Calgary Flames fans heading down to the Saddledome will be able to enjoy games with a new and improved jumbotron next season.
After years of lagging with a smaller-than-usual scoreboard, the team finally jumped to a larger scoreboard that is more on par with what other teams in the NHL use.
The Flames announced the scoreboard change back in June, saying that the new jumbotron will be 3.75 times bigger than the previous. That’s a difference from 576 square feet on the old scoreboard to a whopping 2,160 on the new one.
The old scoreboard was taken down last month with preparations on building the new one getting underway, something that appears to be mostly done now.
While we had renderings of what the new jumbotron would look like, we finally got a look at the real deal with photos from City News Calgary reporter Jayden Wasney.
Got a chance to see the Dome’s new scoreboard the other day. I have yet to receive confirmation if this new beast will feature the iconic flame shooters that have fueled the fan base every time the Flames score or hit the ice for years, but fans I’ve talked to are all hoping 🤞🏼 pic.twitter.com/TQ6MJjYFWT
— Jayden Wasney (@JayWasney) August 23, 2024
Lots of Flames fans have been happy to hear about the upgrade but have been worried that the new scoreboard will lack one iconic feature of the old one: flames shooting out from it every time Calgary scores a goal.
That was one of the most unique features of the Saddledome across the entire league and it would be a shame if it was removed with the new jumbotron coming in. Wasney added in his post that he did not receive any confirmation that Calgary will keep that flame shooting tradition alive heading into the 2024-25 season.
This is just the beginning of what will become an exciting next couple of years for Flames fans. While the on-ice product is in a bit of a transition phase at the moment, construction has begun on a brand-new $926 million 18,000-seat arena called “Scotia Place” just two blocks north of the Saddledome that is set to open in time for the 2027-28 NHL season.
Hopefully, the Flames will be able to give the iconic Saddledome a proper send-off before the move.