To say that the 2017 Calgary municipal election was contentious is a definite understatement. Roughly a month before Calgarians went to the polls, Naheed Nenshi unveiled his plan for Victoria Park – which included a brand new arena for the Calgary Flames.
That announcement was followed by an edict from the Flames a couple days later, declaring boldly that they were no longer pursuing an arena in Calgary, and leading to each side presenting their competing funding models.
With the arena suddenly an election issue, National Hockey League commissioner Gary Bettman twice weighed in on the future of the Flames in Calgary under incumbent mayor Naheed Nenshi – the first time noting that there would be “consequences” if there was no arena and the second blaming the mayor for the lack of progress.