One day after "a secret meeting" with Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman "held court with Calgary Flames season-ticket holders in what turned into a rally of sorts for drumming up support for a new rink," according to Eric Francis of the CALGARY SUN. Bettman said, "The Saddledome has served this community well but forgive me, it’s past its due date." The remarks drew "a few laughs and cheers from the gathering of several hundred." Bettman added, "When Detroit gets its new arena and the Islanders move to Brooklyn (and the Oilers get their new digs), this arena will be 10 years older than the next-oldest NHL building. This is a big-league city, and my hope is people figure out a way to get this to work." Nenshi "refused comment Thursday night other than to say he enjoyed meeting Bettman," but he has "gone on record repeatedly saying he has no appetite to help fund a new rink in any way." Bettman on Thursday said, "I think ultimately the people that represent you, other than the Flames, are going to need to hear from you and your friends that this is important. It’s important to a first-class, major-league city to have first-class, major-league facilities and to use it as an opportunity to transform it." He added that his meeting with Nenshi "was very casual and preliminary in terms of helping with the arena process." Bettman: "I know it’s something the Flames are very focused on, and to the extent I can be helpful, I want to be. ... If my efforts are not needed, so much the better, but if they are, I’m happy to do that" (CALGARY SUN, 1/30).
