CALGARY -- NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman got an up-close look at the construction of Calgary’s new $1.2 billion event center.
After touring the site with NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and Calgary Flames ownership on Tuesday, Bettman came away impressed with what will be the team’s new arena, known as Scotia Place.
“The building, by the way, is a lot further along than it looks, because you see the steel coming out of the ground, it doesn’t go all the way around,” the Commissioner said during a media availability at the nearby Scotiabank Saddledome, the Flames’ current home. “There’s interior work already going on below the ground that you don’t see.
“Actually, when I drove up today, I was surprised when I saw it from a distance. ‘Oh, that’s all that was done.’ And then I was surprised when I got into the construction site. I thought, ‘Wow, there’s a lot of work going on here, and it’s much further along than it looks.’”
Commissioner Bettman was also impressed with how much homework was done in terms of studying other new NHL arenas.
“They’ve taken that into account and they’ve been able to look at best practices in terms of the layout,” the Commissioner said. “The new arena’s twice as large in square footage (as the Saddledome). It has more bathrooms. It has more amenities. It’s just going to be incredible.
“This building has been well thought-out and as a result, it’s going to work very well for its intended purposes.”
Slated to open in the fall of 2027, Scotia Place is in the running to be one of the host arenas for the 2028 World Cup of Hockey.
Although a decision hasn’t been made regarding host cities, the Commissioner confirmed that Calgary and Edmonton have made a joint bid.
“I’m aware of the bid,” he said. “Bids are being evaluated. Nothing has been finalized, but it was a good bid. I’m not prepared to tell you today that it was or was not the winning bid, but certainly it’s a bid that people could be very proud of.
“Things still need to be finalized, which is why there has yet to be an announcement, but at some point in the not-too-distant future -- a couple weeks or so -- we should be in a position to finalize and announce.”
Should Scotia Place host World Cup games in 2028, Commissioner Bettman said Calgary would undoubtedly do a great job as a host city.
“Millions of tourists come through here a year,” he said. “This is a place that knows hospitality. This is a place that has a rabid fan base and would attract fans from other places. Look at the Stampede every year. The first time I came to Calgary was in ’88 for the Winter Olympics. I get Calgary and I get what a terrific city it is and a great place to visit.”
