Flames owners no longer pursuing new arena
The Calgary Flames' dream of finding a new home appears to be completely stalled, as team owners are no longer pursuing a new arena, president Ken King told Sportsnet's Eric Francis.
The ongoing saga of replacing Scotiabank Saddledome, the Flames' home since 1983, has hit multiple speedbumps since the initial downtown complex deemed "CalgaryNext" was proposed by King in 2015.
In April, King said the Flames need a new arena in order to stay in Calgary, while team president of hockey operations Brian Burke doubled down months later, saying the franchise could indeed threaten to leave without a new facility.
Even NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has chimed in on the situation, calling the Saddledome an "old, antiquated" building in March, while he pushed the notion of the Flames desperately needing a new rink.
Per Francis, the Flames and the city of Calgary aren't on the same page at all.
King spoke to Mayor and determined the city has no genuine interest in helping build a building. Talks over.
— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) September 12, 2017
The Flames lease on the building doesn't expire until 2033, but it's quite clear King doesn't want to wait that long for a new place to play. That said, he's unsure what the immediate future holds.
King re future of Flames in Calgary: "I don't know what this means."
— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) September 12, 2017