Since plans were revealed for Scotia Place back in July, we’ve heard a lot of excitement from fans regarding the upcoming new home of the Calgary Flames.

But there has also been an undercurrent of grumbling about the design. Sure, there’s some nice public-facing plazas that will feature public art. Sure, there will be multiple restaurants fronting onto the street level. And yeah, the arena amenities – both for the teams and the fans – are expected to be a big improvement over the Saddledome’s.

But fans have expressed concern about one lingering problem: while the July 2024 reveal of Scotia Place was a vast improvement over the previous arena design from 2021, it’s nowhere near as iconic as the building it’s replacing. The Saddledome was a building that looked like a freakin’ saddle! Scotia Place looks cool, but it doesn’t look like a saddle, and that made people sad.

Well, good news, friends. FlamesNation can report exclusively that a re-design of Scotia Place is underway that, when completed, will see the new, world-class facility located in a building shaped like a giant cowboy boot. Speaking to sources at HOK, the firm behind the Scotia Place design, we’re told that the revamp will add several stories of empty space to the top of the existing design. We’re told it’ll help with ventilation and temperature control within the facility, aiding in maintaining ice quality while making the building look like a boot when viewed from Scotsman’s Hill.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, City Hall sources explained the rationale behind pushing for the re-design:

Fools, indeed.

The hope is the facility will eventually be complimented by a Grand Central train terminal to the north that looks like a big cowboy hat.

Groundbreaking for Scotia Place took place back in September. The project is currently slated for competition in Q3 2027 (between July and September). The new arena, whether it’s shaped like a boot or has other architectural features, is expected to open in time for the 2027-28 NHL season.

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