Flames President of Hockey Operations Brian Burke yesterday said that the team will "move if a new arena is not built," marking the "bluntest talk yet about the future" of the franchise, according to a front-page piece by Eva Ferguson of the CALGARY HERALD. Burke said, "We're not going to make the threat to leave. We'll just leave. We still have a building that was built in 1983, the oldest in the league by more than 10 years." In the hours after Burke's comments, Flames President & CEO Ken King "issued a statement saying Burke is not the club's spokesman on the new arena" and that the Flames are "still committed to working with the city towards a solution." Burke, on the importance of building a new arena, said, "We remain committed to a solution here in Calgary. We're optimistic we'll get one here in Calgary, but keep in mind we're playing against teams in the U.S. that have their venues built for them almost 100 percent cost and have favorable leases. It's discouraging when you hear someone from the city say that we have zero economic impact. We think it's hundreds of millions of dollars." Ferguson notes city administrators last year concluded the Flames' CalgaryNEXT pitch was "not feasible," and could cost as much as C$1.8B, with taxpayers "having to pay up to two-thirds of the tab." The Flames have been "discussing with the city the so-called Plan B proposal to build a new arena in Victoria Park, just north of the Saddledome" (CALGARY HERALD, 6/8).
GLOVES COMING OFF: Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said, "It's the script. We've seen this movie before. The point is we need a different ending here in Calgary." In Calgary, Rick Bell notes Nenshi also has a "critical word or two about the arena talks between the city and the Flames." Nenshi said, "Negotiations require negotiating. It doesn't require saying the same thing over and over and over again." He added, "I do know if people want to get these negotiations moving forward we've got to be able to negotiate." More Nenshi: "I could say: Really, is Rogers, who is giving you all that money, going to be happy about you taking a team out of Western Canada?" He added of a possible move to Quebec City, "Do you think [Quebecor Media President & CEO] Pierre Karl Peladeau is going to give you a better deal than the city of Calgary?" (CALGARY SUN, 6/8).
