Calgary Flames getting new home?

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is persuading the Flames organization to move into a new arena.

TSN.ca is reporting that National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman has been recommending the Calgary Flames organization to move into a new arena. He went a bit further and suggested that it has to be done immediately. He made these comments during a Chamber of Commerce event in Calgary.

The Flames currently play in the Scotiabank Saddledome which was built in 1983. In addition to being the home of a National Hockey League team, the arena is also home to the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League and the Calgary Roughnecks of the National Lacrosse League.

On the world stage, the arena was also the site for the 1988 Winter Olympic Games for ice hockey and figure skating.

The Flames moved to Alberta prior to the start of the 1980-81 campaign. They relocated from the city of Atlanta after the 1979-80 season.

Prior to the start of this season, the team has played in 2,618 games as a Canadian franchise. During that time they won 1,233 regular season games. The bright spot for the team was during the 1988-89 season where they defeated the Montreal Canadiens in six games to win the Stanley Cup. To date, this is their only championship in their history. They did reach the Stanley Cup Finals during the 2003-04 campaign, but eventually lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning in an exciting seven game series.

Last season was a surprisingly bright spot for the Calgary Flames. They finished the campaign with 97 points and was in third place of the Pacific Division. They did make the playoffs for the first time in five seasons, before losing in the Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Anaheim Ducks in five games.

The expected cost for a new arena is close to $900 million.