Quote:
Originally Posted by YXE
I go to Western University in London, Ontario and their arena situation is what I think could really benefit Saskatoon. It has a capacity of less than the CUC in Saskatoon, however it is located in the heart of downtown and has a low ceiling which makes the building 'feel' full. The London Knights nearly sell out every single game and it creates a great atmosphere. They have a really nice park and skating rink located right near the arena and it is always being used in the winter.
I agree with others that having an NHL team in Saskatoon is an absolute pipe dream. However I would love to see us thrive with a similar downtown arena to London with the Rush, Blades, AHL etc. Market the WHL to younger families and local hockey teams while pushing the AHL to more 'hockey fans' who want to see upcoming NHL talent. The AHL is one of the best leagues in the world and most teams have many NHL-caliber talented players.
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Can't see Saskatoon downsizing any new arena. I can't think of any "major" city in North America that really downsized when building a new arena. A few hundred seats, maybe a thousand but going from 15,000+ to a London size 9,500 seat arena would be a huge mistake.
Any new arena in Saskatoon needs to be around that 15,000+ seat for long term viability.