Rogers Place looked different on Thursday night.
When the Edmonton Oilers faced the Utah Mammoth, the usual sea of orange and blue wasn’t there in full force. Tyler Yaremchuk of Daily Faceoff Edmonton was the first to point out the empty patches in the building, posting a photo on social media that showed a noticeable number of vacant seats in the arena.
This wasn’t a case of people still filing in after puck drop, either. The Oilers listed attendance at 16,176, well short of the 18,347 hockey capacity at Rogers Place. That left 2,171 seats empty.
For a home team that drew more than 18,000 fans in each of its first two games of the season, it was a jarring number. Edmonton’s previous low for the 2025-26 regular season was 17,787, set in an October game against the New York Rangers. To find a smaller crowd than Thursday’s, you have to go back to the 2022-23 season, when 16,023 fans showed up for an October matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
The opponent may have played a role. Utah doesn’t bring the same kind of built-in crowd appeal in Edmonton that some of the NHL’s bigger road draws do. But that only tells part of the story, because the Oilers usually pack the building no matter who’s visiting.
Cost is a real part of the conversation now. Dan Tencer, who spent years on the Oilers’ postgame show on 630 CHED, recently said on social media that he and his family had decided to give up their season tickets. He explained that playoff tickets were generally manageable for him to move at cost, but the regular-season math was tougher.
"@JasonGregor Totally get that perspective. The doubling out of the gate, 7x in Cup Final…it was a lot to stomach.
But, I could always easily move them at cost if I didn’t go and it was playoffs. I accepted it.
Regular season cost was what pushed us out. Many late start times didn’t help."
That issue goes beyond the price of the ticket itself. Fans have also voiced concerns about the cost of food and beer inside Rogers Place, and parking near the arena adds another layer of expense for anyone driving downtown.
Edmonton isn’t the only place where empty seats have stood out lately. A game between the Vegas Golden Knights and Toronto Maple Leafs at T-Mobile Arena also came in below capacity, with 15,977 fans in the building at a venue that holds 17,367 for hockey.
"Never seen so many empty seats at a Golden Knights game. pic.twitter.com/4xJdul7wgj"
Thursday’s crowd doesn’t change the fact that Edmonton remains one of hockey’s major markets, but it does raise an obvious question if this starts happening more often. The Oilers came into the night at 5-0-1, which pointed to a team back in contender form after a step backward last season. Even so, rising costs around the game may be making it harder to sell every seat at Rogers Place.
In Other News...
Oilers Roster Shuffle Leaves One Big Lineup Question Unanswered
The Oilers kept their roster moving ahead of the game against the Utah Mammoth, activating Colton Dach off injured reserve and welcoming Jake Walman back into the lineup. Josh Samanskis brief emergency recall added another layer to the shuffle, giving Edmonton some extra depth for the night before he was sent back to Bakersfield, a reminder of how quickly the team is piecing together its forward group as injuries and absences continue to shape the roster.
Even with those moves, one of the bigger lineup questions still hangs over the group. Jason Dickinsons status remains unclear, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is still being tracked for a season debut late next week, leaving the Oilers with more uncertainty than they would like as they try to settle things down after another round of personnel changes. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Linked To A Top-Six Target They May Struggle To Land
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The obstacle is just as obvious. Edmonton is tight against the cap and does not have much in the way of prospect capital to lean on, which makes any meaningful addition harder to pull off than it looks on paper. If the Flyers do explore changes, the Oilers would likely need to get creative to make the money work and still have enough left to satisfy Philadelphias asking price. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Getting Healthier Again As Another Return Comes Into Focus
The Oilers are starting to get their bench depth back in order, with Colton Dach activated from injured reserve and Josh Samanski sent back to Bakersfield. Edmonton is also set to have Jake Walman and Zach Hyman in the lineup tonight, another sign that the club is moving through this stretch with more of its regular pieces available after a brief spell of shuffling around the roster.
There is still more help on the way, too, as the teams forward group could get even fuller during next weeks homestand. For a club trying to keep its lines stable and its blue line intact, those coming returns matter almost as much as the ones already announced, especially with Samanski back in the AHL after six games and the Oilers lining up another round of decisions on the forward side. [Read more 🡒]