NHL GM threatens to move team away from aging arena soon.

Big decisions incoming.

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 6 years ago
NHL GM threatens to move team away from aging arena soon.
Keystone press agency

The Calgary Flames are having one of the best season in recent history, but it doesn't prevent its president to consider moving the team in the next few years. 

Granted, he's not actually threatening to move it out of Calgary, but a complex discussion has arisen about the team future in its current arena. The Scotiabank Saddledome is not getting any younger and according to Ken King, the team needs to move to provide winning conditions in the future. His past declarations had a lot of people scratching their heads and he had to clarify a few things, live on Toronto’s Sportsnet 590 The Fan radio.

“That’s not the way our guys operate. We’re not threatening people. And furthermore, I think and hope we’re going to get a deal. The truth of the matter is, we would just move. Which is not to be confused as a threat. We don’t think it’s fair to threaten. We think it’s fair for people to decide whether or not if they want a facility … and whether or not they think it’s appropriate. If they do, great. We’ll participate. If they decide not to, well then we’ve, obviously, got to make some decisions about the future.''

Gary Bettman was in the are mid-march and he added a bid of oil in the raging fire. 

“In terms of amenities, in terms of facilities, in terms of egress for all of the events that go here. This building was built in the 1980s. They don’t build buildings like this anymore. It’s a grand old building. It’s got great roof-lines. It’s historic in many ways. But these aren’t the facilities hockey teams typically have … this is an old, antiquated building. There’s a recognition that this building needs to be replaced.”

Hockey is a big money business and building a new arena would cost a lot of dough, 890 millions to be exact. It would include the actual arena and a major redoing of the whole area.  An alternative plan, called ''Plan B'', is now being explored. Needless to say, the issue is far from being resolved.