Flames-Habs game turns chaotic as technical issue leaves players at risk

The matchup between the visiting Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames took a strange and potentially dangerous turn on Wednesday night.

Puck drop at the Saddledome was delayed nearly 10 minutes due to serious lighting issues inside the arena. When play finally began, the conditions were noticeably dim, with several players struggling to track the puck under the poor visibility.

Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf was seen skating to the officials at the first stoppage to voice his frustration, and fans watching both in the stands and on TV noted how dark the ice looked.

At one point, Canadiens forward Cole Caufield crashed into the boards after losing sight of the puck, lying on the ice for several seconds before returning to the bench. Thankfully, he wasn’t injured, but the moment highlighted the serious safety concerns caused by the malfunction.

The Saddledome, one of the oldest arenas in the NHL, has faced criticism in recent years for its aging infrastructure. Wednesday night’s lighting fiasco only added to those concerns. However, it was later explained on the Sportsnet's broadcast that both the Flames and Canadiens gave the green light to start the game while the technical issue was getting addressed.

The Flames worked on getting full power back and finally managed to completely fix the issue, but fans and analysts alike had plenty of time to question why the game continued under such unsafe conditions.

Calgary’s new rink can’t come quicker...