What if the Flames cannot play in Calgary for 2013-14?

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by saskflames69

Don't worry Calgary. If the Flames end up coming to Saskatoon, we'll take good care of them.

Seeing how crazy Rider fans are i'd rather them play in the Corral.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by CMPunk

The problem would be the season ticket holders here would be pissed and want their money back for next season. Then you're on the hook for finding season ticket holders in Saskatoon. I doubt a team like the Flames wants to rely just on walk ups every game.

Discount season tickets next year and refunds for the game missed in CGY.

Wouldn't need to sell season tickets in Saskatoon unless they knew for a fact they were going to miss all of the season. And I can honestly say that would not be an issue there. That place will sell out every game played by an NHL team short term. Couldn't hold an NHL team full time year in and Year out. But a season for them would be the bees knees.

If King is right and Insurance will cover the repairs then the Flames will need to maximize tickets sales, and there only one place outside of EDM and CGY for that, Saskatoon. Not trying to start an argument or anything.

[CMPunk]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Discount season tickets next year and refunds for the game missed in CGY.

Wouldn't need to sell season tickets in Saskatoon unless they knew for a fact they were going to miss all of the season. And I can honestly say that would not be an issue there. That place will sell out every game played by an NHL team short term. Couldn't hold an NHL team full time year in and Year out. But a season for them would be the bees knees.

If King is right and Insurance will cover the repairs then the Flames will need to maximize tickets sales, and there only one place outside of EDM and CGY for that, Saskatoon. Not trying to start an argument or anything.

Oh I'm not arguing, just don't think it's a viable option, other then the size of the rink. Pro teams don't like giving discount anything, and depending if it's the whole season, or a part season, I don't think many people in Calgary are going to fork out money for games they don't see.

If you're going to maximize ticket sales, would that mean in the smaller rink they'd be charging more then Saddledome prices?

[saskflames69]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

Seeing how crazy Rider fans are i'd rather them play in the Corral.

Two entirely different sports and if the city got behind them, the CUC would be LOUD.

[kyuss275]

For selfish reasons, my vote is for Victoria BC. Send the Royals to Bear mountain for the season and i get to watch the flames play at Save on Foods for a full season.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

For selfish reasons, my vote is for Victoria BC. Send the Royals to Bear mountain for the season and i get to watch the flames play at Save on Foods for a full season.

I would love that as well. Smack dab right in the middle of Canuck country. Used to live like five blocks from there on Graham.

[Brewmaster]

I've played enough beer league games in the Corral over the past two years to say that it's not a viable option. The place is run down and has some of the worst ice of any Calgary arena. I don't think they've spent a dollar on that place in the last 20 years. The best option in Calgary would be Winsport at COP but it only holds 2500.

[T@T]

People this is moot, were talking cleanup,seats,boards and possible big repairs to the ice maker. despite what people say even the superdome could have been repaired enough for play in 3 months but by then more than half the season was gone so they decided on a full renovation instead of just repairs.

And it's BS it took 2 years, the Saints played the next season at the superdome.

[Julio]

Brewmaster is wrong in that money has been put into the Corral the last few years, but he is absolutely correct in that it is in no way suitable for NHL hockey. When the Hitmen started in 1995, the then ownership wanted to play in the Corral for at least some of it's games, but the Stampede didn't want to put in the hundreds of thousands of dollars needed THEN just to get it up to WHL standards.

If the Dome isn't ready in September, do training camp at the Corral, or COP, farm out home exhibition games to Red Deer, Lethbridge, even Saskatoon, and start on the road if need be. When the Dome was renovated the Flames played their first 7 games on the road. Regular season home games on a neutral site would be a very desperate measure that should be taken only as a last resort.

[korzym12]

This won't be an issue.

But if the Flames have concerns - maybe the NHL sends them to Europe to open the season? Even though we can't showcase any superstars..

[saskflames69]

In all likelyhood, they'll just put the team on the road for the first month or so. It shouldn't take too long to repair the damage at the Saddledome. But the Flames playing regular season games in Saskatoon would be a dream come true.

[LiquidX]

I would think that with that much water, the ground and support structures would be a huge concern. It's not like the water just sits on top of the earth and all recedes back from whence it came. It's gonna soak in, and the whole place could be swampy for a month or more - this is saying nothing about the building itself and whatever damage thousands of tons of water have done to it (think rot, mold, etc). Then there will the shoveling of mud and garbage out, the dismantling of 1/3rd of the dome and likely completely replacing most if not all of the electronics that were mentioned in the article - which may include completely re-wiring portions of the building and replacing/configuring anything that may have shorted out.

I'm sure all the ice creation/maintenance hardware is pooched too with that much dirty water drowning it.

I'm sure there will be hundreds of people working on the cleanup but odds are it will be a very time consuming re-furbishing.

Though it is completely unfair to local fans, I would actually like to see the flames play in an nhl-ready city like quebec or hamilton, etc for the year. Strengthen the fan base across the country as well as provide the NHL with contemporary data as to whether or not such a city could support a team. In return, the NHL could pay a portion of the lease on a temporary building, ensuring ownership does not lose gate money. Flames are not going to be pretty next year anyways, but I'm sure ownership would prefer to keep the team close by if at all possible so as not to disturb season ticket holders (though I suppose there will have to be some reimbursement in this regard anyways).

[FlamesFanStrandedInEDM]

My guess is
-Zero pre-season games in Calgary....Realistically they could hold their training camp anywhere.
- Indefinite road trip to start the season. Maybe have two deadlines for it to be ready to assist the NHL with scheduling
-Tour around smaller towns that are still in "Flames(NHL) friendly territory" (Red Deer, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Saskatoon, Regina, etc)
-Or worst case scenario, have a New Orleans Saints like schedule. All road games.

[CaptainCrunch]

I think the players and the association would have a lot of trouble with the concept of a tour team.

The players would want a regular home base for the season to place their families.

I would think the players would hate the idea of barn storming for home games.

I would also expect that the NHL would requier a go or no go by the end of July so they can build a schedule.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by korzym12

This won't be an issue.

But if the Flames have concerns - maybe the NHL sends them to Europe to open the season? Even though we can't showcase any superstars..

Interesting thought.

We may not have the "superstars" but how would Switzerland react to the Flames (with Berra & Baertschi) hosting 2 games against the Ducks (with Sbisa & Hiller) in the arena of HC Bern (Capacity of 17,131)?

I should stop here, but I won't haha.

The Flames could also hold training camp in Switzerland and have exhibition matches against various NLA and NLB clubs.

• Hartley returns to Zurich so his new club faces the team he led to the NLA title in 2012.
• Fan favourite Berra returns to play against HC Biel.
• Baertschi returns home to play SC Langenthal.
• Play against NLA champs HC Bern and NLB champs Lausanne HC (who were promoted to NLA this year).
• Play HC Davos and former prospect Tim Ramholt.
• Play HC Lugano and the man with the greatest name in Flames history, Hnat Domenichelli (if healthy)
• and most importantly.... Play Rico Fata's EHC Biel!

[Northendzone]

Based on the projected performance of the team, perhaps having them out of town for a year might not be a bad thing.

Hard to imagine them being back in the dome before January.

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

Based on the projected performance of the team, perhaps having them out of town for a year might not be a bad thing.

Hard to imagine them being back in the dome before January.

If they can do the Stampede events less than 2 weeks from now, they can do the NHL 14 weeks from now.

[Bertuzzied]

Shouldn't we change the team name from the Flames to the Calgary Floods?

[Nehkara]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

Shouldn't we change the team name from the Flames to the Calgary Floods?

No.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by getbak

Open up the old barn.

bad ice