Calgary’s arena deal could be reignited by Battle of Alberta: economist

It is a thrilling time to be a hockey fan in Calgary.

The Battle of Alberta rages on, talks about the new event center continue at city hall on Wednesday, and the Flames’ AHL affiliate Stockton Heat is relocating to Calgary.

Does all the attention on hockey in Calgary bring the city one step closer to a new arena deal?

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek says she’s optimistic.

“The Stockton Heat is relocating to our city, which is incredible market confidence in Calgary. We are clearly a city that can host an NHL team, and now we are finding out that the other team is going to be here as well. It bodes well for our city and we are all pretty excited about that,” Gondek said.

Economist Moshe Lander says all the excitement on the ice should put the city in a good position to make a deal with Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) for a new arena.

“With the Flames being successful, this can shift the power balance in favour of the city,” Lander said.

He adds the relocation of the Heat is even more reason for CSEC to invest in an updated space, if they want both teams to play in the same arena.

“You can now go to CSEC and say you now have an extra 40 dates that you’re going to get use out of this building. When you add in that you already have the Hitmen, which is part of the CSEC group, you can now imagine that hockey is going to be taking up — say four months of the wintertime — 120 dates,” Lander said.

Regardless of the outcome of the playoffs, Lander says it’s a good time to invest in a new arena.

“It’s a win-win. If the Flames win the series and you can announce that there is a new arena deal or that the arena deal is saved, that is all the more elation,” Lander said. “If the Flames do manage to slip on that banana peel and flame out, at least this is the consolation prize.”

Eric Francis, a columnist at Sportsnet, says there is no reason Calgary can’t have an arena that competes with Edmonton.

READ MORE:

• Flames AHL team Stockton Heat relocating to Calgary next season

• Could a new Calgary event centre take cues from Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena?

• Calgary needs new hockey arena to replace Saddledome, NHL commissioner says

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“Calgary obviously needs to learn from what they’ve built here in Edmonton. Not just the arena, but the area around it where this is the gathering spot,” Francis said. “This draws a spotlight on the fact that we need a better gathering spot, inside and outside this arena.”

He says Calgary’s Red Lot can’t compare to the environment that Edmonton has built outside of Rogers Place.

“Cramming 5,000 people into a parking lot sure makes for great TV, but at the end of the day, I see what’s going on here in Edmonton, where their beautiful arena is accompanied by an incredible gathering space for tens of thousands of people to celebrate.”