Flames to begin building new arena

The Calgary Flames are expected to reveal plans for, and finally break ground on, a new arena this coming Monday, shares Sportsnet’s Eric Francis (X link). Francis adds that the Flames’ new stomping grounds will include 18,000 seats, a community rink, indoor and outdoor event plazas, and a parking deck. The new arena will cost $926M and be built two blocks north of the current Saddledome, with the hope of being operational for the 2027-28 season.

Sportsnet adds that $330M of the funds for this arena will come from the Alberta government, who also plan to demolish the existing Saddledome as a part of their plans.

This news finally puts into motion the Flames’ move out of the Scotiabank Saddledome, where they’ve played since 1983. It stands alongside Madison Square Garden as the two oldest arenas in the league – with the Saddledome not receiving major renovations since 1995.

That’s beginning to change, with the team set to receive a new scoreboard this summer, though the Saddledome is still missing many of the amenities that had the Flames pushing for a new arena in 2017. The team could not reach an agreement with the city at the time, sparking strong comments from NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

“This building was built in the 1980s, they don’t build buildings like this anymore… it’s historic in many ways," Bettman said. "But these aren’t the facilities that our hockey teams typically have.”

Bettman’s comments came amid Detroit’s move to Little Caesars Arena and Seattle’s bid for the top-of-the-line Climate Pledge Arena.

Calgary will now join the list of top-end facilities, though they’ll be leaving a truly incredible arena behind. The Saddledome’s sloped roof and expansive, high-ceiling interior made it quickly iconic. It would enter hockey legend within a decade of being built, after hosting parts of the 1988 Winter Olympics and the 1989 Stanley Cup-winning Calgary Flames. The arena, which also hosts the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers and WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, has stood as a testament to hockey’s history in Calgary – giving any new build a hefty past to live up to.