SportsHockeyFlames

Calgary mayor Gondek booed during Flames pre-game ceremony

Preston Hodgkinson
Preston Hodgkinson
|
Mar 31 2024, 7:10 pm
Calgary mayor Gondek booed during Flames pre-game ceremony
Sportsnet

The Calgary Flames didn’t quite get the response they expected from the crowd during a pre-game ceremony at the Saddledome on Saturday night.

It was the team’s first-ever South Asian Celebration game and, while the night as a whole was well-received, the crowd wasn’t too pleased to see Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek make an appearance. As she was introduced and walked out onto the ice, boos could be heard coming from the audience.

Talk about a tough crowd.

Gondek was elected the mayor of Calgary after the 2021 municipal election, gathering 45.13% of the vote, making her the first-ever female mayor of the city. The daughter of Indian Punjabi Sikh parents, Gondek was there to help the team celebrate South Asian culture.

Since her election, the public perception of Gondek’s term has taken a bit of a dive. In December, a report by ThinkHQ revealed that her approval rating had slipped to 30%, making her one of Calgary’s least popular mayors.

Gondek is also facing a recall campaign against her.Ā 

It’s not the type of reaction you would expect from a public figure on home ice, but that didn’t stop some Flames fans from voicing their displeasure during the ceremony. The game itself was much better for the hometown crowd.

Calgary was able to knock off the LA Kings by a score of 4-2 off the back of goals from Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, Martin Pospisil, and MacKenzie Weegar. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 16 of the 18 shots he faced.

Though fans won’t be able to purchase the specialty jerseys created for the Flames’ South Asian Celebration game, they can still win a t-shirt with the logo on it.

ADVERTISEMENT

SUBSCRIBE TO THE HIVE

Get the latest news sent to your inbox and stay in the loop