One of the oldest NHL arenas in the league we have the Scotiabank Saddledome. It was built in 1983 to replace the team’s former stadium and to host events for the 1988 Winter Olympics. It is also a multi-use Arena that hosts other sporting championships as well as conferences and concerts.
Table of Contents
Arena Guide by Ice Hockey Tripper
History
The term Saddledome has stayed in the name throughout its entire history, but the sponsor has changed a numerous number of times. What makes this Arena unique is that it is owned by the City of Calgary rather than a private company. This means that technically Saddledome is on lease to whatever company is using it at the time, and right now a permanent lease has been given to the Saddledome foundation which is simply a part of the city that oversees daily operations.
As for the Saddledome name specifically, it comes from the shape of the top of the Arena being that of a saddle typically seen on horses. Despite it being one of the oldest arenas in the NHL, life is soon to come to a close as City of Calgary just finalized a contract with the Flames to create a new Arena. This has everyone excited in the city because it has been a very long time since they had a new Arena. The specific details of this contract are still being worked on which means we are not sure if they will demolish the Saddledome or if the Flames will move on and other teams will remain in the arena. What also makes the history of this arena unique is that in 2013 there was a flood that closed it for part of the NHL season. Renovations went underway quickly but it required for all other events to be cancelled of course. However it went ahead of schedule and allowed for the Flames to start their season on time. This arena certainly has a unique history.