The
Scotiabank Saddledome is the primary indoor
arenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
of
CalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
,
AlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It has a seating capacity of 19,289 people.
Located on the Stampede Grounds, on the east end of
downtown CalgaryDowntown Calgary is a region of central Calgary, Alberta. It is not a single neighbourhood per se, but is actually a larger community containing three neighbourhoods and a number of districts....
, the Saddledome was built in 1983 to replace the
Stampede CorralThe Stampede Corral is an ice hockey, rodeo, and Davis Cup tennis arena venue in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The arena was completed in 1950 at a cost of C$1.25 million to replace Victoria Arena as the home of the Calgary Stampeders Hockey Club...
as the home of the
Calgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
of the
National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, and to host
ice hockeyAt the 1988 Winter Olympics one ice hockey event was held, men's ice hockey. Games were played at the Olympic Saddledome, the Stampede Corral, and Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.Source:* Gold - * Silver -...
and
figure skatingFigure skating at the 1988 Winter OlympicsThe events took place at the Stampede Corral and the Olympic Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.-Medal table:-Men's:-Free Skate final standings :Referee:* Sonia Bianchetti...
at the
1988 Winter OlympicsThe 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
. Today the arena is also home to the
Calgary HitmenThe Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League . They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a local-born professional wrestler, was a founding owner...
of the
Western Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
and the
Calgary RoughnecksThe Calgary Roughnecks are a professional box lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League and play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The team name is derived from the roughnecks who work drilling rigs in...
of the
National Lacrosse LeagueThe National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
.
The facility also hosts concerts, conferences and other sporting championships, and events for the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. It underwent a major renovation in 1994–95, during which its original name of
Olympic Saddledome was changed to
Canadian Airlines Saddledome. The facility was given the name
Pengrowth Saddledome in 2000, after Pengrowth Management Ltd. signed a ten-year agreement. It adopted its current name in October 2010 as
ScotiabankThe Bank of Nova Scotia , commonly known as Scotiabank , is the third largest bank in Canada by deposits and market capitalization. It serves some 18.6 million customers in more than 50 countries around the world and offers a broad range of products and services including personal, commercial,...
signed on as title sponsor.
The Saddledome is owned by the City of Calgary who leased it to the Saddledome Foundation, a
non-profit organizationNonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
, to oversee its operation. It is managed by the Calgary Flames, who have a lease agreement until 2014.
Planning and construction
Calgary had been served for 30 years by the
Stampede CorralThe Stampede Corral is an ice hockey, rodeo, and Davis Cup tennis arena venue in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The arena was completed in 1950 at a cost of C$1.25 million to replace Victoria Arena as the home of the Calgary Stampeders Hockey Club...
when the
Calgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
arrived in 1980. With a total capacity of 8,700, the Corral was the largest arena in Canada west of Toronto in 1950, but had fallen below major league standards by the 1970s. The Corral was deemed insufficient for the
National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
(NHL) in 1977, leading the
World Hockey AssociationThe World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
's
Calgary CowboysThe Calgary Cowboys were an ice hockey team that played two seasons in the World Hockey Association from 1975–1977. The Cowboys played at the Stampede Corral in Calgary. The franchise was founded in 1972 as the Miami Screaming Eagles, though it never played a game in Miami...
to fold rather than hope to be a team selected to merge with the NHL.
Calgary's bid to host the
1988 Winter OlympicsThe 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
, coupled with the arrival of the Flames, drove the need to build a new arena. City Council debated the merits of several locations for the city's new Olympic Coliseum, and narrowed their choices down to two areas in the Victoria Park neighbourhood on the east end of downtown. Two other sites, one on the west end of downtown, and a late bid by several businessmen pushing to build the arena in the northern suburb of
AirdrieAirdrie is a city in Alberta, Canada, located just north of Calgary within the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. The City of Airdrie is part of Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area and a member community of the Calgary Regional Partnership . Due to its proximity to Calgary, Airdrie's population has been...
were also considered.
The Victoria Park Community Association fought the bid to build the arena in their neighborhood, threatening to oppose the city's Olympic bid if necessary. City Council voted on March 3, 1981 to build the proposed 20,000 seat arena on the Stampede grounds, immediately east of the Corral and south of Victoria Park. The community continued to fight the city over rezoning the land to allow for the new arena amidst fears of traffic congestion in their neighbourhood which resulted in numerous costly delays to the start of construction. In a bid to end the battle, Mayor
Ralph Klein asked the provincial government in July 1981 to take over the land designated for the arena to bypass the appeals process and force approval. The province supported the city amidst protests by community associations and invoked rarely used powers to overrule planning regulations, allowing construction to begin. The following day, on July 29, 1981, builders began construction of the arena.
The facility was designed by Graham McCourt Architects. While they set out to design a unique building, the idea of a western theme never occurred to Barry Graham or his team. The
roofA saddle roof is one which follows a convex curve about one axis and a concave curve about the other. The hyperbolic paraboloid form has been used for roofs at various times since it is easily constructed from straight sections of lumber, steel, or other conventional materials...
of the building was designed to be a reverse hyperbolic paraboloid, allowing for a pillar free view from all seats and reducing the interior volume by up to one-third when compared to traditional arenas. When the design was unveiled, the roof was immediately referred to as being saddle-shaped. Of 1,270 entries submitted in a contest to name the arena, 735 involved the word Saddle. The winning name in the contest,
Olympic Saddledome, was drawn from a hat filled with several similar saddle-themed names.
The designers won several architectural and engineering awards for their work on the Saddledome, and were honoured by the
Royal Architectural Institute of CanadaThe Royal Architectural Institute of Canada , founded in 1907, is a Canadian association representing over 3,600 architects, and faculty and graduates of Canadian Schools of Architecture.RAIC is the voice for architecture and its practice in Canada...
at its millennium celebration of architecture in 2000. The Saddledome is believed to remain the world record holder for the longest spanning hyperbolic paraboloid concrete shell, and was featured on the cover of
Time MagazineTime is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
on September 27, 1987.
The location of the Saddledome within Stampede Park allows for easy access to Calgary's
C-TrainC-Train is the light rail transit system in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has been in operation since May 25, 1981. The system is operated by Calgary Transit, a department of the Calgary municipal government.-Operations:...
light rail transit system via the
Victoria Park/Stampede stationVictoria Park/Stampede is a stop on the South Line of the C-Train light rail system in Calgary, Alberta....
that stands parallel to
Macleod TrailMacleod Trail is a major road in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It is a six to eight lane principal arterial road extending from downtown Calgary to the south of the city, where it merges into Highway 2. South of Anderson Road, Macleod Trail is an expressway and is slated to be upgraded to a freeway in...
. The C-Train station, BMO Centre, Stampede Corral and Saddledome are all connected via a
Plus 15The Plus 15 or +15 Skyway network in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is the world's most extensive pedestrian skywalk system with a total length of and 59 bridges. The system is so named because the skywalks are approximately 15 feet above street level...
pedestrian
skywayIn an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
. Direct vehicle access is gained from the north via 5th Street East or Olympic Way.
History
The arena was initially projected to cost $60 million to build, and later revised to over $80 million. Attempts to fast track construction resulted in a $16 million cost overrun, resulting in a final cost of $97.7 million and an eight month delay in its completion. Builders faced delays while building the roof as numerous adjustments were required to fit the giant concrete slabs between the array of cables that held them in place. Upset with the excess cost,
oppositionParliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
politicians in Alberta demanded a public hearing into the issue. A hearing conducted by the city placed much of the blame on the project manager, while the city and province were required to pay the additional costs.
When it opened on October 15, 1983, the Olympic Saddledome served to boost the morale of a city that was experiencing a significant downturn as a result of the international oil market collapse, high interest rates, and the federal government's National Energy Policy. During the first event, an NHL game between the Flames and the
Edmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
, the standard of
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Pierre TrudeauJoseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
was the first thing booed by a population upset with the government's policies. The Oilers defeated the Flames 4–3 in front of a sold out crowd of nearly 17,000 fans.
The initial seating capacity was 16,605 for hockey as the upper loges were not immediately completed. As the Olympics neared, the Calgary organizing committee spent $1 million to add over 2,600 seats to the upper loges in a bid to alleviate a scandal that resulted from the organizing committee giving its partners and sponsors preferential treatment in ticket sales. The Saddledome reached its highest capacity in time for the Olympics at 20,016. The
International Ice Hockey FederationThe International Ice Hockey Federation is the worldwide governing body for ice hockey and in-line hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 70 members...
noted that it was the largest arena ever used at the Winter Games, and called the facility "the finest international rink in the world" The
International Olympic CommitteeThe International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
praised the city's commitment to hosting the Olympics, noting in its official report that constructing the arena prior to being awarded the Games lent credibility to Calgary's bid and positively influenced voters. The Saddledome was the first arena in North America designed to accommodate the larger international ice surface (international rinks are 13 feet wider than NHL rinks).
The Flames petitioned the City of Calgary and the Saddledome Foundation to upgrade the facility in 1994, requesting renovations to add additional luxury boxes and a new club section. The Flames insisted the upgrades were necessary for the team to remain viable in the arena. They argued it was important that their landlord bring the arena up to the higher standards they felt was required. The team lobbied City Council in the hope it would agree to fund the majority of the $18 million renovation using federal infrastructure funds. At the same time, they rejected a counter proposal for applying a ticket surcharge to pay the cost. Media reports claimed the team was considering relocating out of Calgary if council did not agree. Flames' owners denied the reports, but said they had threatened to build a new rink elsewhere in the city. City Council supported the Flames' proposal in a 9–6 vote following several months of negotiations.
Renovations occurred between 1994 and 1995 and saw the addition of 41 new luxury suites at the top of the lower bowl, an 1,172 seat club section, a new restaurant, expanded offices for the Flames, Saddledome management and
Hockey CanadaHockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. Hockey Canada controls a vast majority of ice hockey in Canada, with a few exceptions...
, as well as a significant restructuring of the public concourse and a new parkade structure. The arena remained operational until the spring of 1995 despite ongoing construction, but was closed entirely between April and October 1995. The Saddledome officially re-opened on October 25, 1995 for the Flames' first home game of the 1995–96 NHL season.
Prior to its re-opening, the Flames signed a deal with
Canadian AirlinesCanadian Airlines International Ltd. was a Canadian airline that operated from 1987 until 2001. The airline was Canada's second largest airline after Air Canada, and carried more than 11.9 million passengers to over 160 destinations in 17 countries on five continents at its height in 1996...
to rename the facility. Under a 20-year agreement worth approximately $1 million per year, the arena became the Canadian Airlines Saddledome. Removing the "Olympic" moniker was controversial with both the public and City Council, though the city voted in favour of the deal which included the donation of a portion of the naming rights to fund amateur sports within the city. The arena was renamed again in 2000 when Canadian Airlines was acquired by
Air CanadaAir Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
and ceased operations.
Pengrowth Management Ltd.Pengrowth Energy Corporation is a Canadian oil and natural gas company based in Calgary, Alberta. Established in 1988 by Calgary entrepreneur James S Kinnear, it was one of the largest of the Canadian royalty trusts , with a market capitalization of US$ 4.12 billion at the end of 2007...
signed a ten-year agreement that gave the facility the name of Pengrowth Saddledome.
The arena has received cosmetic upgrades in recent years. In 2004, the Flames spent $1 million on a
LEDA light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
"power ring" display that lines the facing of the second level, and in 2006 replaced the
JumboTronA JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
that was installed in 1995 with a new
high definitionHigh-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
scoreboard. Manufactured by
DaktronicsDaktronics is an American company based in Brookings, South Dakota that designs, manufactures, sells, and services video board, scoreboards, digital billboards and related products. The company is best known for its electronic LED displays...
, the display has 12 screens and two LED ribbons, and is called the
EnmaxENMAX Corporation is a vertically integrated utility that provides electricity, natural gas, renewable energy and value-added services to its customers.-Overview:...
Energy Board.
Events
As the home of the Flames, the Saddledome hosted the
1985 NHL All-Star GameThe 37th National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in the Olympic Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, home of the Calgary Flames, on February 12, 1985. The Wales Conference defeated the Campbell Conference 6–4...
, and the
2000 NHL Entry DraftThe 2000 NHL Entry Draft was held from June 24 to 25 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, following the 2000 NHL Expansion Draft on June 23 for the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild...
. The Flames have played three
Stanley CupThe Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Finals series in the Saddledome:
1986The 1986 Stanley Cup Final NHL championship series was contested by the Calgary Flames in their first Final appearance and the Montreal Canadiens in their 32nd. The Canadiens would win the best-of-seven series four games to one, to win their twenty-third Stanley Cup, and their seventeenth in their...
,
1989The 1989 Stanley Cup Final was between the Calgary Flames and the Montreal Canadiens, the top two teams during the 1988–89 NHL regular season. , this is the most recent time that the first two seeds met in the Stanley Cup Final, as the New Jersey Devils had one win less than the Detroit Red Wings...
and
2004The 2004 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven playoff series that determined the National Hockey League champion for the 2003–04 season. As a culmination of the 2004 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Western Conference champion Calgary Flames...
. The arena is also the home of the
Calgary HitmenThe Calgary Hitmen are a major junior ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The Hitmen play in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League . They play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Bret "The Hitman" Hart, a local-born professional wrestler, was a founding owner...
of the
Western Hockey LeagueThe Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
(WHL). The Hitmen won the President's Trophy in 1999 before a WHL playoff record crowd of 17,139. Playing in the largest arena in the WHL, the Hitmen also hold league records for overall attendance (362,227 in 2004–05), as well as single game (19,305 in
2007–08The 2007–08 WHL season was the 42nd season of the Western Hockey League . The regular season began on September 20, 2007, and ended on March 16, 2008. The WHL Playoffs began on March 21, 2008, and ended on May 7, 2008....
). The Saddledome is also the home of the
Calgary RoughnecksThe Calgary Roughnecks are a professional box lacrosse team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Western Division of the National Lacrosse League and play their home games at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The team name is derived from the roughnecks who work drilling rigs in...
of the
National Lacrosse LeagueThe National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
(NLL) and hosted the 2005
NLL All-Star GameNational Lacrosse League All Star Game is a lacrosse game played each year between two teams representing the two divisions of the National Lacrosse League .-1991 :...
. It has twice hosted the NLL
Champion's CupThe Champion's Cup is the trophy awarded to the playoff winners in the National Lacrosse League.-Winners:-Most Valuable Players:-Champion's Cup appearances:Only currently active teams are listed.-All-time Champion's Cup wins:...
game:
2004-All Star Game:The 2004 All-Star Game was held at the Pepsi Center in Denver on February 22, 2004. The East division defeated the West 19-15, and Buffalo's Mark Steenhuis was named game MVP.-All-Star teams:-Awards:-Weekly Awards:...
and
2009-Pre-season:* August 19, 2008: The NLL announced that the Minnesota Swarm would be moving from the East division to the West division, giving the West six teams to the East's seven....
, both Calgary victories.
The opening of the Saddledome allowed Calgary to play host to major musical acts that were bypassing the city in the early 1980s, because the city's existing facilities were not large enough to accommodate the industry's top performers.
The Moody Blues were the first musical act to appear with
Stevie Ray VaughanStephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
opening, in November 1983, while
Rod StewartRoderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
has made the most appearances in the Dome, eleven. Many other top acts have made stops in the Saddledome, however the inability of the roof to support the massive light, speaker and special effect rigs that some performers currently use has led the city to again be bypassed for some major tours.
In addition to
hockeyAt the 1988 Winter Olympics one ice hockey event was held, men's ice hockey. Games were played at the Olympic Saddledome, the Stampede Corral, and Father David Bauer Olympic Arena in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.Source:* Gold - * Silver -...
and
figure skatingFigure skating at the 1988 Winter OlympicsThe events took place at the Stampede Corral and the Olympic Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.-Medal table:-Men's:-Free Skate final standings :Referee:* Sonia Bianchetti...
at the 1988 Olympics, the Saddledome has been the site of numerous major national and international events. The facility has hosted
BrierThe Tim Hortons Brier, or simply the Brier, is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by the Canadian Curling Association . The current event name refers to its main sponsor, the Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut shop chain.The Brier has been held since 1927, traditionally during...
, The Canadian men's
curlingCurling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
championship, on three occasions:
1997The 1997 Labatt Brier was held March 8-15 at the CAI Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. Kevin Martin of Alberta defeated Vic Peters of Manitoba in the final.-Standings:-Playoffs:-Final:-References:*...
,
2002The 2002 Nokia Brier was the Canadian Men's Curling Championship. It was held from March 9 to March 17, 2002 at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. It was won by the Albertan foursome headed by Randy Ferbey. Ferbey threw third stones throughout the tournament while his mate David Nedohin...
and
2009-Draw 2:March 7, 1800-Draw 3:March 8, 0830-Draw 4:March 8, 1300-Draw 5:March 8, 1830-Draw 6:March 9, 0830-Draw 7:March 9, 1300-Draw 8:March 9, 1830-Draw 9:March 10, 0830-Draw 10:...
. It also hosted the women's championship, the
Tournament of HeartsThe Scotties Tournament of Hearts is an annual Canadian women's curling championship, sanctioned by the Canadian Curling Association. The winner goes on to represent Canada at the women's world curling championships. Since 1985, the winner also gets to return to the following year's tournament as...
in
1995The 1995 Scott Tournament of Hearts Canadian women's national curling championship, was played in Calgary, Alberta. It was the first time the page-playoff system would be used at the Scott.-Teams:-Standings:-Draw 1:-Draw 2:-Draw 3:...
. The
2006 World Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion. This event is considered the most prestigious of the ISU Championships.The 2006 Worlds were held at the...
was also held in the arena. Among non-sporting events, the Saddledome most recently hosted a public address by the
Dalai LamaThe Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
in 2009 that was attended by 15,000 people. In 2005, Queen Elizabeth II attended a celebration of Alberta's centennial at the Saddledome.
It has also hosted PBR
Bud Light CupThe Built Ford Tough Series is the "major league" tour of the PBR competitions. It is a 30-city event series culminating in the PBR World Finals every year in Las Vegas, Nevada. The top 45 riders of the PBR compete in the BFTS with the rankings determined by points and money won...
events; in 1998 and 1999 the event was known as "Cody Snyder's Bullbustin'", and in 2000 and 2001 the event was called the Professional Bull Riders Canadian Open. The Saddledome has also been a host for PBR Canada events.
Amenities
The Saddledome seats 19,289 for hockey and lacrosse, with different capacities for other events depending on the arena's configuration. It has 72 luxury suites, 41 of which were constructed at the top of the lower bowl in 1995 and 31 were constructed at the top of the second level when the facility was built. There are also 6 party suites on the corners of the upper loges that are rented on an event by event basis. Sections 115 through 122 of the lower bowl form the Avison Young Club and offers in-seat concession service at Flames games.
The Avison Young Club features a private dining room available during Flames games, large concerts and private events. Dutton's Canadian Lounge is a sports bar located at the west entrance to the building. There are three additional restaurants within the facility: The
HSBCHSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
Saddleroom Restaurant, the Alumni Lounge and The Whiskey. The Fairmont Platinum Club is a 188-seat executive club accessible with a purchased membership. It features a private bar and restaurant as well as a fully functional business centre.
Saddledome Foundation
The City of Calgary established the Saddledome Foundation in 1983 and leased the arena for 50-years to the non-profit organization. Its mandate was to "oversee the operation in a manner that protects taxpayers and benefits amateur sports at the local, provincial and national level". The foundation is made up of a board of nine directors: three appointed by the city, three appointed by the province, and one each appointed by the Calgary Olympic Development Association (now
WinSport CanadaThe Canadian Winter Sport Institute, also known as WinSport Canada is a non-profit organization based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada who's mandate is to provide training and development to Canada's Olympic athletes, and to maintain the facilities built for the 1988 Winter Olympics...
), Hockey Canada and the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. The foundation contracted the Stampede to manage the arena, and through its lease agreements with the Stampede and the Flames, earned 15 percent of gross concession sales, 50 percent of net income from luxury suites and executive seating and investment income on the arena's revenues. The Flames signed a 20-year lease in 1983 that earned them 70 percent of advertising revenues and 90 percent of ticket revenues. The Stampede earned 85 percent of concession revenues and all revenue from parking.
As part of the 1994 deal with the city, the Flames bought out the Stampede's contract for $20 million and took over management of the facility. While the city and Saddledome Foundation paid for the 1994–95 renovations, the new agreement required the Flames to pay for future arena maintenance and repairs, as well as any further renovations. The Flames agreed to manage the arena for 20 years and to contribute $14.5 million toward amateur sport in the city over that time. The Saddledome Foundation retains the responsibility of distributing funds to amateur sport. From its inception through 2007, it had allocated over $20 million toward this cause.
Future
The Saddledome is one of the oldest arenas in the NHL, fueling speculation that it is due to be replaced. Flames president and chief executive officer Ken King said in 2008 that plans for a new arena were "five to eight years away" creating the expectation that the team hopes to have a new arena built for when their lease expires in 2014. Team chairman
Murray EdwardsN. Murray Edwards is a Canadian businessmen and a co-owner of the Calgary Flames hockey team. With an estimated net worth of $US 2.2 billion , Edwards was ranked by Forbes as the 14th wealthiest Canadian and 540th in the world.- Background :Edwards studied at the University of Saskatchewan,...
argues that the ability of the facility to host major events and concerts are growing increasingly limited as the facility ages. Along with Edwards, sports financial analysts also note that newer arenas generate far more revenues for their teams than the Saddledome does for the Flames.
It is expected that any new arena would also be located either on the Stampede Grounds or elsewhere in downtown Calgary. While NHL Commissioner
Gary BettmanGary Bruce Bettman is the commissioner of the National Hockey League , a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice-president and general counsel to the National Basketball Association...
has lobbied on behalf of both the Flames and the Oilers for government support, Calgary
AldermanAn alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
John Mar stated that he did not expect the city would support a new arena with taxpayer money. King stated that the Flames have concepts and designs for a new building, but are not ready to release them. Some of the plans being considered for Stampede Park would include lowering the city's
C-trainC-Train is the light rail transit system in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It has been in operation since May 25, 1981. The system is operated by Calgary Transit, a department of the Calgary municipal government.-Operations:...
light rail transitThe name Light Rail Transit is used to refer to several light rail systems, as an official name or otherwise:* Please see List of tram and light-rail transit systems.-See also:* Light Rapid Transit * Light railway* Light rail...
line below ground and run straight into a new facility.
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