Big money and municipal politics collide in the story of Edmonton’s Rogers Place hockey arena.

When the Rogers Place arena opened in downtown Edmonton in September 2016, no amount of buzz could drown out the rumours of manipulation, secret deals, and corporate greed undergirding the project. Working with documentary evidence and original interviews, the authors present an absorbing account of the machinations that got the arena and the adjacent Ice District built, with a price tag of more than $600 million. The arena deal, they argue, established a costly public financing precedent that people across North America should watch closely, as many cities consider building sports facilities for professional teams or international competitions. Their analysis brings clarity and nuance to a case shrouded in secrecy and understood by few besides political and business insiders. Power Play tells a dramatic story about clashing priorities where sports, money, and municipal power meet.

Foreword | Richard Gruneau xiPreface xv
Acknowledgements xxi
Important Terms xxiii
1 Introduction 1
2 Boosting Edmonton 15
Hockey and the Promotion of the City, 1894-1977
3 The Blue Line and the Bottom Line 43
Peter Pocklington, the EIGLP, and the Business of Hockey in Edmonton,
1977-2005
4 Preparing the Political Terrain 67
5 Making the Team 89
6 Power Plays 119
7 Shut Out 139
8 Show Me the Money 167
9 End Game? 191
10 The Beat Goes On 213
11 Head Games 235
12 Lobbying the Province, Slamming Northlands 257
13 The Art of the Deal? 283
14 Conclusion 307
Epilogue 337
The Oilers Get a New Arena, So the Flames Want One, Too
Notes 357
Bibliography 409
Index 419