Flames arena deal will include 35-year commitment to keep team in Calgary: report

A new arena deal for the Flames will include a commitment to keep the team in Calgary for a lengthy time period.

Tyson Fedor of CTV News Calgary reports that if the deal gets full approval, there will an agreement between the Flames and the City that ensures the team will remain in Calgary for the next 35 years.

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While the 35-year commitment is great, it is understandable why Calgarians, particularly Flames fans, remain hesitant until construction begins. This deal between the two parties isn’t the first time they agreed to build a new Flames’ arena, as another was terminated in early 2022, just before the construction was set to get underway.

The Flames’ current home of the Saddledome is the third oldest building of any NHL team, the two older being the Seattle Kraken’s Climate Pledge Arena and the New York Rangers’ Madison Square Garden. That said, the latter two have recently gone through renovations, while the Saddledome has not.

The outdatedness of the building has gotten criticism from many over the years, including league commissioner Gary Bettman, who voiced his concerns with it in 2017.

“In terms of amenities, in terms of facilities, in terms of egress and the like, for all the events that go here, this building was built in the 1980s, they don’t build buildings like this anymore,” Bettman said. “It’s a grand old building, it’s got a great roofline, it’s historic in many ways, but… these aren’t the facilities our hockey teams typically have.”

This wasn’t the only time he has given his thoughts on the building. In 2022, he stated that it was doubtful Calgary would host any major NHL events, such as an All-Star Game or a Draft until a new arena was built. Thankfully for both Calgarians and Flames fans, it appears that soon will no longer be an issue.