Oilers fans say final goodbye to Rexall Place

Edmonton Oilers closed the doors on Rexall Place with a 6-2 winagainst the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday night.

The game gave generations of fans a chance tosay goodbye to the arena that hosted Oilers games for more than four decades.

Oilers fans share Rexall memories

9 years ago

Duration 1:05

As they filed into the old barn for the final Oilers game at Rexall Place on Wednesday, fans shared their thoughts and their memories.

Melvin Loch bought season tickets in the '70s,paying $6 pergame at the time. He describes himself as a "real Edmontonian," withRexall Place playing a major rolethatidentity.

"I'm going to be 82 in August and I'm happy I spent every cent here," he said. "This building really made Edmonton."

Loch's daughterAllison, started going to games with him 20 years ago. The two stopped under the arena's Wayne Gretzky statue for one last snapshot at the old coliseum.

"It's a bit weird today to be walking from our parking spot for the last time," she said. "Alittle bit sad, but it's going to be exciting to go to the new place, too."

The Lochs weren't the only family to stop for a picture. Wayne Gretzky and his father, Walter, posed under the statue for a crowd of fans.

"Can you see me OK?" Walter Gretzky shoutedas he waved to a crowd chanting his family name.

RickNyszczukwatched Wayne Gretzkyscore a breakawaygoal ofthe Oiler's firstStanley Cup win at Rexall Place in 1984. Nyszczuktookhis sons to the arena for years,and now he takes his grandchildren.

"It's been memory after memory after memory. This is the thing we do in the winter time, this is our big deal," he said. "I'm alittle bit sad because it's a wash of memory."

Nyszczuk says he already bought tickets for games at the new arena, Rogers Place. The first puck will drop there when the Oilers season startsin October.