Less than a day after the "gloves came off" between NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi over the CalgaryNEXT proposal, "diplomacy prevailed," according to Bill Kaufmann of the CALGARY SUN. Bettman and Flames President & CEO Ken King yesterday "met with city officials, including those from the mayor’s office, for what King described as a cordial sit-down on the plan." But Nenshi "kept to his word not to be present after he slammed Bettman for urging the city to endorse the Flames’ vision of a new hockey arena, football stadium and field house in the downtown west end." King said that yesterday's meeting "underlined how much in common city officials and the Flames organization share" on the C$900M CalgaryNEXT "with both sides recognizing the need for new facilities and the importance of their tenants." A source in the mayor’s office said that Nenshi’s "frustration is Bettman’s implying the city’s done little on the proposal." King added that "nothing new was offered" yesterday in the plan, something Nenshi "cited was needed for the discussion to progress." Kaufmann notes a city feasibility study on CalgaryNEXT "is due in April" (CALGARY SUN, 1/13). In Calgary, Trevor Howell notes City Manager Jeff Fielding yetserday "appealed for cooler heads to prevail." Fielding: "We were very clear this morning that some of the comments weren’t useful, on both sides to be honest." Howell notes Flames ownership "has suggested using a mix of private and public dollars to fund the construction of the building." However, many questions "remain over how much tax money -- if any -- should be spent on the facility, what the cost would be to remediate the creosote-contaminated site, as well as other infrastructure-related expenses" (CALGARY HERALD, 1/13).
MORE HARM THAN GOOD? The GLOBE & MAIL's Eric Duhatschek writes Bettman went to Calgary to "drum up support for the project," but his presence "may have done more harm than good" (GLOBE & MAIL, 1/13). The NATIONAL POST's Scott Stinson writes Bettman's visit "displayed next-level gumption," and Nenshi "seems to have struck a nerve when he all but thumbed his nose at the commissioner." But there is a "reason to proceed cautiously: once a sports franchise tells a city that it needs public money for a new arena, and a city agrees to enter discussions about it, the only thing that's left to settle is the number" (NATIONAL POST, 1/13).
MEET THE MAYOR: In Calgary, Rick Bell writes Nenshi "has no regrets," and yesterday he looked like he had a "strong wind in his sails." Nenshi "fired back about 'very wealthy people from New York' coming here and telling us what we need to do." Nenshi is even open to a vote on the deal "if that’s what Calgarians want, though he hopes council is able to give a thumbs up or down before the fall 2017 city ballot battle" (CALGARY SUN, 1/13). The NATIONAL POST's Kelly McParland writes under the header, "Gary Bettman's Napoleonic Disdain May Not Play Well In Nenshi's Calgary." Bettman is "used to getting his way," but it is "possible Nenshi is made of sterner stuff." McParland: "Perhaps the commissioner hasn't noticed, but Alberta is not the walking, talking bag of money it once was." Nenshi's city is "struggling with high unemployment, empty office buildings, collapsing home prices and a provincial government overseeing" a C$6B deficit. McParland: "Waving a magic wand and having Big Oil hand over a cheque for a few hundred million isn't going to happen" (NATIONAL POST, 1/13).
