Calgary’s new Scotia Place is starting to wear its future on the outside.
As construction continues on the 18,400-seat arena, fresh advertising has gone up around the site, giving the project a more finished feel even though the building won’t open until the start of the 2027-28 season. FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike recently posted photos showing new exterior messaging that leans hard into the idea that the finish line is coming into view.
“We’re in the middle of a line change. Home ice coming soon,” one of the advertisements read.
The new marketing push matches the mood around the project. After breaking ground more than two years ago, the arena has moved ahead smoothly through the summer and is beginning to look like a real NHL home rather than just a construction site. Earlier this year, commissioner Gary Bettman called it a “first-class, state-of-the-art” building.
The price tag is substantial. The arena itself is expected to cost $800 million, while the new community rink adds another $52.8 million. By the time everything is finished, the total is projected at $926.4 million.
Funding is being split among several groups. The City of Calgary is set to provide $515.3 million, Calgary Sports and Entertainment will contribute $356 million, and the Province of Alberta is adding $55.1 million for the new rink.
All of that points toward a major transition for Calgary hockey and lacrosse. The Flames, the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, and the NLL’s Calgary Roughnecks will all play their final season at the Saddledome this year before moving into Scotia Place.
To mark that farewell, the Flames unveiled a commemorative logo for the Dome’s final season. It will appear on the team’s jerseys and serve as the centre-ice logo this upcoming season.
The final NHL regular season game scheduled at the Saddledome is April 10 against the Vancouver Canucks.
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