NHL ice hockey franchise the Calgary Flames has abandoned plans to build a new arena, while rival team the Nashville Predators has revealed details of upgrades to its Bridgestone Arena home.
The Flames currently play at the Scotiabank Saddledome (pictured), which, having opened in 1983, is the oldest ground in the league.
The decision to end the pursuit for a new arena comes after months of talks with officials in Calgary, with Flames president and chief executive Ken King having not seen eye to eye with the city’s mayor Naheed Nenshi on the direction the team should take.
King said: “We have determined that we’re no longer going to be pursuing a new facility. The owners group are pretty clear, pretty definite, on their view on that.
“The building’s very important. We’ve been working on it for a long time. But it doesn’t look like we’re going to get there. And I think it’s time we stopped pretending and we’re a little honest with our fans and our city on that fact.
“McMahon (Stadium) will continue to house a great football team. And the Scotiabank Saddledome will continue to host a couple million people a year, and we’ll just go on and run our business and do what we can to figure out what the future will look like later.”
The Predators’ Bridgestone Arena, meanwhile, celebrated its 20th year since opening in 2016-17 and a host of upgrades have been made to the venue ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.
The team said that $6m has been spent on renovation work at the arena over the summer. A new full-service bar has been fitted outside section 309 of the arena, along with The Ice Bar, which will specialise in frozen drinks and feature flat-screen televisions and phone-charging outlets.
The Music City Market is another addition and will feature drinks and healthy products, while the Wicked Weed Beer Garden and a bar sponsored by Labatt Brewing Company will also be available for fans to sample.
Other features include upgraded toilets, new interactive areas, two new suites near the Lexus Lounge, renovated media space and locker-room and player lounge upgrades.
“We get complimented a lot on the look of the building,” Bridgestone Arena and Predators senior vice-president of booking, David Kells, said. “We have an ownership group and an agreement with the city to help fund investment into the arena, so it doesn’t look like a 20-year-old building that can’t meet the demands of a modern tour, can’t meet the demands of a modern team… We’ve been very fortunate.”
Image: Daniel
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