The Oilers' downtown Edmonton arena is "officially open for business," and Thursday's ribbon-cutting ceremony at Rogers Place "brought visible relief" to the face of team Owner Daryl Katz, according to a front-page piece by Stuart Thomson of the EDMONTON JOURNAL. Wayne Gretzky said, "I want people to understand this place is special." Thomson notes open houses for the public "start on Saturday and Keith Urban will take the stage Sept. 16 to perform the first show." The first hockey game will be a WHL matchup on Sept. 24, followed by the Oilers preseason home opener against the Flames on Sept. 26. More than 56,000 tickets "have already been snapped up for the open houses that run all through next week" (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 9/9). In Edmonton, Terry Jones writes the new arena is "obviously a game-changer" for the city. Silent are the editorialists who "insisted the arena would have no real affect on downtown." Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson was "against the project cast throughout the process until he voted yes on the final balloting." He was the "first to speak during the ceremonies." He said, “Look around you. This building is spectacular. This changes Edmonton forever." Jones notes Katz, "making a rare public appearance, handled himself well for a guy who avoids these moments at every opportunity." He said, "We’ve realized our goal of opening a new downtown arena and that excitement is building all around us. It took some doing, but I think I speak for all concerned when I say the result has been so incredibly worth the effort. ... For the first time in decades, Edmonton will have an urban core to match our world-class community spirit" (EDMONTON SUN, 9/9).
THE WIRE: In Edmonton, Gordon Kent notes the communications tech at the new arena is "described as state of the art, including what appear to be metal boxes built into handrails in the lower bowl that are actually Wi-Fi antennas." It is the "first time a Canadian arena has taken this step rather than putting the equipment under the seats, saving on antennas, wiring and building maintenance." Rogers has "installed 417 Wi-Fi antennas around the building as one of three sets of antennas that also handle emergency services and cellphones for all providers." Rogers CEO Guy Laurence noted that the company has invested C$15 million in the facility and the surrounding Ice District (EDMONTON JOURNAL, 9/9).
