 of my trip, I don’t have a lot of pictures to share. There was a lot of media attention, for which I was called away to attend, with hopes to promote people to donate to Make-A-Wish at www.30games-30nights.com.
Here are a few shots of folks who enjoyed the game with me tonight. And yes, it was a luxury suite tonight, courtesy of a good friend (Ron Watamaniuk) who provided his company’s suite for my mid-trip visit. (And sorry, by the way, for two of my friends wearing jerseys from non-Oiler teams. They’re delusional of course.)
The Oilers were awesome in helping promote my “30games-30nights” trip, and made an announcement in the late stages of the second period to promote the charitable part of my special trip. I’m hoping this translates into more donations to Make-A-Wish!
I’m off to Vancouver tomorrow, and two more Canadian cities thereafter (Calgary, Winnipeg) before making my trek to the U.S. for eight games in row, then heading back to a game in Ottawa on April 4th. After that, it’s Detroit, Minnesota, Colorado (Denver), Washington, Montreal, Columbus, and finishing up with Toronto on April 11th, the last regular season game of the season.
Leave a Reply