Don Metz and Tim Dancy recall Coliseum from both sides of the TV camera

AsVP and senior advisor for the Oilers Entertainment Group, DonMetz isresponsible for organizing what's expected to be the mother of all farewells next Wednesday at Rexall Place.

The question is: Where do you start with a building and team that have provided so many memories for fans over the years?

For Metz, who has been along for most of the ride, there are some moments that trump all others.

"There's been just so many magical moments in that building, and you're right, you look around and you remember where in your life you were.

"It's like listening to a song, and you go, 'I remember where in my life I was, in high school, or who Iwas dating, or where we were going, or who my buddies were.'"

"It's the same thing with Northlands Coliseum and Rexall, it's been a great run," Metzsaid as he thought about 40 years of memories at Rexall Place.

For himit all started in the late 1970s, while working as a cameraman for CBC, and he quickly realized the young Oilers team was destined to besomething special.

The night WayneGretzky scored fivegoals against the Flyers to tally50 in 39 games, Metz was filming it for CBC. Andhe remembers capturing Gretzky on camera before the game even started.

"I was standing in the hallway when Gretz was on the payphone to his dad, Walter.He was saying, 'Dad, I feel really good tonight, I feel like I can get one or two, and I think I'm going to get this thing over in the next two, three,or fourgames. I just feel great tonight.'

"That was a rush enough just to hear him say that, let alone watch him score fivegoals with the last one going in with threeseconds left. It was just ... the roof came off."

Ask anyonewho was at that game, and they'll tell you it was one of the special nights atthe old Coliseum.

'This empty, beautiful facility'

On the other side of the camera, Tim Dancy, the Oilers first TV play-by-play man,remembers thefirst time heentered the building.

"I was driving back from Saskatchewan and just decided I'd take a look at the building and parked outside and just walked in.

"To my surprise, no one stopped me and I just sat there and looked around at this empty, beautiful facility and just thought, 'Wow, would it ever be great to work out of this place.' "

As it turned out, Dancy worked alongside some famous hockey colour men such as Gary Dornhoefer, Howie Meeker, Mickey Redmondand Don Cherry, who at the time was making the transition from coaching to television.

"I came out of junior hockey doing games in Regina, and Red Deer, Yorkton, Saskatchewan, and Melville some pretty old and small arenas.

"The Edmonton Coliseum, as it was called at the time, was a brand new facility," saidDancy, who now works at Shaw TV in Edmonton. "First time I saw it, I was floored. Totally state of the art, and one of the best buildings in the world. So it was a big thrill."

'Jacket caught on fire'

For Metz, the building was great, but what was happening on the ice and in the stands was even greater. Like the night the Oilers clinched their first Stanley Cup.

"I was standing on the concourse, filming inside the bowl area, and everybody had those sparklers going and I'm shooting the excitementof the crowd. And I look over and this one guy's jacket caught on fire. But nobody was, they were so excited they weren't telling him to put it out, andI didn't really want to ruin my shot, so his jacket went up in flames."

What followed were fourmore cups, and a total of sevenStanley Cup Finals, including another magical run in the spring of 2006.

But both men agree: Whilethe memories are specialand will last a lifetime, it's time to move on.

"To be part of what happened here throughout the late '70s, '80s, and '90s, I feel real privileged and honoured to be a part of that, but I'm really looking forward to the future," Metz said.

A great runin an old barn that comesto a close in a few days.