Scotiabank Saddledome facts for kids
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The Dome
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Scotiabank Saddledome in 2020
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| Former names | Olympic Saddledome (1983–95) Canadian Airlines Saddledome (1995–2000) Pengrowth Saddledome (2000–10) |
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| Address | 555 Saddledome Rise SE |
| Location | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
| Coordinates | 51°02′15″N 114°03′07″W / 51.03750°N 114.05194°W |
| Public transit |   Victoria Park/Stampede |
| Owner | City of Calgary |
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| Capacity | 19,289 |
| Field size | 474,000 sq ft (44,000 m2) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 29, 1981 |
| Opened | October 15, 1983 |
| Renovated | 1994 |
| Construction cost | C$97.7 million ($279 million in 2021 dollars ) Renovation: 1994: C$37 million ($61.1 million in 2021 dollars ) |
| Architect | Graham McCourt Architects |
| Structural engineer | Jan Bobrowski and Partners Ltd. |
| Services engineer | Vinto Engineering Ltd. |
| General contractor | CANA Construction Co. Ltd. |
| Main contractors | SE Johnson |
| Tenants | |
| Calgary Flames (NHL) (1983–present) Calgary 88s (WBL) (1988–1992) Calgary Rad'z (RHI) (1993) Calgary Outlaws (NBL) (1994) Calgary Hitmen (WHL) (1995–present) Calgary Roughnecks (NLL) (2001–present) Stockton Heat (AHL) (2021) Calgary Wranglers (AHL) (2022–present) Calgary Surge (CEBL) (2024-present) |
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The Scotiabank Saddledome is a large indoor sports and event building in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It's located in Stampede Park, which is in the southeast part of downtown Calgary. The Saddledome was built in 1983. It replaced the Stampede Corral as the home for the Calgary Flames, a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). It also hosted ice hockey and figure skating events during the 1988 Winter Olympics.
This building is used for many different things, like concerts, big meetings, and other sports events. It also hosts events for the famous Calgary Exhibition and Stampede. The Saddledome had a big makeover in 1994–95. During this time, its name changed from Olympic Saddledome to Canadian Airlines Saddledome because a company bought the rights to its name. In 2000, it became the Pengrowth Saddledome, and in October 2010, it got its current name, Scotiabank Saddledome.
The City of Calgary owns the Saddledome. They let a non-profit group called the Saddledome Foundation manage it. Since 1996, the Calgary Flames team has been in charge of running the building. In 2013, the Saddledome was damaged by floods in Alberta. But it was fixed quickly and reopened in time for the 2013–14 NHL hockey season.
The roof of the arena looks like a horse's saddle, which is how it got the name "Saddledome." It is one of the oldest arenas still used in the NHL today.
Contents
Building the Saddledome
For 30 years, Calgary's main arena was the Stampede Corral. When the Calgary Flames hockey team arrived in 1980, the Corral was too small for a major league team. It could hold 8,700 people, which was not enough for the NHL by the 1970s.
Calgary wanted to host the 1988 Winter Olympics. This, along with the new Flames team, meant a new, bigger arena was needed. City leaders discussed where to build this new "Olympic Coliseum." They chose a spot in the Victoria Park area, near downtown.
Some people in the Victoria Park neighborhood were worried about traffic. They tried to stop the arena from being built there. But the city council voted in March 1981 to build the 20,000-seat arena on the Stampede grounds. This was right next to the old Corral. To speed things up, the provincial government stepped in. They allowed construction to start on July 29, 1981. This quick start impressed the International Olympic Committee. It showed Calgary was serious about hosting the Games.
Graham McCourt Architects designed the building. They wanted a unique look. The roof was designed to be a special shape called a "reverse hyperbolic paraboloid." This shape meant there were no pillars blocking views from any seat. It also made the building smaller inside, saving money on heating and lighting. The roof can even flex with temperature changes.
When the design was shown, everyone immediately thought it looked like a saddle. A contest was held to name the arena, and many people suggested names with "Saddle" in them. The winning name was Olympic Saddledome. The designers won awards for their work. In 2000, they were honored by the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. The Saddledome was even on the cover of Time magazine in 1987.
The Saddledome is easy to get to. It's located in Stampede Park, which has a CTrain light rail station nearby. You can also drive to it from downtown.
Saddledome History
The arena was first expected to cost $60 million, but the final cost was $97.7 million. This was partly because they tried to build it very quickly. There were also delays with fitting the large concrete roof slabs.
The Olympic Saddledome opened on October 15, 1983. It helped cheer up Calgary, which was going through a tough time with the economy. The first event was an NHL hockey game between the Flames and the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers won 4–3 in front of a huge crowd.
At first, the arena could hold 16,605 people for hockey. Before the Olympics, more seats were added, bringing the capacity to 20,016. The International Ice Hockey Federation said it was the biggest and best arena ever used for the Winter Games. The Saddledome was also the first arena in North America built for the wider international ice surface.
Renovations and New Names
In 1994, the Flames asked for big upgrades to the Saddledome. They wanted more luxury boxes and a new club section. They said these changes were needed for the team to stay strong in the arena. After many talks, the city council agreed to help fund the $18 million renovation.
The renovations happened between 1994 and 1995. They added 41 new luxury suites and a club section with 1,172 seats. There was also a new restaurant and bigger offices. The arena was closed for several months in 1995 for this work. It reopened on October 25, 1995.
Before reopening, the Flames made a deal with Canadian Airlines to change the arena's name. It became the Canadian Airlines Saddledome. This name change was a bit controversial because it removed "Olympic." In 2000, the name changed again to Pengrowth Saddledome after Pengrowth Management Ltd. signed a deal.
The arena has also received updates to its technology. In 2004, an LED "power ring" display was added around the second level. In 2006, the old scoreboard was replaced with a new HD video scoreboard. A brand new, larger scoreboard was installed in 2024. It has four huge screens and a "halo" ring.
The 2013 Flood
In June and July 2013, the Saddledome was badly affected by the 2013 Alberta floods. The Elbow and Bow Rivers overflowed, flooding many parts of Calgary, including Stampede Park. The event level of the arena was filled with water. The water reached up to the eighth row of seats. The dressing rooms and control room were also flooded.
The team president, Ken King, said the event level was a "total loss." But he was confident the arena would be fixed in time for the hockey season. Crews worked day and night to repair the building. They finished a six-month project in just two months! The Saddledome reopened in September 2013 with an Eagles concert. The first hockey game was a Flames pre-season match on September 14.
Exciting Events at the Saddledome
The Saddledome has hosted many exciting events over the years.
- Hockey and Lacrosse: As the home of the Flames, it hosted the 1985 NHL All-Star Game. The Flames played in the Stanley Cup Finals here in 1986, 1989, and 2004. The arena is also home to the Calgary Hitmen (WHL hockey) and the Calgary Roughnecks (NLL lacrosse). The Hitmen hold league records for attendance. The Roughnecks have won the Champion's Cup on their home floor multiple times. The Saddledome was also a venue for the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
- Concerts: The Saddledome allowed Calgary to host big music stars that couldn't play in the city before. The Moody Blues were the first band to play there in November 1983. Many famous artists have performed at the Saddledome.
- Other Sports and Events: Besides hockey and figure skating at the 1988 Olympics, the Saddledome has hosted many other major events.
- It has hosted the Tim Hortons Brier, Canada's men's curling championship, four times.
- It also hosted the women's curling championship, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts, in 1995.
- The 2006 World Figure Skating Championships were held here.
- The WWF (now WWE) event In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede took place here in 1997.
- In 2009, the Dalai Lama gave a public talk to 15,000 people.
- Queen Elizabeth II attended a celebration of Alberta's 100th birthday in 2005.
- It has hosted PBR bull riding events.
- In 2016, it hosted a National Basketball Association (NBA) pre-season game.
- The Saddledome has also hosted Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) events in 2012 and 2018.
Saddledome Features
The Saddledome can seat 19,289 people for hockey and lacrosse games. It has different seating amounts for other events. There are 72 luxury suites, which are special private boxes. Some were built when the arena opened, and more were added in 1995. There are also six party suites that can be rented for events.
Sections 115 to 122 in the lower part of the arena are called The Club. People in these seats can order food and drinks right to their seats during Flames games. This service was later expanded to all lower bowl seats through a special app.
The Club also has a private dining room. There are other restaurants inside the building, like Dutton's Canadian Lounge, The Saddleroom Grill, the Alumni Lounge, and the King Club. The Iconic Platinum Club is a fancy executive club with a private bar and restaurant.
The Saddledome Foundation
The City of Calgary created the Saddledome Foundation in 1983. This non-profit group was given a 50-year lease to run the arena. Their job is to make sure the arena is run well and helps amateur sports in Calgary and Canada.
The foundation has a board of nine directors. These directors are chosen by the city, the province, and other sports organizations. The foundation earns money from things like concession sales and luxury suites. This money is then used to support amateur sports.
In 1994, the Flames took over managing the arena. They agreed to pay for future repairs and renovations. They also promised to give $14.5 million to amateur sports in Calgary over 20 years. The Saddledome Foundation continues to give out these funds. By 2007, it had given over $20 million to support sports.
The Future of the Saddledome
The Saddledome is one of the oldest arenas in the NHL. This has led to talk about building a new arena. Only Madison Square Garden in New York City and Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle are older. However, both of those arenas have had major updates or been rebuilt.
Leaders of the Flames team have said that the Saddledome is getting too old to host some big events and concerts. Newer arenas can make much more money for their teams.
Many ideas for a new arena have been discussed. One idea was a large sports complex called CalgaryNEXT. This would have included a new arena and a football stadium. But this plan was not approved by the city council.
Later, in 2019, the city council approved a plan for a new $550 million Event Centre. It would have been built north of the Saddledome. The city would own it, and the Flames' owners would run it. This new arena was planned to hold about 19,000 people. The Saddledome would have been torn down if this new center was built.
However, this deal was put on hold in 2021 due to rising costs. The estimated cost grew to $608.5 million. There were also concerns about the design and accessibility. In December 2021, the Flames' ownership group pulled out of the deal because of disagreements over extra costs.
In April 2023, a new plan for the Calgary Event Centre was announced. This project, estimated to cost $1.22 billion, includes a new arena, an indoor rink, and plazas. The city, the Flames' owners, and the province are all helping to pay for it.
On July 22, 2024, construction officially began for the new Calgary Event Centre. Its final design and name, Scotia Place, were revealed. This new arena is expected to open for the 2027–28 NHL season.
See also
In Spanish: Scotiabank Saddledome para niños
- Hyperboloid structure
- List of indoor arenas in Canada
