Bettman said the Saddledome is the oldest building in the league and there’s no prospect of it being replacedTwitter
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman on Friday "painted a bleak picture of the Flames' financial future if it continues to operate out of the NHL's oldest building" -- Scotiabank Saddledome, according to Darren Haynes of the CP. Bettman noted team's financial situation "continues to deteriorate." Bettman: "Have you been up the road to Edmonton? Do you see a difference between the two buildings?" Bettman added that Calgary concert-goers are "losing out too." Bettman: "I was told (Thursday) that there were 27 acts, some of them multiple days, that have played in Edmonton since the building opened that haven't played here." Bettman said of the Flames, "They used to write a cheque for revenue sharing. For the last couple years, they have been receiving cheques. The cheques are getting bigger." Haynes wrote neither the city nor the team is "talking" about the situation. Bettman: "Everything I've heard, (Calgary's ownership group) sees no reason to have any discussion" (CP, 3/2). Bettman: "There's nothing going on. That's been the case since the summer and I don't foresee any change." In Calgary, Kristen Anderson noted the "mere topic of the arena debate and absence of news" nearly left Bettman at a "loss for words" (CALGARY HERALD, 3/3). Also in Calgary, Eric Francis noted Bettman has "no say in the rink debacle." Bettman: "They are no longer pursuing a new arena or a new development because they don’t see any prospect of that happening on any terms that make any sense. There’s nothing else I can tell you. This building is the oldest in the league and there’s no prospect of it being replaced. So, I don’t know. I’m not in the business of constructing buildings.” Francis wrote the team is "competitive and drawing well, but that won't last forever." Francis: "Neither will this franchise in Calgary unless the Dome is replaced" (CALGARY SUN, 3/3).
