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Originally Posted by Table 5
I don't think threatening to leave the city if they don't get free money would go over well with most Calgarians. What exactly would be the reason? Fan support here is some of the best in the league, corporate support here is abundant, and the current owners are some of the wealthiest in the NHL...what exactly would be the reason to leave?
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A cautionary tale for Flames fans is what happened to the NBA in Seattle. The Sonics were well supported and deeply cared for, had plenty of wealth in the area and corporate support, also had a past championship and a winning tradition. There was a sense of entitlement and disbelief of the threats to leave among the fanbase and elected officials.
But, leave they did under a contrived league and (carpetbagger) owner mandated demand for a new building which the State and City refused to fund.
One advantage for Calgary is the local ownership may be more inclined to think of the team in terms of stewardship of a heritage brand than as a purely economic enterprise.
Still, in the end, if ownership can't make it economically feasible with an aging arena and have a choice between another jurisdiction's subsidized modern arena versus paying one wholly by themselves, I think you know which one they'll pick.