Article content

The Edmonton Oilers are going for No. 1 overall again.

No, not Connor McDavid and his Edmonton Oilers.

Jason Rimmer and his Edmonton Oilers.

After some major malfunctions at the junctions as the Oilers moved into Rogers Place and began to play on a seriously sub standard ice surface, Rimmer and his Edmonton ice-making team finally figured it out and have rocketed up the standings.

Rogers Place, where fans had been freezing in the sport’s ultimate new puck palace for two seasons, has been voted No. 2 in the league to only the Montreal Canadiens Bell Centre crew in a survey of players of the National Hockey League Players Association.

The NHLPA rated Montreal’s No. 1, claiming 28 per cent of the vote. Edmonton ranked second at 21.7.

Third place was a long way back — Winnipeg’s MTS Centre at 6.6.

The centrepiece of Edmonton’s Ice District has come a long way from the decidedly disappointing surface it proved to be when Connor McDavid was extended the honour of being the first player to set skates to it at the media photo op when it opened.