The Calgary Flames are finally moving forward with plans for a new arena.
Sportsnet’s Eric Francis announced that the Flames will break ground on their new home this Monday. The upcoming arena will feature 18,000 seats, a community rink, event plazas both indoors and outdoors, and a parking deck. Costing $926 million, it will be located two blocks north of the current Saddledome and is expected to open for the 2027-28 season. Notably, $330 million of the funding will come from the Alberta government, which also plans to demolish the old Saddledome.
The Flames have played in the Scotiabank Saddledome since 1983. Alongside Madison Square Garden, it’s one of the oldest arenas in use today. The Saddledome hasn’t seen major renovations since 1995. This summer they plan to add a new scoreboard but many amenities are still missing. Back in 2017, when talks for a new arena began but failed to reach an agreement with the city, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman remarked on its age: “This building was built in the 1980s… it’s historic in many ways,” he said. “But these aren’t the facilities that our hockey teams typically have.”
New Beginnings:
Bettman’s comments came during Detroit’s transition to Little Caesars Arena and Seattle’s construction of Climate Pledge Arena. Now Calgary is joining this list of modern facilities but leaving behind an iconic venue. The Saddledome’s unique sloped roof and spacious interior made it famous quickly after its construction. It hosted parts of the 1988 Winter Olympics and saw the Flames win their first Stanley Cup in 1989.
Fans might feel bittersweet about leaving such a historic place behind.
Besides hosting NHL games, it has been home to AHL’s Calgary Wranglers and WHL’s Calgary Hitmen too. This storied past sets high expectations for any new arena that comes next.
What do you think about this change?
