Rogers Arena A "Go" In Edmonton

((HT: 630CHED))

After holding the city of Edmonton hostage in front of his Seattle teaser a few years ago, Oilers owner Daryl Katz got his wish- C$480-million in public funding to make Rogers Place a go by the 2016 season.

Katz, Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson, City Manager Simon Farbrother and other muckety mucks went public (highlights below) came forward to say how happy they all were that nothing stands in the way of building a new barn for the hockey team.

In an interesting side-bar, the price tag includes a C$2-million contribution from MacEwan University. Their contribution helps increase the number of seats in the adjoining "community rink." They'll get a new home out of the deal, too, and won't have to travel the 20 miles to West Edmonton- where they currently play.

Here's a short look at the presser


And here's where they came from with the Seattle dance...
((HT: TSN))

Oilers Name New Arena, Shocking No One With Sponsor...

((HT: Sportsnet))

Edmonton’s new hockey arena is getting a new name, and keeping in line with everything going on with the hockey universe these days in Canada, it will be called Rogers Place.

The Katz Group gets all revenue from the naming rights since they negotiated the deal in the first place...

Just in time for the 2016 NHL season...

"This is a great day for Edmonton's downtown and our city," said Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson. "Rogers Place will become a beacon in our downtown, one that will foster a new sense of energy that will further attract development and investment in the heart of our city."

Here's a fly through that the powers that are put together on how it might look...
((HT: CTV News Edmonton))


And here's the interview with President and COO Pat LaForge on "Prime Time Sports" talking about the deal and other Oilers stuff...

Edmonton's New Arena Deal Collapses; Seattle, Quebec City, and Markham Watching...???

((HT: Global TV Edmonton))

The following story is one where the city of Seattle (and, for that matter, Quebec City and Markham, Ontario) are paying very close attention...

The city of Edmonton is walking away from the current round of negotiations with Oilers owner Daryl Katz over a proposed new, C$475-million arena where the city feels that Katz is asking for more money from the city than he is willing to provide as part of the investment.

"It's wrong to hold us up for ransom," Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel said when the city walked out.

"This is not a council that said, 'Don't do a deal' -- but what do we do when we have a partner that says, 'We want more money, and you pay for it? I'm not saying we should say no to Mr. Katz, but all the information that I've had an opportunity to see does not justify council giving him another six million dollars a year."

The original deal had Katz having the city build the arena on taxpayer dollars and ticket sales (and other ticket-based revenues). The Oilers would spend C$15-million in rent, but would get to keep any profit from things like concessions, naming rights, and advertising. Then, Katz added another C$6-million in subsidies to his initial demand.

That's when the wheels fell off...

Global Edmonton's Erin Chalmers catches up with Councillor Dave Loken, who wonders which numbers make the most sense in the appraisals and knows how far apart the two sides are in this whole thing...


The city doesn't seem to be in a position to budge, and Katz doesn't want to come and answer questions in front of a council that, he claims, is far apart from his demands.

And just as a new proposal to end the lockout is coming to the table...

Makes for an interesting bedfellow...