The Scotiabank Saddledome has anchored Calgary’s Stampede Park since opening on October 15, 1983, built to replace the aging Stampede Corral and to serve as the centerpiece venue for the 1988 Winter Olympics. Its distinctive reverse hyperbolic paraboloid roof, evoking a cowboy’s saddle in a nod to the city’s rodeo heritage, gave the building both its nickname and its lasting architectural fame.
Home to the Calgary Flames since it opened, the arena has also hosted the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen, the NLL’s Calgary Roughnecks, the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, and the CEBL’s Calgary Surge over the decades. Now among the oldest buildings in the NHL, it is slated to be replaced by the new Scotia Place arena for the 2027-28 season.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Calgary Flames (NHL), Calgary Hitmen (WHL), Calgary Wranglers (AHL)
- Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Opened: October 15, 1983
- Capacity: 19,289 (current)
- Original Capacity: 16,605 (expanded to 20,240 for 1988 Olympics)
- Notable Fact: Roof once held the world record for longest-spanning hyperbolic paraboloid concrete shell
A Roof Built Like a Saddle
Designed by Graham McCourt Architects and completed for roughly C$97.7 million, the Saddledome’s signature feature is its curved concrete roof, engineered as a reverse hyperbolic paraboloid. The shape lets the arena offer pillar-free sightlines from every seat while reducing the building’s interior volume by about a third compared to conventional arena designs, a feat that once made it the world record holder for the longest-spanning shell of its kind.
The design wasn’t just structural showmanship. It gave Calgary an unmistakable visual landmark that was splashed across the cover of Time magazine in September 1987 ahead of the 1988 Winter Olympics, where the building hosted Olympic ice hockey and figure skating.
Decades of Hockey and a Flood to Remember
Beyond the Olympics, the Saddledome has hosted three Stanley Cup Finals featuring the Flames (1986, 1989, and 2004), the 1985 NHL All-Star Game, the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, and the 2006 World Figure Skating Championships. A 1994-95 renovation added luxury suites and club seating, bringing capacity to its current 19,289.
In June 2013, catastrophic flooding along the Bow and Elbow Rivers sent water as high as the eighth row of seats, destroying the scoreboard and dressing rooms. Crews rebuilt the arena in time for the 2013-14 season. Now approaching its final years, the Saddledome is set to give way to the new Scotia Place, with the Flames’ last scheduled game there planned for April 10, 2027.
Explore more: Explore more legendary stadiums.
Scotiabank Saddledome FAQs
When did the Scotiabank Saddledome open?
It opened on October 15, 1983, originally as the Olympic Saddledome, ahead of hosting events at the 1988 Winter Olympics.
What is the Saddledome’s seating capacity?
It currently seats 19,289 for hockey, down from an Olympic-era expanded capacity of 20,240.
Why is it called the Saddledome?
Its roof is shaped like a reverse hyperbolic paraboloid resembling a saddle, a nod to Calgary’s cowboy and rodeo culture.
Get More from Scotiabank Saddledome
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Scotiabank Saddledome, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Photo: AceYYC / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.