Calgary Flames
3 Competitive Advantages the Calgary Flames Will Get With the New Arena
The Calgary Flames and their fans are one step closer to getting a new arena.
The Calgary Sports and Entertainment Group, provincial leader Danielle Smith, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, and other stakeholders took part in a ground-breaking ceremony on Monday to kick off construction of the Province’s next major public project. Scotia Place, the official name for the facility, was also released.
Along with the pageantry of the event, a few choice details came out regarding what the arena will provide in terms of a competitive advantage for the Calgary Flames.
A bigger, better lower bowl
Bill Johnson, design lead for international architecture company HOK, commented on Scotia Place’s planned architecture. One feature mentioned was a steeper-seated lower bowl.
“The seating is really close to the action,” said Johnson. “It’s going to be like playing into a wall of people, I think we’re going to give the Flames an enormous competitive advantage.”
Per the City of Calgary, here is a look at what the lower bowl should look like come 2027.
On-site training facility & practice rink
Former Flame Tyler Toffoli may have let the cat out of the bag when it comes to CSEC’s current arrangement for practices being a bit of a pain for players in an interview on the Spittin Chiclets podcast during the summer of 2023.
“But we’d have a bad game or like a bad first period,” mused Toffoli as he was recalling former head coach Darryl Sutter’s motivational tactics. “During the game, he’d be like walking back and forth mumbling, ‘I guess we have to go to Winsport tomorrow. You guys want to go practice at Winsport.’ It’s literally first period. It’s like 0-0. We have like 15 shots and they have 3, and he’s chirping guys on the bench, ‘I guess we have to go to Winsport tomorrow.’”
For the uninitiated, WinSport is a multi-sport facility located at Canada Olympic Park on the city’s western outskirts. While the drive is only 15 minutes from downtown, navigating those roads during the middle of winter can be a bit of a pain. Scotia Place will take that nuisance away from the athletes and allow them to train and play in the same facility—albeit on a different sheet of ice close nearby.
Better acoustics
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume that a modern arena designed with both sporting events and top-level musicians in mind will carry sound better than the 40 year old Saddledome. Call number three on the list a bit of wishful thinking, but to match the reputation of the old barn would be quite the feat when it comes to acoustic resonance.
While the new facilities may provide a few benefits, it will be up to both the players and fans to do their part. Steps taken towards a championship will need to be taken properly in the shiny new practice facility, and it will be up to the Flames faithful to make their presence known come opening day in October of 2027 in their stylishly steep lower bowl fully set with modern acoustics.
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