Though the deal was agreed upon over a year ago, it was finally confirmed on Friday that construction on a new Calgary Flames arena will begin on Monday. This is a big day for Calgarians. The Saddledome may be historic, but it’s outdated and has needed to be replaced for roughly a decade.
Related: Flames Could Speed up Their Rebuild With a Rasmus Andersson Trade
Barring any setbacks, the new arena is expected to be completed ahead of the 2027-28 season, meaning the Flames will have three more seasons at the Saddledome before making the change. At least one or two of those seasons could prove to be tough, with the roster in the early stages of a rebuild, but by the time they are ready to move into their new building, the Flames should find themselves in a good position.
Flames Have High-End Prospects
Under former general manager (GM) Brad Treliving, the Flames were constantly spinning their tires. They were never bad enough to get a high first-round pick and rarely felt like a true Stanley Cup contender. GM Craig Conroy seemed to recognize this and put a stop to the madness by opting for a rebuild.
In this time, the Flames have added some great prospects. The most exciting of the bunch is Zayne Parekh, who was selected ninth overall in June. He has drawn comparisons to Erik Karlsson and figures to be a huge part of the Calgary blue line for years to come. He won’t be alone, either, as Hunter Brzustewicz, who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks midway through the 2023-24 season, also has the makings of a top-four defenceman at the NHL level.
The Flames also added forward Matvei Gridin, selecting him 28th overall at the 2024 Draft. He joins a cupboard of forward prospects that includes top-tier prospects like Samuel Honzek, Matt Coronato, and Jakob Pelletier. There is also still Connor Zary, who, at just 22 years old, registered 14 goals and 34 points in 63 games with the Flames this past season.
Of course, it’s often who is between the pipes that will determine whether a team is capable of winning a Stanley Cup. Luckily, the Flames look to be in great hands. Though inexperienced at the NHL level, Dustin Wolf was named goalie of the year in each of his first two American Hockey League (AHL) seasons. The 23-year-old, despite being undersized, has all the makings of a star goalie and will be given a chance to shine in 2024-25.
Flames New Arena Will Attract Talent
More players will be inclined to head to Calgary went they have a new arena. The city is not known to be a top destination in the league, partly due to weather, but also because the Saddledome is old and outdated.
The Edmonton Oilers are a perfect example. They struggled to sign players for decades but became a top destination for many free agents because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, of course, but also because they have Rogers Place, which is less than ten years old. If they were still playing out of Rexall Place, they’d still have a tough time bringing in talent.
Related: Flames Have Potential to Be Bottom 3 in NHL Standings
With a new arena and the talent coming up in the organization, players might soon be interested in moving to Calgary. These next few seasons could prove to be rough, but it will all be worth it in the end, as the franchise lines itself up for plenty of success in the future.
