Well, it’s official, I’ve been inside the Cenovus Energy Hub, the new arena in Lloyd.
I really did feel like a kid in a candy store during Tuesday morning’s media tour.
Read more: Cenovus Energy Hub receives sponsorship
Let me try to paint you a picture as best as my memory will serve.
Off the road, we walked in to a very open room. Staircases led upstairs, which would take you to the main arena and community rink.
On the left was the eventual ticket booth and on the far right of the room a view of the community rink. The main area offered a more open concept, which made it feel huge.
The second floor had a good view of the two rinks, along with a hallway connecting them.
The concession seemed large and nicely accessible from both sides.
The community rink was quite large and offered plenty of seating for whatever event was going on.
The main rink, well, it was stunning. It was far bigger than I had imagined it would be with plenty of seating.
It offered that “new rink smell” that can only be captured once in a lifetime.
Scoreboards will be placed at either end of the ice and one in the middle. The middle one was described as a “clock,” which made me imagine a jumbotron.
Washrooms were everywhere, which was nice, as I always felt the Civic lacked appropriate
facilities.
Heading up to the third floor, the tour took us to all the corporate booths and the media booth.
Corporate suites made it feel like a big-city arena. Big space for tables, maybe a TV and some seating overlooking the rink.
The press box had a good view of the main rink and was spacious enough to accommodate multiple forms of media.
The Hub, in general, already seemed brighter than the Civic. Most importantly, the ceiling wasn’t as low.
City staff that led our tour explained they themselves toured other arenas prior to building the hub, and it shows. Even unfinished, it feels like a modern facility with a big future ahead of it.
I can’t wait to be shoulder-to-shoulder with the public on opening day and for everyone to experience that new arena feeling.
Read more: Cenovus Energy Hub set to open in September
