The day has finally come. Nearly a decade after the late Ken King announced the CalgaryNext project, the Calgary Flames have finally broken ground on a new arena and entertainment district. With the premier, mayor and CSEC President all in attendance, the Flames arena project was officially unveiled and given a name, design and timeline. Let’s dig into the details.
The design of Scotia Place
Without a doubt, the biggest question on everyone’s mind was what the new design would look like. The Saddledome is one of the most distinguishable major sports arenas in the world, so the new building had a lot to live up to. Below are the first renderings from engineering company HOK as well as DIALOG.
It may not be the Saddledome, but this is a solid looking arena. The building utilizing Flames in the design is a pretty unique touch that gives the building a look that signifies what team plays there immediately. You don’t find that very often in pro sports. The flame design built into the arena will also reportedly illuminate at night which should create a spectacular view.
The design aims to tie together Indigenous cultural perspectives and represent the four elements in nature of fire, ice, land and air.
Inside the arena looks incredible, with a large 100-level section and what is sure to be a gigantic video board. Here’s hoping they keep the Flamethrowers on the roof as well.
The naming of the arena
Now for the second most important piece of information. Just as the Saddledome had a famous look, it also had one of the most unique names among sports stadiums worldwide. Known simply as The Dome, the Saddledome was known among hockey fans across the league. Unfortunately, the new arena won’t follow suit.
Scotia Place isn’t bad, it’s just not original and continues the trend of poorly named Canadian arenas. We already have the Scotiabank Centre in the NHL, as well as the Scotia Centre just down the street in Calgary. Any hopes of the arena holding onto the “Dome” name have been sadly dashed.
The timeline
The arena also received an official scheduled open date as well. The aim is to complete the arena in 2027, with the Flames playing their first season in the new building in 2027–28. For no reason whatsoever, it should be noted that Calgary-born Cale Makar will be a free agent in the summer of 2027.
The finer details
Some further information on the arena is below:
- The arena will have a seating capacity of 18,400, making it the 16th largest arena by capacity in the NHL. For reference, the Saddledome currently holds 19,289 which is the fifth largest in the NHL.
- The arena and attached buildings will contain four restaurants, a team store, an indoor plaza, a food hall, and an entrance to the new community rink. There will also be a large parkade.
- The event and ice surface will both be lowered so that the primary concourse is at street level.
- Construction is slated to begin as soon as this week.
Image from @NHLFlames.
