Edmonton, Alberta – Most old-time hockey people will say the old Chicago Stadium was the loudest venue in NHL history. Opposing players called it “The Pit,” and its intimidating environment was often worth a goal or two a game for the Blackhawks.
If there is a current building that comes close to Chicago Stadium, it is Rexall Place. Less cavernous than today’s mega-structures, the home arena of the Edmonton Oilers is jet-airplane loud, especially when the Oilers take the ice before the game.
Oilers defenseman Steve Staios calls the crowd a real weapon in Edmonton’s march toward the Stanley Cup.
“It’s hard to explain to anybody who is not in the building what it’s like,” Staios said. “It’s a huge adrenaline rush. Actually, the trick for playing at home here is to just try and calm yourself down and play within yourself. We’ve been able to do that, but there’s no doubt that we feel a responsibility to play with our hearts because of the fans that we have.”
Like Detroit’s famous octopus-throwing tradition in the playoffs, Edmonton fans have a pregame ritual: A slab of Alberta beef is tossed onto the ice during the singing of “O Canada,” which lately has been sung a cappella by the 16,839 voices in the stands.
“It’s definitely been a great atmosphere during the playoffs,” Staios said. “It’s something I’ll always remember.”
Footnotes
Some Oilers guests at Saturday’s game were players from their glory days of the 1980s, including Bill Ranford and Mark Messier. Both drew huge ovations. … The game was the first Finals contest in Edmonton since May 22, 1990, when the Oilers defeated Boston in Game 4. Carolina defenseman Glen Wesley played for the Bruins, making him one of two active NHL participants from that game (Martin Gelinas was the other). … Carolina’s Rod Brind’Amour, who scored his team’s only goal in Game 3, said the difference in the game was his team’s power play. “Horrible,” Brind’Amour said. … Former Oilers center Doug Weight, now with Carolina, was booed every time he touched the puck. Weight left the Oilers in 2001 to sign a big free-agent contract with St. Louis.
