Stampede Corral was a multi-purpose arena on the grounds of Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta, that opened on December 15, 1950. Built for about C$1.25 million, it was described at the time as the largest arena in Canada west of Toronto and one of the first in the region designed without support columns blocking sightlines.
Over its seven decades, the Corral served as home ice for a string of Calgary hockey clubs and even hosted the city’s first NHL team before a larger arena took over that role. The building outlived most of its original tenants, standing as a Stampede Park fixture until it was finally torn down to make room for an expansion of the adjacent BMO Centre.
- Calgary Flames played here 1980–1983. See every Flames arena →
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Opened: December 15, 1950
- Demolished: October 2020 – March 2021
- Capacity: 7,475 (with standing room)
- Teams: Calgary Stampeders (1950–72), Calgary Cowboys (WHA), Calgary Wranglers (WHL), Calgary Flames (NHL, 1980–83)
- Notable fact: Hosted 1988 Winter Olympics figure skating and hockey events
A Home for Hockey Before the Saddledome
Stampede Corral replaced the old Victoria Arena as home to the Calgary Stampeders hockey club and went on to house the Calgary Centennials, the WHA’s Calgary Cowboys, and the WHL’s Calgary Wranglers. When the Calgary Flames relocated from Atlanta in 1980, the Corral briefly became the city’s first NHL rink until the Olympic Saddledome opened nearby in 1983 and took over as the Flames’ permanent home.
Rodeo, Olympics, and a Final Curtain Call
Beyond hockey, the Corral stayed true to its Stampede Park roots, hosting rodeo events, wrestling, and tennis, and it even helped carry Olympic prestige in 1988 when it was used for figure skating and ice hockey during the Calgary Winter Olympics. By the 2010s the aging building no longer met modern code standards, and in 2016 the Calgary Stampede organization announced plans to clear the site for a $500 million expansion of the adjacent BMO Centre. Demolition ran from late 2020 into early 2021, closing the book on one of Calgary’s longest-serving arenas.
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Stampede Corral FAQs
Where was Stampede Corral located?
It stood on the grounds of Stampede Park in Calgary, Alberta, near the site of the present-day BMO Centre and Saddledome.
Is Stampede Corral still standing?
No. It was demolished between October 2020 and March 2021 to make way for an expansion of the BMO Centre.
Did an NHL team ever play at Stampede Corral?
Yes. The Calgary Flames played their home games there from 1980 until the Olympic Saddledome opened in 1983.
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Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Cszmurlo assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.