The day many hockey fans and Edmontonians alike have been waiting for has finally arrived. After years of debate at city hall, countless hours of construction and several disappointing hockey seasons for Oilers fans, the team’s new downtown arena, Rogers Place, is open.
With much fanfare, the $613.7 million Rogers Place opened its doors Thursday, becoming the newest arena in the National Hockey League.
READ MORE: Today’s the day! Edmonton’s long-awaited Rogers Place downtown arena opens
The downtown arena deal was approved in 2013 after years of back and forth between the city and the Katz Group. Then-mayor Stephen Mandel calls the arena a “spectacular, state-of-the-art” facility – worth every minute of frustrating and at some times heated discussion.
“You look at that building and you tell me it’s not worth it,” Mandel said in a recent interview with Global News.
“This is the nicest arena in North America, could be in the world. It is everything Edmontonians deserve and it’s just spectacular.”
So how does Rogers Place stack up against the five newest NHL arenas?
Rogers Place – home of the Edmonton Oilers
- Ground was broken: March 2014
- Arena opened: September 2016
- Capacity for hockey games: 18,641
- Cost: $613.7 million ($475 million US at current exchange rate)
T-Mobile Arena – future home of the 31st NHL franchise
While it’s not technically home to an NHL team yet, the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas opened its doors earlier this year.
The T-Mobile Arena will be home to the NHL’s newest team in the fall of 2017, after the league’s board of governors accepted an expansion bid from Las Vegas in June.
- Ground was broken: May 1, 2014
- Arena opened: April 6, 2016
- Capacity for hockey games: 17,500
- Cost: $375 million US ($485 million at current exchange rate)
Barclays Center – home of the New York Islanders
Before T-Mobile Arena opened, Barclays Center in Brooklyn was the newest arena in the league. While the Islanders didn’t move into the arena until 2015, the facility opened its doors in 2012.
Less than one season in, the team was already looking for ways to cut ties with the arena, according to a report by the New York Post.
- Ground was broken: March 11, 2010
- Arena opened: 2012 (New York Islanders moved in in 2015)
- Capacity for hockey games: 15,795
- Cost: $1 billion US ($1.3 billion at current exchange rate)
Consol Energy Center – home of the Pittsburgh Penguins
- Ground was broken: August 2008
- Arena opened: fall 2010
- Capacity for hockey games: 18,387
- Cost: $321 million US ($415 million at current exchange rate)
Prudential Center – home of the New Jersey Devils
- Ground was broken: Oct. 3, 2005
- Arena opened: Oct. 25, 2007
- Capacity for hockey games: 16,514
- Cost: $377 million US ($487 million at current exchange rate)
Gila River Arena – home of the Arizona Coyotes
- Ground was broken: April 3, 2002
- Arena opened: December 2003
- Capacity for hockey games: 18,000
- Cost: $225 million US ($291 million at current exchange rate)
With a file from The Canadian Press.
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