Calgary Hitmen
Rink: Scotiabank Saddledome
Capacity: 19,289
Built: 1983
League: WHL
City: Calgary, Alberta
Home Of: Calgary Hitmen
Games Attended: 1
Only WHL Game: February 5, 2023 vs Moose Jaw
Unique Arena: #64
WHL Arena: #11
I don’t think I will have many better exterior arena shots than this one I got of the Saddledome in Calgary. As you can plainly see, the obviously-named Saddledome sits right in the middle of Calgary and has plenty of parking around, but be prepared to pay. We paid $15 but saw other lots advertising $10. The aluminum siding screams 1980s, but the shape of the building is the selling point here. The highest points of the building are along the sides of the ice, with the ends being at the lower point.
Let’s get it out of the way, this is an NHL building with a WHL team playing in it. It’s hard to judge this as a junior building when it’s clearly not. However, the Hitmen have always had amazing crowds by junior standards. The game I attended was the third of the week for the Hitmen, so a modest crowd of 4,800 is what you see in the photos in this review. The good news is for some reason it didn’t feel that cavernous during the game. Don’t get me wrong, you could tell the building wasn’t anywhere close to capacity, but despite the empty upper bowl being so large it just didn’t feel as empty and open as some games I’ve attended in Hamilton or Quebec City, who also play in buildings that are much too large for junior.
The lower bowl in Calgary has to be the smallest in the NHL, and even by junior standards it isn’t even that big save for the one larger end you see here. There is actually a third level up beyond the lights, which is hard to see in this photo, but trust me it’s there and it goes up forever. You would never sit up there for a Hitmen game anyway (other than their famous teddy bear toss) but you’d rather not sit there if you ever go to a Flames game either. The club seats (the greens) are interestingly in a J shape in the lower bowl and are nice enough. Seats in Calgary are fairly comfortable, but not as comfy as you might expect for an NHL lower bowl. The entire lower bowl is retractable seating, so best not to drop your phone. Also, it gives a chance for the crowd to use their feet to make a lot more noise.
It was a shame the upper bowl for the Hitmen game I attended wasn’t open, as the lower bowl being so small makes the bottom of the upper bowl very close to the action. I had the chance to sit in the first row of the upper bowl post-game, and it is a fantastic view.
As awesome as it is (mostly for being different), the Saddledome isn’t long for this world. Just down the street sits a large hole in the ground that will soon rise up and become the new home of the Flames, Wranglers and Hitmen. The new arena is slated to be open by the fall of 2027. The bad news for the Hitmen is they are now the third hockey team to share this building and their future home with the AHL Wranglers now in town. The Hitmen have been a model CHL franchise both on and off the ice, and I really hope the cost-cutting measure of having an AHL team now in town isn’t the ultimate downfall to this franchise and their great fanbase.
The Saddledome isn’t exactly a junior barn, but the Hitmen have made it a great home for nearly 30 years now.
