with columns at 45°. The wooden bleachers were replaced with a fireproof concrete grandstand, and reduced the seating capacity to 5,200.The Oilers and Oil Kings moved across 118 Avenue to Northlands Coliseum, in 1974. Demolition of the Gardens began January 20, 1982, but quickly disproved the moniker "accident waiting to happen." "Firstly, they stuffed it with 50 kilograms of dynamite, then, they used a bulldozer, but still the grand old lady of Edmonton sports wouldn't budge," one story reported. "Gardens won't go boom," the headline read, recounting two days of the crew drilling holes into the walls and supports, and then cramming in 320 sticks of dynamite. An Edmonton Journal article on February 25, 1982, read "Gardens 2 TNT 0. A second try at demolishing what's left of the Edmonton Gardens ended with a wham, a puff of dust and peals of laughter. The building stood in mock defiance amid hoots of glee from the gallery (of onlookers)." Northlands Park elected to finish the demolition with a wrecking ball. Another arena, Hall D of the Edmonton Expo Centre, currently occupies the site. Indoor soccer Because the Northlands Coliseum was unavailable, Game 1 of the 1981 NASL indoor finals was played at the Edmonton Gardens on March 2, 1981. In it the Edmonton Drillers defeated the Chicago Sting, 9–6, in front of 5,089 fans. The Drillers went onto sweep the finals, two games to none, five days later in Chicago. See also List of Commonwealth Games venues References Sports venues in Edmonton Defunct indoor arenas in Canada Former music venues in Canada Edmonton Drillers (1979–1982) Defunct sports venues in Canada Defunct indoor ice hockey venues in Canada Indoor arenas in Alberta Western Hockey League arenas World Hockey Association venues Demolished buildings and structures in Alberta Sports venues completed in 1913 1982 disestablishments in Alberta Boxing venues in Canada 1978 Commonwealth Games venues 1913 establishments in Alberta Sports venues demolished in 1982 North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor venues Demolished sports venues Edmonton Oilers