They may not be breaking the seal on a brand-new facility, but the Victoria Royals will have the experience of a lifetime when they face the Edmonton Oil Kings at the new Rogers Place tonight in the Alberta capital.
The Royals are an excited lot, and that鈥檚 just the executive.
鈥淚 think it鈥檒l be a real cool experience for our guys to be in there just after it鈥檚 opened up to the National Hockey League,鈥� Royals head coach Dave Lowry said, in reference to playing in the 18,641-seat rink two days after the Oilers played their first game Wednesday night. 鈥淲e might not be the first game in our league in that building either, but one of the first games.鈥�
The Oil Kings are 1-2 in their new home.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be something that these guys look back on in the next 10 or 15 years and say, 鈥楬ey, you know what? That building, I played one of the first games in there,鈥� 鈥� added Lowry.
The excitement will not be lost on Lowry, a veteran of 19 years in the NHL.
鈥淚 was in the league when teams were all getting new buildings 鈥� believe it or not,鈥� he said with a chuckle. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always nice. I鈥檓 a traditionalist. I like the history of the game, the old buildings and the character that goes with them, but it鈥檚 going to be pretty exciting to go into that facility and have that experience.鈥�
Lowry has not seen the new facility in person, unlike his boss, Cam Hope, who toured it under construction last January in downtown Edmonton, which is his hometown.
鈥淚 think it will be exciting for them,鈥� Hope said of his troops. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e had really good crowds. Part of the fun of being in a new rink is while the city is coming out to see it, you get some nice big crowds coming in, even for junior hockey.
鈥淥ur kids do play in NHL rinks in Edmonton and in Calgary, at the Saddledome, they鈥檙e just not always used to playing in them when there鈥檚 10,000 or 15,000 people in them which this rink, right now, is enjoying.鈥�
The Oil Kings drew 18,102 for Game 1 at home; 12,781 in Game 2; and down to 5,000 in Wednesday鈥檚 loss to Vancouver.
Hope has ties to the Oilers having worked for them in a minor capacity and then joined Glen Sather in New York with the Rangers. His wife, Sara, was also employed by the Oilers, practicing law at the time and working for former team owner Peter Pocklington in the 1990s. She also helped manage the building in the late 鈥�90s.
鈥淚鈥檝e been in a lot of rinks, so my expectations are it鈥檒l be pretty spectacular, but there are a lot of beautiful rinks around North America,鈥� said Hope, who flew into Edmonton on Thursday to join the team and then continue on a scouting mission.
鈥淚t鈥檚 more than just the arena, they鈥檝e built the whole entertainment district around it, putting in that hotel adjacent to it and a bunch of other buildings. It鈥檚 just a huge project,鈥� he added.
鈥淚t鈥檚 massive because it takes up a bunch of city blocks. We were up in a tower [nearby] looking down into the pits of some of the ancillary stuff they were building around it and it鈥檚 an incredibly massive undertaking. It鈥檚 not all finished, but that whole entertainment district is going to be incredible.鈥�
The Royals will be looking to rebound after Wednesday鈥檚 5-2 loss in Lethbridge. It鈥檚 the final outing on a six-game road trip.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the challenge that now presents itself,鈥� said Lowry. 鈥淲e talked about getting out on the road, how it would be good for our team and bring us together. This is when you see what your team is made of and the type of character you have.鈥�
The team is back at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Tuesday versus Saskatoon.
