Since opening in September 2016, the Edmonton Oilers’ Rogers Place arena has garnered praise from fans, the community and, recently, from National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman.
Excerpted from NHL.com:
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman used the word “phenomenal” during his first visit to a completed Rogers Place in downtown Edmonton on Tuesday.
“Seeing it finished, the arena, it’s nothing short of phenomenal,” Commissioner Bettman said. “The way it’s put together is ingenious. It is created and crafted and it has every amenity imaginable. The finishing touches and the way the building flows and the sight lines, incredible.”
“I can’t say enough good things about it and it’s testament to Daryl (Katz, Oilers owner) and his organization as to what they’ve accomplished here.”
Bettman was also enthused about the development around Rogers Place, called the Ice District. It will include a hotel combined with a residential tower, a 66-story office-residential tower that will be the tallest building in Canada west of Toronto when it’s completed in 2018, and another condominium tower.
“I knew that there was a great vision for what this arena would be and what the Ice District would represent for Edmonton,” the Commissioner said. “When you see the entire Ice District, this has been and will continue to be transformational for Edmonton for decades to come. That speaks well not just as a home for the Oilers but for the quality of life in Edmonton.”