Things to look forward to about Scotia Place

With another Calgary Flames season wrapping up last month, it leaves fans excited for next season. The Flames are building themselves a young core. They have Matt Coronato up front, who recently signed a seven-year extension. In goal is Dustin Wolf, who took tremendous strides in his development this season, earning himself a Calder Trophy nomination. There’s also Zayne Parekh, a 2024 first-round pick, who played in only one game for the Flames this season. He played 20:31 of ice time and scored his first NHL goal.

However, we’re going to look a little bit further into the future, beyond next season. Because not only Flames fans, but all Calgarians have something to look forward to. I’m not trying to persuade your opinion because it’s been somewhat of a controversial topic, but I will tell you what I’m personally excited about for Scotia Place.

Two more years at the Scotiabank Saddledome

Scotia Place is set to open in the fall of 2027, according to the City of Calgary. So we still have a couple of years left in the Scotiabank Saddledome. Growing up as a hockey fan in Calgary, the Saddledome was a part of my childhood; I loved going to the games. I was an Anaheim Ducks fan as a kid, so watching Corey Perry get booed by the home fans and embrace the villain reputation he built for himself was amazing.

I know I’m not the only fan to have those types of memories at the Saddledome, so it will be a very emotional and nostalgic day when they tear it down.

Having said that, there are some problems with the building. The Flames have taken a lot of heat on the internet the last few years because it’s the second oldest arena in the NHL. Only New York’s Madison Square Garden is older. The city is due for a new arena. The Saddledome was built as part of Calgary’s bid to host the 1988 Winter Olympics and has been the Flames’ home since 1983.

Accessibility issues at the Dome

I have Cerebral Palsy, and it may look different depending on the person, but for me, it affects my legs. Nonetheless, I love hockey. However, going to the Saddledome isn’t easy for a person like me.

As a person with Cerebral Palsy, you’ll notice things in buildings that people without disabilities may not notice, and it’s usually the older buildings that are worse for wheelchair accessibility. The Saddledome is one of those buildings.

It’s a worldwide problem that at sporting events, the accessible seats cost extra. Understandably, because they’re great seats. However, there are sometimes people without disabilities sitting in them. I can’t blame them, though, if websites like Ticketmaster or StubHub are just going to sell them with no way to prove that you need those seats. This often results in having to take the stairs with no railings down to your seats, which is a little bit unsafe in general, but especially so for a person with a disability.

No elevators at the Dome

I was at the Calgary Wranglers game about a month ago with a buddy of mine who’s paralyzed. He walked in with crutches, and I was surprised, because I’d only ever seen him use his wheelchair. When I asked him about it, he said that bringing his wheelchair to the Saddledome “isn’t worth it.”

That’s probably because there are only two elevators in the arena. One only goes from ice level to the club entrance, and the other is outside the arena and only goes up to the press level. The fact that there isn’t a public elevator actually in the arena is mind-blowing. However, the Saddledome was built in the mid-80s, and that was a different time.

There are some things in buildings like the Saddledome that only people with disabilities notice. That’s only because someone with a disability likely has a different perspective on the arena’s experience. For me, if my friends and I are sitting on the press level because there are a lot of us at the game, I’d rather sit with my friends than alone in the accessible seats. There are a few more things that my friend and I have to worry about, and it makes for a less relaxing experience.

Selfishly, I’m excited to have a new arena just because it’ll be an entirely different experience with my friends than the Dome is. Since there’s no elevator at the Dome, my friends often have to carry me to our seats, especially with the accessible seats costing an extra charge. However, that isn’t just a Calgary thing. I look forward to having an elevator in the arena, not just for myself or my friends, but for other people with disabilities who have a similar experience at the Dome.

Scotia Place represents a new era for Calgary

The Saddledome has seen some unforgettable memories from all of the teams that call the Dome home. Including the Flames’ Stanley Cup run in 1989 and the 2004 run to the Stanley Cup Final. Johnny Gaudreau’s overtime winner in game seven against the Dallas Stars, two WHL championships for the Calgary Hitmen, and two NLL championships for the Calgary Roughnecks.

However, when a city builds a new stadium, it becomes a tourist attraction. Even if you’re not the biggest sports fan, you’ll probably want to go see it at some point. Calgary will be no exception, as there are rumours that it will mirror Little Caesars Arena in Detroit and Rogers Place in Edmonton, while adding a unique Calgary spin.

Scotia Place will help not only Calgary Sports & Entertainment but the community as a whole. The Hitmen are notorious for not getting good crowds, obviously excluding the Teddy Bear Toss game. Even this year, they had the best team they’ve had in a long time and still couldn’t get good attendance. In all honesty, I think a 6,000-seat rink would be perfect for the Hitmen, because the crowd looks even more empty in an NHL-sized rink.

This works out because, similar to Rogers Place in Edmonton, a smaller rink will be connected to it. The Flames will primarily use it as their practice facility. However, if they have enough seats, the Hitmen can also take advantage of it and make it their new home. It would create a better WHL-type atmosphere.

It could be similar to the Avenir Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick. They built an arena that is too big, capacity-wise, for junior hockey, with a capacity of 8,800. However, they did it so that they could host better concerts.

Scotia Place as more than just a hockey rink

Speaking of concerts, Scotia Place won’t have the same roof shape as the Saddledome, which will allow for more concerts to come to Calgary. As a result of the Saddledome roof, some artists wouldn’t have access to their full setup, which causes them to skip Calgary while on tours, and go to Edmonton or Vancouver instead.

An artist like Zach Bryan has had very popular music recently. Last November, on his tour, he skipped a stop in Calgary and went straight to Edmonton. With Scotia Place, Calgary will get more concerts from more of your favourite artists. We may not get the Taylor Swift level concerts, but we will get more. If you’re more of a music fan than a sports fan, you have something to look forward to about our new arena.

I know there’s been some controversy regarding Scotia Place, especially when the deal first became public with the payment plan. However, even if you’re not the biggest sports fan, that’s okay. It will benefit the city to have a new arena and eventually, have things to do around it, similar to the Ice District in Edmonton. If you are a hockey fan, let’s hope Scotia Place brings as many great moments and memories as the Saddledome has brought to us.