With the Oilers now starting to put it’s “Last Season at Rexall” ads into full swing, the memories of the good, the bad, and the ugly have come flooding back to many fans. Last month I talked a bit about some of the best places there are and have been to watch a game at Rexall. This month, I turn to some of the worst locations to watch a game.
There’s nothing worse than having the excitement of watching an Oilers game live ruined by the location of your seats. Sometimes this is due to things you can’t control. I still can’t decide which is worse – having a kid behind you kicking your seat or a drunk guy next to you spilling his drinks on you and yelling his conversations the whole game. In those instances, there really is little you can do. But sometimes it’s simply the setup of the seating in the rink itself.
Here are my 5 Worst Places to Watch a Game at Rexall:
1st 3 Rows Behind the Benches – Proving that paying more for your seat does not guarantee a better view of the game. Most of the time fans who sit in these seats are watching the action on the screen rather than live. And there is also the possibility of having coaches standing right in front of you. If I am paying $300/ticket for a hockey game the last thing I want is Ken Hitchcock’s rear end in front of my face for 3 hours. No offense, Ken….
Row 16 or 1st Row in Front of Luxury Boxes – another example of more money doesn’t equal better experience. The legroom for these seats are 3 -6 inches shorter, making it very difficult to sit and to pass by if you want to go on the concourse. You also become an unwilling witness to whatever action/conversation that is going on in the suite behind you, because they are usually standing and are literally right behind you. I have had beer spilled on me and have found a partial hot dog in my jacket from someone in a suite dropping it. Good times…
Rows 49-53 – Gallery – This one is pretty self explanatory. The tough part with these seats are the sightlines; the catwalk is literally in your way, obstructing both the ice and the scoreboard. They are the cheapest seats in the building, so you get what you pay for, but it really isn’t very good. And if you bring your kids with you they often have a hard time following the action because they can’t see where the puck is! For a few years back in the early 2000’s I believe , there used to be a fan with a thick Scottish accent who would yell and cheer and entertain the heck out of everyone. With him gone, it really is less entertaining.
The Last Row of any Section – This has more to do with the financial aspect of watching a game rather than the viewing part. I have never been a fan of the way the sections and price points are laid out by the Oilers, especially in the 200 sections. If you have a ticket in row 31 of the Terrace section, you are paying almost 50% more for your ticket (for season seats) than the person sitting 1 row behind you. In the real estate industry, location often dictates value. I couldn’t imagine telling my client that it’s ok that they will be paying 50% more for the exact same lot as their neighbors. Ouch!
The Executive Club Under the Stands – Can someone explain this one to me? I get the idea of having a ‘special place’ for pre and post game as well as intermissions. And I think that it is super cool that kids can line up and watch the team walk out onto the ice. I get that. What I don’t get is those people that will stay in the Executive Club bellied up to the bar watching the game on the tiny TV screens down there until the 8 or 10 minute mark of each period. For the money they pay for those seats….yikes.
There’s a lot of things that I will miss about watching an Oilers game at Rexall, and as my kids get older I will tell them stories about the old place with much fondness. I am pretty sure, however, that none of these areas will be included.
Tweet me @primeyegre with your worst spot to watch a game or comment below.
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