Scotiabank Saddledome - Calgary Flames
- Jim Flannery
- Nov 22
- 8 min read
Updated: 7 days ago
Photos by Jim Flannery, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
Scotiabank Saddledome 555 Saddledome Rise SE Calgary, AB T2G 2W1
Year Opened: 1983
Capacity: 19,289
Flaming Saddles
The Olympic Saddledome opened in 1983, constructed in anticipation of the 1988 Winter Olympics, and has been the home of the Calgary Flames ever since. Over the years, the Saddledome has seen a few renovations, increased seating capacity, and a couple of name changes; it is now known as the Scotiabank Saddledome.
At over 40 years of age, the Saddledome is now the third-oldest NHL arena and is looking dated, especially in comparison to Rogers Place, the new home of the Edmonton Oilers.
However, a new arena is now under construction just north of the Saddledome. It is slated to open in 2027, so the clock is officially ticking on when the Saddledome will close its doors, with Scotia Place taking over as the home of the Flames, as well as the WHL’s Hitmen, the NLL’s Roughnecks, and the AHL's Wranglers.
Food & Beverage 4
There is a good variety of choices around the Scotiabank Saddledome for Flames games.
The main concession stands, each named for the section in front of which they are situated, have all the garden variety options we expect at an arena. Hot dogs ($7.50), nachos ($11.50), and pop ($6.50) can all be found in these locations. You’ll also typically be able to buy Original 16 on tap ($11.75); at many spots there are a couple more specialty beer choices as well.
There are also numerous specialty stands throughout the concourse. The Dog House serves, you guessed it, gourmet hot dogs. Madame Tiger has some interesting Indian options, including Vegan dishes.
For a special treat, head to the mezzanine level and go to Shorty’s for a Shorty’s Sandwich, which is a mountain of braised beef short rib on a ciabatta bun, smothered in French fries, onions, chimichurri, and red wine demi-glace. At $35, it’s not cheap, but it’s probably big enough for two people and absolutely delicious.
Many specialty stops for adult beverages are located around the concourse as well, so if beer isn’t your thing, you still have plenty of places to find something else.
If you’re looking for something healthy, Jugo Juice is the place to go on the east side of the concourse.
You’ll also find Pizza 73 among the other franchise locations.
Beyond all that, there are several bars and restaurants around the Saddledome. The Ultra Club Lounge, Molson Hockey House, the Saddledome Restaurant, the Sportsnet Platinum Club, the Alumni Lounge, and the Telus Club Restaurant are all situated within the building, providing fans with a number of different dining options and experiences.
Atmosphere 3
The Calgary Flames have been inconsistent for much of the 21st Century. As a result, the sellout crowds the Flames used to consistently get have been shrinking (according to The Hockey Fanatic, they only managed 91.53 percent attendance in the 2024-2025 season, the sixth-worst in the NHL), so the energy that used to be in the stands has come down from years past, although this is showing signs of improvement.
Calgary sports fans are traditionally pretty docile, but they’ve become more comfortable with cheering and booing where appropriate over the years, so the place generally has a pretty fun, exciting feel to it on most nights, even during nights when the hometown squad is struggling. Still, with the smaller crowds, it’s just not quite the same as previous years.
The single worst thing about the atmosphere in the ‘Dome is the crush of people in the concourse. Before the game, during intermissions, and after the game, the crowds are thick, making it difficult to get anywhere. The new arena will, no doubt, address this issue.
Neighborhood 3
The annual Calgary Stampede has been going on for more than a century now. It is held on a large plot of land just southeast of Calgary’s downtown core. The Scotiabank Saddledome is located on the northeast corner of the Stampede Grounds.
The immediate vicinity to the north, known as Victoria Park, doesn’t have the best reputation in town. However, there has been a substantial amount of gentrification in the area in the last few years and things are starting to perk up, with huge condo complexes being built to the immediate north of the Stampede Grounds. The same thing has also been happening to the west of the grounds. And some of those complexes have a restaurant or bar on the ground floor.
If the community continues to gentrify at its current rate, the neighborhood score could improve in pretty short order.
On the north west corner of the Stampede Grounds, you’ll find Cowboys Casino, which contains several restaurants, including Melrose Café, Centre Bar, and Hitman’s Bar. The pre-game festivities at the Cowboys come highly recommended.
Next door to Cowboys Casino is Cardinale, an upscale Italian restaurant, if you’re looking for some fine dining before a game.
Heading west from the Stampede Grounds along 17th Ave, you’ll find many good options. For example, Model Milk, at 308 17th Ave, is another upscale restaurant sourcing their ingredients locally, as much as possible. Or you can try PinBar, at 501 17th Ave, for a place that is open late, serves all manner of burgers and other pub grub, and also has a selection of pinball machines.
Heading east into the Inglewood area, you can check out The Hose and Hound Pub, located in an old fire station, or the Nash, located at 925 11 St. SE, in the historic National Hotel.
Fans 4
Calgary Flames fans have historically been a dedicated bunch who show up and cheer their team whether they’re winning or not. But empty seats have become more commonplace during recent seasons. Maybe the excitement of a new arena will bring some of them back.
The fans who are there are clearly engaged and having fun, but there are now empty seats between them.
As with a few NHL venues, there typically are several fans of the opposing team (whoever that might be on any given night) proudly showing up in their team’s colours and cheering their faces off. But most of the people in the arena are dressed in Flames gear. Overall, that makes for a fair bit of engagement in the game and good fan noise.
Access 3
Calgary has some of the most expensive parking rates in North America. Parking on the grounds will cost you $18 and, depending on what other events are going on around the area, might fill up quickly. The new arena is being built on what used to be part of that parking space, so that makes things that much tighter.
There are some choices off-site for slightly less expensive parking. A few residents rent out yard space for parking, and there is some metered street parking in the vicinity for people willing to do a little walking.
The good news is that being centrally located means the Saddledome is fairly easy to get to from all directions. The bad news is that getting away after the game can be frustratingly slow at times, although the city has done a better job of moving traffic away from the ‘Dome in recent years.
Another option is taking Calgary’s Light Rail Transit system to the game. The “C-Train” has two stops on the west side of the Stampede Grounds, one to the south and one on the north end, which is basically a straight walk east from the station to the Saddledome.
The LRT tracks cover a significant amount of the city, running north and south, and the West Leg has made traveling east-to-west much better as well. So it can be a more convenient option for fans not wanting the hassle of driving downtown, although the trains can get very crowded after events.
An adult fare for Calgary Transit is $3.80, a youth fare $2.55.
Once inside the Scotiabank Saddledome, you’ll find yourself dealing with what is typically the single biggest complaint about the building: the concourse is very small by modern standards, making getting around a challenge, to put it mildly. Between periods and after the game, the halls are jam-packed with people, particularly at the ends of the rink.
Lineups for the washrooms can be insanely long, backing way out into the concourse and making a bad situation worse. If you can avoid it, stay away from the men’s room near section 209. For some reason, this one seems to consistently have lineups out the door all game long.
The women’s washrooms aren’t much better. Fingers crossed, this is an issue the new building will address.
Return on Investment 4
The average price for a Flames ticket is in the $90 range, depending on how far away from the ice you’re willing to sit—seats in the Press Level at the very top of the building are as little as $42.48 each. To their credit, the Flames have actually lowered overall prices significantly over the last few seasons, making this is much more affordable option for regular folks than in other locations, such as Edmonton.
This is a hockey-first market where fans eat, sleep, and breathe the Flames and will fork out big bucks to pay for the privilege of attending a game. But compared to the rest of the NHL, this is actually not an outrageous price to pay.
Extras 4
There are several added extras when you come to see the Scotiabank Saddledome.
The walls of the building are lined with memorabilia, photos, and trophies commemorating great teams and events from years past in the Calgary area. Wherever there is a space that doesn’t have a concession stand in it, you can find a display, assuming you can get to them through the crowds.
Among those displays is an exhibit remembering the 1988 Winter Olympics, a wall dedicated to Calgary’s hockey heritage, plaques for the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame, and so forth.
You’ll also find several locations of Flames Fan Attic for all your souvenir needs. The main location is just outside the main entrance on the west side, with a similarly sized location in the building on the east concourse and several smaller kiosks set up all around the building.
Harvey the Hound keeps the kids amused in the stands during the game with his antics.
Looking up into the south rafters, you’ll see the large row of banners earned by the Flames in their time in the NHL. If you’re seated in the upper bowl on the south end, you get a great, up-close look at those banners.
The music played during stoppages in the action on the ice is a nice combination of current hits, classic rock, some country, and some good ol’ fashioned stadium organ music, which adds some nice flavour to the ‘Dome’s atmosphere.
All the usual giveaways and contests that you might expect at a pro hockey game are mixed into the program during stoppages in the action.
One other nice touch, which is always good to see, is that there are recycling bins located throughout the concourse so environmentally conscious fans can ensure their garbage doesn’t just wind up in a landfill.
Final Thoughts
Action at the Scotiabank Saddledome has created some fantastic memories over the years. Whether it was seeing the Flames pull off the dramatic overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks in Game Seven of the first round of the 1989 playoffs or the run to the Stanley Cup finals in 2004, tens of thousands of fans have had amazing experiences in this location. Although this arena’s days are numbered, going to the Saddledome to take in a Flames game is still always a good time.
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