Today news has broken that the former home of the Edmonton Oilers the Northlands Coliseum is set to be demolished within a year. The Edmonton Oilers have an incredibly rich history including two of the best players in the history of the game Wayne Gretzky and Connor McDavid. Gretzky and McDavid represent two incredibly different eras of Edmonton Oilers hockey but are beacons of hope and success for the organization. The Northlands Coliseum is one of the many things that connects these two Oilers legends. Gretzky played in the Coliseum from 1978 shortly after the Oilers moved there all the way until 1988 when he was <a href='https://www.nhl.com/news/this-date-in-nhl-history-august-9-281288850' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>infamously traded to the Los Angeles Kings.</a> As for McDavid, after being drafted in the 2015 NHL Draft he played his rookie season in the Coliseum which at that point had been renamed Rexall Place. Now, the building filled with so much incredible history will begin demolition in the summer of 2026 and take around two years. <h3>Edmonton Oilers Former Home Set For Demolition In Summer Of 2026</h3> According to Ward Métis Coun. Ashley Salvador, the demolition has been planned for several years now and is part of the city's budget. The $35 million has already been set aside. Council has prioritized the demolition of the coliseum. It was baked into our four-year budget Once demolition is complete the area will be turned into an urban transit village with residential and mixed-use development. This area calls for what we're calling an urban transit village. We would envision an urban plaza for gathering and using the transportation system, as well as mixed and high-density residential and mixed-use development. It will be sad to see such a historic and memorable part of the city gone but the building had been empty since the Oilers moved to their new arena and that space can now be put to better use.