After years of political controversy, downtown construction, and waiting, a number of major players were on hand Thursday for the grand opening of Edmonton’s new downtown arena, Rogers Place.

The official ceremony heard from Edmonton’s mayor, the owner of the Edmonton Oilers, a representative from the Alberta government, and individuals leading behind-the-scenes work – but one surprise guest added a special touch to the proceedings.

The last person to speak Thursday evening was the Great One himself, Wayne Gretzky – he spoke hours after trying out the ice at Rogers Place himself, with his son and Daryl Katz’s children.

“It really is a special arena for those of you who haven’t seen it here, the ice isn’t quite as fast as Rexall [Place],” Gretzky said, jokingly. “I tested it today and I seemed to be faster in the 1990s than I am today.”

To start off the ceremony, Mayor Don Iveson spoke, and looked back at the process that went into building Rogers Place.

“Our road was not easy, this was a high stakes plan and years of public debate were important as it landed us on a course we felt could work,” Iveson said.

Iveson spoke about the building, but also the arena’s impact on the downtown core.

“Our community is building a dream into a reality, look around you, this building is spectacular,” Iveson said. “A downtown that reflects our aspirations, a great city being built before their eyes, this changes Edmonton forever.”

The mayor pointed to Oilers owner Daryl Katz for his push to construct the arena.

“From day one he made it clear that he saw potential beyond the team and shared the vision of the arena to transform the city,” Iveson said.

Katz talked about his first experience walking through the building while it was under construction.

“About a year ago I walked through the arena for the first time, and I came through some hoarding connecting the man concourse to this area,” Katz said. “As I walked through the hoarding and looked at this space, it brought tears to my eyes.

“I couldn’t believe what we built and what it would mean for our city.”

Following the speeches, First Nations performers danced for the crowd, followed by a drumming performance.

Finally, Katz and Iveson officially opened Rogers Place.