Burke says Flames could leave without new arena

Brian Burke went there.

The Calgary Flames president of hockey operations brought up the possibility of relocation Wednesday while speaking to the public at the Canadian Club of Calgary, according to CTV's Chris Epp.

Burke added that he believes the Flames would be able to find a city to move to, should that be necessary, and said he was surprised the city didn't "say thank you" when the Flames proposed the CalgaryNEXT project.

The club's $890-million proposal for a new multi-sport arena complex was essentially put on life support by city council after being deemed "dead" by Mayor Naheed Nenshi in late March.

Flames president and CEO Ken King made similar remarks in April, hinting that the team needs a new facility to stay in Alberta.

"There would be no threat to move," King said at the time. "We would just move and it would be over. If people smarter than us, in more powerful positions than ours, don't feel that we're a critical piece of the social, economic, and cultural part of our city, than who are we to argue with that?"

Other than the renovated Madison Square Garden, and now that the Detroit Red Wings have bid farewell to Joe Louis Arena, Calgary's Scotiabank Saddledome is the oldest building in the NHL, having been built in 1983.