An Electric Night at Rogers Place
Report by Ani Heslop
I was so excited as I sat down in Section 232 of Roger’s Place. The atmosphere was absolutely electric from the moment my friend and I stepped in the stadium. We could see the whole ice and almost the entire arena from our seats; it was filled with orange and blue, and the energy was just as electric as the colours. The music in the stadium filled my chest.
The Edmonton Oilers tickets I found online were really cheap, and it was sort of an impulse purchase for me. The first hockey game I’ve attended in 15 years felt pretty special and important. I grew up with hockey, and I love the culture surrounding the game.
It was bound to be a good game: the Seattle Kraken are pretty low in the league, and it was Connor McDavid’s first game back on the ice after his 3-game suspension for cross checking on January 18.
It felt strange not to hear the announcers shout the plays as they happened, like they do on TV – it seemed oddly quiet. It was fun to remember how they pan to people in the audience on the Jumbotron; everyone wants to be on the big screen. Each time someone started to chug their beer or drink, as is tradition, the cameras would pan away. It made me snicker. At the end of the first period, it was 2-1 for Kraken: an exciting first period where there was even a coach’s challenge on a goal — the Oilers lost.
I was hungry, and despite that I know how much the concessions charge at Rogers Place, I thought it was worth it to get some food and a drink. The only vendor available on the whole level was Pizza 73. I understand that Pizza 73 is a big sponsor, but I felt I had no options.
I eventually found a vendor that had plenty of choices. I got a poutine, popcorn, and a Vodka Seltzer. All together, it was $45, definitely not what I’d want to pay for a mediocre poutine, a small popcorn, and a drink that I could get anywhere and which cost as much as a six pack. I did enjoy the food — I felt like I had to because of how much it cost — but also, it’s only proper to have a classic Canadian poutine with hot gravy during a hockey game.
While walking around the concourse during the period break, there was still lots of hockey culture and spectacle to enjoy. A brass band was walking the corridors, all decked up in orange and blue, and playing lively music on Oilers-branded instruments. Friends and young people laughed and roughhoused on the side, and families with children played. It was like a festival.
The first goal in the second period was scored by McDavid, his first goal since the suspension, and predictably the arena went crazy. Everyone jumped up, including me, and cheered at the top of our lungs. It felt special to be a part of something all together, just like when everyone did the “Let’s Go Oilers” chant during the game. The second goal in the second period was also special, scored by Corey Perry on an awesome breakaway all the way up the ice.
On the longer breaks during the play (usually the time where they would have the commercials on TV) there were games with people in the audience over the big screen. In one, a guy had to guess flavours of Bubly drinks, and another was a stadium cheer-off to see which side was louder. It was fun, but it also seems so much more commercial than it used to be. All the games and game spectacles were sponsored by a brand with its logo, and the announcers said their names over and over, including, of course, Pizza 73. I never remember hearing so many ad shout-outs and sponsorships for brands when I was a kid at games.
After the second, I wanted to watch the entertainment they have in between periods, but we went out to the concourse instead, where I got another drink, this time a draught.
I don’t usually drink beer, but it’s the same with the poutine, it’s just classic to have a beer at a hockey game, especially a Molson, the Edmonton Oilers’ biggest sponsor — to see what all the fuss was about. It was alright! To me, who generally doesn’t choose beer, it tasted like any other, and probably wasn’t worth the $15.
My friend thought my poutine looked so good that he got one for himself too, but we were both disappointed with it: it was so salty. How can two identical dishes from the same vendor cost so much money, yet be so unpredictable in taste and quality?
The third period was a close game, it was 3-2 for the Oilers the whole time. My friend told me, “If the game wasn’t this close, people would probably start leaving to beat the rush.” Which I don’t understand: wouldn’t you want to stay until the end and celebrate and take in even more of the hockey culture?
Seattle pulls their goalie in the last 2 minutes. Ekholm shoots it all the way down the ice, and it bounces right into the empty net.
I’m never a fan of empty net goals, even when the team I’m cheering for scores — it just always makes me feel bad to see an easy goal that could’ve been prevented. But the stadium went crazy the whole rest of the game (except for the people who did leave early after the last goal), and the music began to play again, loud, and the fans were even louder.
After the game, and despite winning, as soon as we stepped out of the arena and into the concourse, the atmosphere was a lot milder than in earlier times. There wasn’t as much chatter, liveliness, or banter. Maybe people were tired, but more likely, they were worried about getting their cars out of the stadium lots. But we all did go our separate ways.
For seats that were so high up in the stadium that cost so little money, it was actually a great view, and a great event. The energy from everyone else elevated the experience, and honestly, there’s no need to get the marked-up stadium food or drinks to have a good time. If it’s been a New Year’s resolution to see a hockey game, go see the Oilers!
Edmonton Oilers website
Rogers Place website
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