A few considerations on potential economic benefits:
Is it reasonably safe to assume that Flames players (and pretty much all other Flames employees/contractors who are residents) pay their 40% income tax here in Alberta? If so, it seems like a huge portion of the dollars spent on NHL Hockey stay here.
(Maybe some of it is being taxed in other jurisdictions on road games. I'm not sure. Do we collect a tax on visiting player salaries?)
If my recreational dollars get redistributed to movies, and travelling shows coming to town, then how much more of my money leaves the jurisdiction?
I already travel to other cities like Vancouver, Toronto and Seattle (even Edmonton once?!) to see concerts that don't stop in Calgary. Usually make a weekend or long weekend out of it if the concert is on a Tuesday. Flight, Hotel (car maybe?), meals and other entertainment spent out of town. If the concert was here I would spend more money here in town.
Likewise I know there are hundreds of season ticketholders (nevermind single game ticketholders) from other towns in Alberta that either come or stay in town for NHL hockey. They have dinner and maybe spend the night and have breakfast in town.
If NHL hockey isn't here, maybe they will pass on Calgary trips and take occaisional Westjet to Vcr, Edm, Wpg, Tor (maybe Seattle or Portland?)
Lastly, if there was no NHL team here, would any businessman invest his money in an expensive building to hold concerts without an anchor tennant? Probably not. So then the city will have to build something like MTS centre for its residents?
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