Brian Burke Went All Brian Burke On The Calgary Chamber

((HT: CBC/The Score))

Calgary Flames President Brian Burke thinks that there's one building in the National Hockey League worse than his own at present- the Nassau Coliseum. And when you think that only a building that leaks and has rats is better than yours, you're trying to make a point.

With their Alberta neighbors in Edmonton having their own new barn being built, Burke had an opportunity to say his peace in a lunch with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce.

Some of the key conversation:

"We need a new arena in Calgary. There is absolutely no reason we should watch a new building going up in Edmonton, and we should play in a 1988 arena here.

"Lower bowls in a newer arena are nine thousand seats minimum. Ours is what, six? So we are not generating revenues like other NHL buildings are," Burke said. "The weight load that the roof will bear is tiny, so a lot of the big stage acts don’t come here. So it’s not just what a hockey team gets, what it adds to a hockey team, it’s what it does to a downtown core."

Well, okay, sure...

This video, put out by a firm called Populous earlier this year gave folks hope- only with a central logo on an ice surface and not even mentioning publicly the idea of a new arena.

Calgary Flames President Ken King denied any talks were ongoing about a new barn. The City Council has even gone public saying there's no new money for a building even if there were talks going on.

Saddledome Row 8: Where The Flood Line Is...

((HT: Calgary Flames/CBC))

Flames President and CEO Ken King held a press conference today to discuss the status of the submerged lower-half of the Saddledome. He also says that the building will be ready in nine days for Calgary Stampede activities.

Here's one of the photos released from the inside...

"We had a recovery action plan put in place immediately," King explained. "Our executive group met this morning and went through a number of tasks as you can expect, including everything from dealing with our staff communication, to shareholder communication, stakeholder communication and what we are going to do to recover this building as quick as possible.

"We have equipment, the biggest water pumps in North America, on standby for us and many of them. We have people on standby ready to go work but they can only go to work, and the equipment can only be put in place once we see the river subside."

The NHL has also said that they will give any kind of assistance necessary to help the Flames get everything together for the beginning of the season. Even as everything, currently, below Row 8 is a total loss...

Here's the King presser...
((HT: CBC))

Saddledome In A World Of Hurt From Calgary Flooding

((HT: SI.com/Muir))

Full disclosure: The HQ has friends in the industry who are working this story and we hope that they're safe in all of this, but the Bow and Elbow rivers have pole vaulted their banks from rain in Alberta province and the subsequent flooding.

The Saddledome, a venue where the HQ has covered events in the past, is flooded...

Not just "basement flooded," but "flooded to the 14th row of lower bowl seats and having the private boxes in jeopardy" kind of flooding..."

Julie Van Rosendaal of CBC Radio tweeted out the picture from Scotsman's Hill...

The Calgary Stampede is set for July 5th, but it may be in jeopardy as well...

According to reports, in the Dome, the visitor locker rooms and the media room, which run scoreboard operations have been heavily damaged.

The Saddledome is the home of the NHL's Calgary Flames along with the Calgary Hitmen of the Western Hockey League and is used for the annual Stampede event. There are also several significant concerts booked over the next several weeks.

The Stampede starts July 5th, which doesn't leave much time to get the arena and area in good working order. The challenge is, the water has yet to subside and it's not known when that is going to happen.

Video and story by The Canadian Press:



And here's the local CBC Evening News from Calgary- scary stuff...