Post-Game Talk: Rexall, Northlands, Skyreach Centre, Edmonton Coliseum-final NHL bow

[Fourier]

I really enjoyed the game and the ceremony. It was clear though that it was a crowd that mostly started in the 90's and possibly later. That's of course perfectly fine but for me I loved seeing the old guys.

I remember how exciting it was to have a guy like Val Fonteyne play for the Oilers. This is a guy who played with Howe and Red Kelly and someone whose hockey card with Pittsburgh I can still remember from when I was a kid in the 60's. He wasn't a star and he only played a short time for the Oilers but the fact that he showed up to be part of this was big for me.

The fellow sitting next to me had no idea who Ted McAneeley was when he was introduced but he and Bob were local heroes. My brother and my cousins would go see the Oil Kings at the Gardens all the time and these guys were rock stars to us.

Semeko was a huge hit signing autographs in the crowd. And it's always great seeing Gretz!

On the flip side some of the guys from the 90's that got big cheers mean much less to me because I never really felt part of those teams nearly to the extent that I did with the old ones. It's just context. An event like this is suppose to be about memories and for me it brought up some great ones.

 

[dssource]

Anyone know if the ceremony is posted online anywhere? It started late and went long and even though I recorded an extra hour, I still missed the end. Last interview I saw was Ron Low.

 

[joestevens29]

I dont care how long the ceremony was, its now a memory for me. So many memories in old barn. Time is now to move on though. Joey is a stud.

Well done Daryl Katz!

About the game last night. The replay when Nurse got caught was terrible at the rink. Where it get him? Throat?

It was tough to tell and they didn't show it too much, appeared under the chin but could've been throat.

 

[Ol' Jase]

Nobody that's an Oilers fan would find much to enjoy in an hour long introduction of 200 players with the vast majority being unrecognizable even to current diehard Oiler fans.

I guess its considered a nice touch introducing everybody but on a ceremony that was supposed to be 1hr long that was 1hr long on its own, just the intros. Its as if nobody thought how long it was going to take to introduce a couple hundred people Half the guys seemed embarrassed to have to walk down the aisle knowing that nobody but their mother would remember who they were.

Then the one announcer with the lame jokes. The weird interviews.

I dunno. this stuff is really tired. Glad I didn't spend hundreds of bucks. tbh I would have left. Or at least wandered around awhile during the interminable boredom of the postgame ceremony. That thing didn't end till nearly 10;30 and with people arriving at 3:30.

That isn't a game, its a work shift.

For sure I didn't get it. This nostalgia thing is done, move on.

Seriously?

I'm as much of an Oiler fan as you and I loved it.

Why didn't you just not watch it instead of proclaiming how if one did enjoy the ceremony, it somehow reflects on their appreciation of the team?

 

[Seachd]

Seriously?

I'm as much of an Oiler fan as you and I loved it.

Why didn't you just not watch it instead of proclaiming how if one did enjoy the ceremony, it somehow reflects on their appreciation of the team?

Yeah, such a weird post.

It was very well done, and nice to see all those players.

 

[shoop]

Yeah, such a weird post.

It was very well done, and nice to see all those players.

Such a negative post it's just sad really.

It was a great night. I don't think any of those guys were 'embarrassed' to be there in any sense of the word.

Hmmm, you had a cup of coffee with the Oilers 20 or 30 years ago and the team honoured you by inviting you to the celebration. A celebration at which you got to hang out with Gretz, Messier, Kurri, McDavid and Hall. Yeah that would be embarrassing.

It was a great night. I think it's a symbolic closing of the book on the embarrassing 2008-2016 chapter in team history. Showed that deep down the people of the city really do have pride in this organization.

The new era starts now!

 

[joestevens29]

Seriously?

I'm as much of an Oiler fan as you and I loved it.

Why didn't you just not watch it instead of proclaiming how if one did enjoy the ceremony, it somehow reflects on their appreciation of the team?

I wasn't a fan going in and I don't think the ceremony itself was really a Rexall ceremony as much as it was an Oilers ceremony, but I sure enjoyed it. Seeing some faces I never saw before and then guys I did know that I forgot about was quite nice. Probably be spending a bit more time in the future taking a look at some of these guys.

 

[KlaireMcVoyant]

I remember several years back on these boards just prior to playing the San Jose sharks, one of their fans came over and said about Rexall Place..."What a depressing venue!" Must have been a shot of the outside on a dark night! LOL

That always stuck in my mind.

 

[harpoon]

Seriously?

I'm as much of an Oiler fan as you and I loved it.

Why didn't you just not watch it instead of proclaiming how if one did enjoy the ceremony, it somehow reflects on their appreciation of the team?

Yeah, I'm thinking that's a typo. He wanted to write, 'not an Oiler fan'.
The comment was made in response to fans of other teams complaining about how boring the ceremony was.
As written the comment doesn't make sense. Of course Oiler fans would be interested.
Its fans of other team that would likely get the yawns.

 

[Del Preston]

Anyone know if the ceremony is posted online anywhere? It started late and went long and even though I recorded an extra hour, I still missed the end. Last interview I saw was Ron Low.

There's a bunch of stuff here: http://video.oilers.nhl.com/videocenter/

 

[Replacement*]

Seriously?

I'm as much of an Oiler fan as you and I loved it.

Why didn't you just not watch it instead of proclaiming how if one did enjoy the ceremony, it somehow reflects on their appreciation of the team?

Not at all what I meant. I was trying to state those that are not Oiler fans wouldn't find much in it.

Yeah, I'm thinking that's a typo. He wanted to write, 'not an Oiler fan'.
The comment was made in response to fans of other teams complaining about how boring the ceremony was.
As written the comment doesn't make sense. Of course Oiler fans would be interested.
Its fans of other team that would likely get the yawns.

Yep. To fans of other teams this would be like listening to 2hrs of church of Oilers.

A day later and a dollar short I'm still nonplussed and heres where its landed for me. The whole time I felt something was off, but I often require some time to kind of figure out what rubbed me the wrong way.
But heres the deal. An org that has **** the bed for the last 10yrs and just **** the bed on Saturday is having a celebration (not of Rexall) but of Oilers, the Oilers way, and "Once an Oiler always an Oiler" To that end this felt like a false bill of goods. There was not one video of the planning and construction of the Coliseum, of its birth, of what it gave to this city, and the vision for a small Canadian city to build one of the best rinks on Earth at the time. None of that. This wasn't really about the last game played at Rexall. It was another Oilers love in and that at this point in time is undeserved.

A proper send off of the Coliseum would have made that the focal point in addition to the Oilers play there. Hope this clarifies my take.

 

[OilerFan4Life]

Honestly if Pronger was there last night, how could you possibly boo him?

His one season here was quite memorable. He should have gotten a standing ovation.

 

[Replacement*]

I can't look at that picture without thinking Garon let his sour gas well loose. Look at the expression on Garons face and Nikitin is right behind him.


joking aside one of the difficulties with the Oilers ceremony is that was for faithful only. Others need not apply. I think its more than clear Nikitin is probably not all that thrilled to be here or of all things Oiler. The org kind of assumes everybody will just love this stuff. You can almost differentiate the passengers who seem not thrilled to be Oilers.

One thing I appreciated from last night is how different the respect is for Ryan Smyth from the Rexall faithful than it has been here on this board where he was often derided. Tells me that those STH that have been there for years and that gave Smyth the only standing ovation really do see the special qualities and sacrifice everything approach this player brought.

Indeed even McDavid, Hall, Eberle seemed surprised at the degree of applause for Smyth. It was a head turner for a lot of the players as it was when the org commemorated Smyth here.

 

[Aceboogie]

Honestly if Pronger was there last night, how could you possibly boo him?

His one season here was quite memorable. He should have gotten a standing ovation.

Yeah I dont understand the hate of Pronger. He single handily brought us to game 7 of the SCF. And then his wife wanted out.

And its not like he made us lose assets. We got him for cheap(ish) and returned nearly an identical return, plus landed Eberle with that shot in the dark cond 1st.

I would be clapping very loud for him. Without him, we likely lose in round 1 and we would legit be worst team since 2000

 

[Replacement*]

Yeah I dont understand the hate of Pronger. He single handily brought us to game 7 of the SCF. And then his wife wanted out.

And its not like he made us lose assets. We got him for cheap(ish) and returned nearly an identical return, plus landed Eberle with that shot in the dark cond 1st.

I would be clapping very loud for him. Without him, we likely lose in round 1 and we would legit be worst team since 2000

He gave his all here the one season which kind of surprised me. He really worked hard from camp on and established himself in dressing room at earliest point. He came here with intent to give the org everything he could, obviously, and was a leader in the room before the first exhibition game was played. He carried on like that all year. There was not even a question, this was Chris Prongers team. I do thank him for that dedication for the season but I still think his intent was to play that one transition year here. He used this as essentially a bridge to other things. Wife notwithstanding this wasn't going to be a longterm stay but he would know that too. Anyway that's all a different topic.

 

[SometimesY]

Haven't read through the thread, but the funniest thing is Gretz taking off randomly and not staying in his seat. lol. Wasn't that a party? HAHA..

 

[GMofOilers]

Haven't read through the thread, but the funniest thing is Gretz taking off randomly and not staying in his seat. lol. Wasn't that a party? HAHA..

He was going to sit with his wife in the players box. Thats where he kept going.

 

[Replacement*]

Not sure if anybody detected it but Joey was not typical Joey coming up during the banner ceremony. Something was off for him. (I think just pure sadness in this being closure for Rexall and him realizing a chapter was ending) he seemed hesitant to come up.

Gretzky, being the human he is gave him a hug, turned him to the camera, and held him beside him for awhile. Gretz being an individual with that inate quality of being in tune to others feelings. That to me was a special moment. That Gretz, despite all the distraction, recognized something going on for his friend.

Normally Joey is very animated in front of the cameras. Not this one moment.

Everybody is different and for some people, many people, the association with time and place is strong. Joey, like Gretzky, and many of the players, will miss the Coliseum. Gretz even referenced it.

The part that made me cry though was Gretz breaking up about age and not being able to play at the new rink.

Those of us older get that more I think. That time has moved on for us. Tears just welled up in Gretz the times he talked about "I wish I could still play but I can't"

With Gretz one thinks he wishes he could help McDavid more than he can.

 

[Asher]

I really enjoyed the game and the ceremony. It was clear though that it was a crowd that mostly started in the 90's and possibly later. That's of course perfectly fine but for me I loved seeing the old guys.

I remember how exciting it was to have a guy like Val Fonteyne play for the Oilers. This is a guy who played with Howe and Red Kelly and someone whose hockey card with Pittsburgh I can still remember from when I was a kid in the 60's. He wasn't a star and he only played a short time for the Oilers but the fact that he showed up to be part of this was big for me.

The fellow sitting next to me had no idea who Ted McAneeley was when he was introduced but he and Bob were local heroes. My brother and my cousins would go see the Oil Kings at the Gardens all the time and these guys were rock stars to us.

Semeko was a huge hit signing autographs in the crowd. And it's always great seeing Gretz!

On the flip side some of the guys from the 90's that got big cheers mean much less to me because I never really felt part of those teams nearly to the extent that I did with the old ones. It's just context. An event like this is suppose to be about memories and for me it brought up some great ones.

You're a little bit before my time but I had similar reaction to seeing someone like Gary Unger again. I still remember when the Oilers brought him in a veteran player to add some experience to a very young team. Unger was a player I knew of back then for the same reason most people did, his games played streak, so bringing him in added some street cred.

Very disappointed and surprised that Randy Gregg wasn't there. I assume he had a good reason but it still would have been nice to see the doctor again.

 

[tikkanen]

You're a little bit before my time but I had similar reaction to seeing someone like Gary Unger again. I still remember when the Oilers brought him in a veteran player to add some experience to a very young team. Unger was a player I knew of back then for the same reason most people did, his games played streak, so bringing him in added some street cred.

Very disappointed and surprised that Randy Gregg wasn't there. I assume he had a good reason but it still would have been nice to see the doctor again.

I missed lee fogolin, Beukaboom, Dave Dryden and Tikkanen-of course-unless I missed them. Was sad seeing Klima too-he looked terrible and could barely stay up in his seat. Hard life. Was a great night otherwise. One of my first favorites was rusty patenaud and it was very nice to see him there and the short interview with him. I remember these guys when they were young. Makes me feel very old to see them now. Great memories.

 

[Pointteen]

Did Gator make it back? The last great Oilers captain.

 

[Section337]

Did Gator make it back? The last great Oilers captain.

Nope, but he is an assistant coach for Ottawa.

 

[Pointteen]

Nope, but he is an assistant coach for Ottawa.

Ah. Fair enough. Good reason I guess.

 

[VasilyHoglander]

Canucks fan here. Honoured for the canucks to be the last nhl team to play against the oilers in such a historic building. I will miss rexall place! Good luck to the oilers next year in their new arena! Looks beautiful! Quick question are they planning on moving the statue?

 

[MrM]

I feel so tier 2, I missed the alumni at the end of the game. Anywhere I can watch it in full?