November 23, 2024

LOOK: Rogers Place in Edmonton floods during rainstorm ahead of NHL return to play

Rogers Place #RogersPlace

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With Edmonton selected as one of the NHL’s two hub cities in its Return To Play plan, Rogers Place is set to host all of the Western Conference’s action (and eventually the Stanley Cup Final) starting in a few weeks. But the arena was hit by a massive rainstorm in the area on Thursday and appeared to suffer from some flooding as a result.

Video shared on social media Thursday illustrated some of the damage, showing plenty of water flowing through one of the arena’s entrance foyers. 

According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the arena didn’t appear to suffer any major damage and the NHL isn’t yet concerned about utilizing the venue in a few weeks. Rogers Place released a statement on Thursday night confirming the building “suffered some water damage to the terminus of Ford Hall, along with some smaller leaks in other parts of the building.”

“We are assessing the damage & at this time are confident that it will not hamper our planning & preparation & we will be ready to host the return of NHL hockey as hub city,” read the venue’s statement. 

Rogers Place has served as the home arena for the Edmonton Oilers since opening its doors in 2016. The building’s estimated cost clocked in around $550 million.

The venue’s first scheduled event in the NHL’s Return To Play is an exhibition game between the Flames and Oilers on July 28, with the league’s official postseason kicking off on August 1. That start date doesn’t appear to be threatened just yet but the league expects to have a better idea of the extent of the damage and how long it will take to fix in the coming days.

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