Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3

[WhipperSnapper]

The nearby community arena has hosted some alumni games. The last I went to was freezing but still fun.

The first period is pretty lackadaisical but, that competitive edge is out in full force by the 3rd period.

[Djeffery]

Not sure I would want to sit on a metal bench, but it looks like they pulled that temporary bleacher in from where it otherwise would be if they had set them up for the Grey Cup and the CMNT soccer game. When they had the Centennial Classic at BMO, they had the temporary seats there for the MLS Cup and Grey Cup and would have been quite a bit further away than what this looks like. I don't personally have a problem with these games. It's an event, and priced as such. Every team wants to host them because their fans want to attend one.

[Harrison]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

City Council in Calgary met regarding the events centre yesterday and struck up a new task force. We'll see what happens.

Let's see if they can get Edwards back on board...

[megadude]

Originally Posted by megadude

I also went to the AHL game in 2012. It was indeed glorious outside in the afternoon. I stayed for half of it just to take in the experience. Paid $5 to someone outside with a bunch of extra tickets. Definitely would not even consider full price. My coworker (bro is TSN president)had three extra tix for leafs wings at BMO and I passed because I went to the alumni game the day before and too cold at night. So yeah, just wanted to check out the unique set up but had no interest in watching hockey like that.

Some pics I took at these two games. Really cool visuals that I'd pay to see, but not much. Wasn't there for the hockey, just for the scene. They are cool events regardless, but not something I'd pay top dollar for, even if it was a comfortable 15 degrees out.

At Ivor Wynne, that was the first flyover I've ever seen in Canada.

[JHikka]

Game looked visually good from what i've seen in pictures and videos. Decently solid outdoor game, easy sellout, etc.

[JHikka]

Tangentially-related to Canada: The Bills will potentially receive up to $1B in public funds from both Erie County and the State of New York for a new $1.4B stadium in that city. The Bills' billionaire owner Terry Pegula threatened to move the team if they did not receive public funds for a new stadium, and that seems to have been successful. Would be the most public money ever committed to a stadium in the US.

The Bills' lease at their current stadium ends in 2023. New stadium is projected to open for 2027 with 60,000 seats - a 12,000 seat reduction from their current stadium.

[esquire]

The Buffalo Bills arrangement seems absurd on its face, but I guess a situation like that is going to be favourable to an owner looking to squeeze residents. You have a somewhat old existing venue which makes it easy to rationalize a new one, and the market is a fairly small one that derives a significant part of its civic identity from that team.

As far as the Heritage Classic goes, I caught the tail end of the game and it looked like a pretty standard NHL outdoor game. The NHL has it down to a formula by this point, the stadiums may change but the "look" is always the same. It looked fairly overcast and cold, more so than I would have expected in Southern Ontario for mid-March.

I wonder if there are any more new locations left for outdoor games in Canada? Montreal hasn't hosted one yet but they don't really have the venue for it.

[Coldrsx]

Looked good on TV for an outdoor/stadium game.

[thurmas]

Buffalo is apparently days away from announcing a new 1.4 billion new 60,000 seat stadium for the bills next door to Ralph Wilson stadium. NY state will apparently pay 1 billion of the 1.4 billion cost. It will be the largest state giveaway to a pro sports team for stadium funding in history.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by esquire

I wonder if there are any more new locations left for outdoor games in Canada? Montreal hasn't hosted one yet but they don't really have the venue for it.

Montreal/Boston in Moncton/Halifax.

Most locations have already been used. Most major stadiums that can host have already hosted. I know there were rumours of them doing an outdoor game in Banff/Lake Louise(?) similar to what they did at Lake Tahoe which would be pretty great IMO.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by JHikka

Montreal/Boston in Moncton/Halifax.

Most locations have already been used. Most major stadiums that can host have already hosted. I know there were rumours of them doing an outdoor game in Banff/Lake Louise(?) similar to what they did at Lake Tahoe which would be pretty great IMO.

Yeah, I was thinking that a Canadian take on the Tahoe game might be the next logical step, short of revisiting some locations used in the past... it's been a while since Edmonton has hosted, for instance. But yes, Lake Louise would make a spectacular backdrop for a Heritage Classic! I wonder if there are any similarly picturesque locations in Quebec or the Maritimes that would work and allow the NHL to get around the issue of not really having an appropriate stadium in those regions to hold that event in?

[Acajack]

I know some of the reasons why but still odd that Montreal has never hosted an outdoor NHL game given that it's arguably the city most closely associated with hockey in the world, and it has the perfect climate for it.

[Coldrsx]

Originally Posted by esquire

Yeah, I was thinking that a Canadian take on the Tahoe game might be the next logical step, short of revisiting some locations used in the past... it's been a while since Edmonton has hosted, for instance. But yes, Lake Louise would make a spectacular backdrop for a Heritage Classic! I wonder if there are any similarly picturesque locations in Quebec or the Maritimes that would work and allow the NHL to get around the issue of not really having an appropriate stadium in those regions to hold that event in?

The NHL had plans for a Battle of Alberta at Lake Louise, but Parks Canada nixed it for a variety of reasons including onsite advertising/promotion contravention.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

The NHL had plans for a Battle of Alberta at Lake Louise, but Parks Canada nixed it for a variety of reasons including onsite advertising/promotion contravention.

Silly bureaucratic dogmatism...........

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I know some of the reasons why but still odd that Montreal has never hosted an outdoor NHL game given that it's arguably the city most closely associated with hockey in the world, and it has the perfect climate for it.

I guess it's just an issue of where to play. The teams see this game as a cash cow which allows them to pack in more fans than usual at a higher price point than usual. But that logic doesn't work in Montreal. Bell Centre is huge, to the point where it has more seats than Saputo Stadium and only marginally fewer than Molson Stadium which is old and would probably be a massive headache for an event like this. I guess that leaves Olympic Stadium, but is it capable of handling a winter event now? Vancouver did host a Heritage Classic at BC Place once, so I guess there is ample precedent for an indoor "outdoor game"

Beyond that I don't know where you'd go in Quebec other than doing a Lake Tahoe-style game on a scenic lake thing.

Originally Posted by Coldrsx

The NHL had plans for a Battle of Alberta at Lake Louise, but Parks Canada nixed it for a variety of reasons including onsite advertising/promotion contravention.

Too bad, that would have been spectacular. But I can't fault Parks Canada for being protective of the park.

[Coldrsx]

It's their mandate, but you think something could have been worked out that would be acceptable to both parties.

[megadude]

Originally Posted by esquire

The Buffalo Bills arrangement seems absurd on its face, but I guess a situation like that is going to be favourable to an owner looking to squeeze residents. You have a somewhat old existing venue which makes it easy to rationalize a new one, and the market is a fairly small one that derives a significant part of its civic identity from that team.

As far as the Heritage Classic goes, I caught the tail end of the game and it looked like a pretty standard NHL outdoor game. The NHL has it down to a formula by this point, the stadiums may change but the "look" is always the same. It looked fairly overcast and cold, more so than I would have expected in Southern Ontario for mid-March.

I wonder if there are any more new locations left for outdoor games in Canada? Montreal hasn't hosted one yet but they don't really have the venue for it.

This is related to my recent posts in the weather thread. The day before was half decent. Today and the forseeable future is decent, nice or great. Of course, on the day of the game it was garbage weather. It was cold, grey and kind of blustery. All three Leafs outdoor games were not in decent weather.

Like another special event around here, the NBA All Star game, it was the coldest weekend in like two decades or something.

Toronto has hosted the MLS Cup three times. First as a neutral venue then two for the home team. I can't recall the weather for those. Though I think the second or third wasn't too bad for December. First one was in the last half of November.

It just feels like for special winter time events we kind of get shitty weather. Though the first outdoor game was at Ann Arbor, MI.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by esquire

I guess it's just an issue of where to play. The teams see this game as a cash cow which allows them to pack in more fans than usual at a higher price point than usual. But that logic doesn't work in Montreal. Bell Centre is huge, to the point where it has more seats than Saputo Stadium and only marginally fewer than Molson Stadium which is old and would probably be a massive headache for an event like this. I guess that leaves Olympic Stadium, but is it capable of handling a winter event now? Vancouver did host a Heritage Classic at BC Place once, so I guess there is ample precedent for an indoor "outdoor game"

Beyond that I don't know where you'd go in Quebec other than doing a Lake Tahoe-style game on a scenic lake thing.



Too bad, that would have been spectacular. But I can't fault Parks Canada for being protective of the park.

Have to say the feds were also kinda sticks in the mud when one of the early options for an outdoor game in Ottawa was Parliament Hill.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by megadude

Toronto has hosted the MLS Cup three times. First as a neutral venue then two for the home team. I can't recall the weather for those. Though I think the second or third wasn't too bad for December. First one was in the last half of November.

MLS Cup 2010, November 21, 2010, Cloudy, 7C
MLS Cup 2016, December 10, 2016, Clear, -5C
MLS Cup 2017, December 9, 2017, Cloudy, 1C

Originally Posted by Acajack

Have to say the feds were also kinda sticks in the mud when one of the early options for an outdoor game in Ottawa was Parliament Hill.

There were logistical issues with this beyond the Feds, IIRC.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Have to say the feds were also kinda sticks in the mud when one of the early options for an outdoor game in Ottawa was Parliament Hill.

On a similar note, I guess an outdoor game in Quebec City in a spot with a scenic backdrop with the National Assembly, Chateau Frontenanc, etc. in the background could be pretty show-stopping. But the host team (most likely Montreal?) would lose out on a pretty hefty gate. I guess you could set up some temporary seats but it would still probably come nowhere near the receipts of a standard Habs home game.

The KHL did something like that in Red Square for its All-Star Game a few years back...