Calgary Flames play final season at Saddledome before moving to Scotia Place

The Saddledome's last chapter is underway. The Calgary Flames play their final season in the 44-year-old arena this year, with 42 regular-season home games scheduled before the building is demolished.

If the Flames don't make the playoffs, their last game at the Dome will be April 10. The building will eventually be replaced by Scotia Place, located nearby, with the team expected to move next fall.

The arena held a media tour Tuesday showcasing the inner workings that have hosted not just hockey but concerts, lacrosse, and other events. The main user groups—the Flames, Wranglers, Hitmen, and Roughnecks—have all played at the iconic venue.

Staff have added a farewell badge at centre ice and embedded the names of season ticket members into the ice as a tribute. Steve Edgar, marketing director for the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Group, the parent company of the Flames, said the farewell touches reflect what the building means to the city. "This building means so much to Calgarians and that feeling we all get when we come in here to enjoy a hockey game, a concert or a lacrosse game. We're excited to bring that feeling" to the new venue, Edgar said.

Susan Darrington, CSEC chief venues and entertainment officer, called the transition bittersweet. "This is more than a job. We call this our home and we're moving to our new house," she said. Still, Darrington added: "One of the things I think we're most proud of is that this building has been loved and cared for and after 44 years, we still provide a wonderful game-day experience."

The building's age presents operational challenges. Richard Gurney, engineering manager, explained that humidity control is difficult—fans generate body heat that affects ice temperature. "We can't really control our humidity very well, but we just take the inside air and we circulate it and we keep dropping the temperature down, knocking the humidity out of the air," Gurney said. The iconic catwalk, which creaks underfoot, and the goal horn, which uses compressed air, are among the distinctive features that won't transfer to Scotia Place.