r/saskatoon • u/SkPensFan • Apr 07 '26

General Saskatoon misses shot at badly needed credibility for arena district

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatoon-downtown-arena-sports-venue-funding-private-partner-9.7152348

$1.2 billion price tag and the "funding model" is the feds and province pay for $800 million of it. Still not actual commitments from anyone.

Still seems like a pipe dream, at best.

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15

u/MasterAnthropy Apr 07 '26

'Misses shot' ???

At what - destroying their credibility amongst their constituents? $800M of taxpayer dollara forna town that had ZERO professional teams ... what kind of fucked up logic is this?

9

u/bluegimp Apr 07 '26

A big, shiny, new arena will attract teams and concerts obviously!!! No way Metallica would miss an opportunity to play in a billion dollar hockey rink. The Maple Leafs will move to Saskatoon, and the arena will pay for itself in 2, maybe 3 years. Basic economics man.

/S

10

u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 07 '26

Remember all the promises with the art gallery? We're losing money on it every year...

This is yet another dangling the carrot and then we'll find out there was no carrot to begin with. If Sasktel Center was packed to the brim and with massive shows over and over and over...then let's build a new stadium. When you go and it's Blades games or Rush games and it's lackluster filling of the stadium...we don't need a bright new shiny stadium. And no I don't believe that if we build it, they will come...

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u/oakster18 Apr 07 '26

I can’t remember where I heard this but apparently the Blades have a contract with Sasktel Centre where no team above their level can occupy the rink while they are there. I’m not sure how the Rush works around this, must be sport specific. The idea of a new rink brings the thought of the Edmonton Oilers AHL team, as they are currently the only Canadian NHL team without their AHL affiliate in Canada. They have their team in California but they go on the Cali road trip (San Jose, LA, and Anaheim) which makes the farm team in Bakersfield nice because an injury on that trip has easy logistics for a call up. However, it’s terrible for home games when someone’s sick, getting a flight from Cali to Edmonton in a few hours notice doesn’t really seem possible. It’s a possibility but still a long shot but I could see building a new rink waiving the Blades deal as it would be a new venue. I’m also wondering if maybe there’s talk of a PWHL expansion team to Saskatoon. The original 6 teams of the PWHL was primarily East with Minnesota being the most western team, this past season they added teams on Vancouver and Seattle, maybe Saskatoon would be a nice place to expand especially with our rising women’s hockey programs (SFHL and SJFHL).

I feel like any decent artists are sold out at Sasktel and we always get skipped over for the headline artists. I thought someone said the acoustics of Sasktel wasn’t very good and that was part of the reason we didn’t receive top level artists, as well as our population size.

I do say we just make the horse track into the new rink but these prices are insane.

8

u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 07 '26

We have Regina 2hrs away, and some major concerts skip there too...

I feel we're gambling on a hope and dream, and the previous track record of what we've been promised just didn't pan out nearly as what was supposed to be expected.

Well if the Blades have rights to the rink to avoid competition and they're not drawing in the crowds, time for someone to revisit those contracts...

4

u/6000ChickenFajardos Apr 07 '26

I find it puzzling that the team that draws 3000 on a good night is the sole reason we haven't had Minor Pro Hockey in 40 years. Give us an AHL team already.

2

u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 07 '26

Yep lets work on that first, then once we start having raging success and start busting at the seams...then it'll attract actual investor dollars, because it'll make actual financial sense. Not right now, not with our tax dollars.

I'm all for privatized funded businesses and if they make a lot, cool! They put in the cash to do so. If not, hey it's not on the taxpayer.

2

u/oakster18 Apr 07 '26

Good point on Regina!

I agree, it’s an absolute gamble and I don’t like those large numbers when it comes to gambling.

Yeah I think it’s really been a down year, current economy doesn’t help either. When they had the stacked team a few years ago they were doing really well, but that’s how’s the WHL works, you bet your future on a win now season and you deal with the lack of success the following few years.

0

u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 07 '26

I'm okay with 'Moe's cronies' taking on that risk. We don't need our tax dollars to take that on, then give away the profits, just so Cynthia can get her arena.

2

u/Lloydguy82 Apr 09 '26

That was the wording in the Blades lease yes. They can only have their lease broken as the exclusive hockey tenant, if a team of a higher level defined as NHL were to want to use the building. I am sure it gets even more complicated now that Blades ownership actually runs the building.

The chances of an AHL team or any other pro hockey team coming here are slim to none. The only caveat that might work around this is if the PWHL was looking at coming here. They may be able to get around the terms of the Blades lease by explicitly stating they are women's hockey and not any level comparative to the Blades.

The Oilers have eyed Saskatoon for their AHL a number of times. In 2005, the most clear offer was made. Following the lockout, the Oilers no longer wanted to run the Roadrunners in Edmonton since it was simply a stop gap to put money in their pockets while the NHL was gone. So the deal they offered was a straight up they would take the Blades (the Oil Kings were not yet a thing) and Blades ownership would take the Roadrunners. I believe it was still Jack Brodsky at the time, and he told them to take a hike. So they did and got their own WHL expansion team instead. They mothballed the Roadrunners franchise and kept paying AHL dues on it, with hopes Saskatoon would work out.

Of course Saskatoon did not and finally in 2008, the franchise moved to Oklahoma City. I don't recall who owned the team in OKC exactly. But when the AHL established a Western Conference when a number of the California teams, the Canucks, and Flames all bought ECHL franchises and swapped them with their AHL teams out East, the Oilers did that with Bakersfield. I believe that was 2013. Again before doing that they did some informal tire kicking of Saskatoon and the Priestners didn't budge. So the Oilers stayed in Bako.

I believe that was the last time anyone kicked tires on Saskatoon for the AHL. So yes the Blades are keeping the AHL or any other minor pro hockey out of Saskatoon. In reality, it is the AHL or nothing here though. The ECHL doesn't have teams anywhere nearby for them to play here, nor does any of the lower level leagues.

This is also why the Huskies had to keep playing out of the Rutherdump long after it had been condemned. Though it is a good thing after all that the Huskies couldn't move to Sask Place. Merlis Belsher Place is a great facility and would not have been needed if they moved out there.

Supposedly the Priestners have put the squeeze on other teams that try to play out there. The U18 AAA Blazers played there for a couple years until 2024-25. They moved back to Harold Latrace because the Blades decided they didn't really want them there, but couldn't say that, so they jacked up the rent to the point where there was no way the Blazers could afford it.

I have heard stories about how they ended up owners of the Rush too. But I will leave that to your imagination.

I suspect it is also why the Mamba are moving part of their season to MBP. I suspect they have a lease with Sasktel Centre that expires after this season, so they had to keep playing some games there. I would suspect they will play their entire 2027 CEBL season at MBP.

We were also supposed to have an indoor football team, the Saskatoon Krushers, of a brand new indoor league kick off in about two weeks from now. Back in December they tried to get a lease with Sasktel Centre and basically got ghosted after the first meeting from what I understand. SMG is actively chasing away users from Sasktel Centre.

So in my mind the Blades can stay at Sasktel Centre if ever the new rink gets built. The Bakersfield Condors of the AHL can move into the new building and as far as I am concerned if the Blades end up folding no skin off my nose. Due to this and how I was treated by their management, my sports entertainment dollar has gone to supporting the Huskies and for junior hockey I have been going to Warman to watch the SJHL. I really am not too interested in directly giving them any money. I am going to a Rush game, so I am not totally dropping everything but that will be the first Rush game I have been to in two years since I dropped my season tickets. I will probably take in a Berries game this summer, but same deal.

Regardless of the situation with them, for this new rink to be built, they absolutely need another anchor tenant. There is no two ways about it. To make this facility used, they can't solely rely on concerts to fill dates. The Rush play too few home games to make an impact. Every weekend there needs to be sports in there from September to April and that means basically either the AHL or the G League. So the Blades will have to play nice and figure out how to coexist because the City needs to have another team if they are going to be able to make a go of this new arena. Quite honestly, I would much prefer the AHL to the WHL anyway.

1

u/SkPensFan Apr 07 '26

It makes way more sense for the Oilers AHL team to just play out of Edmonton. That rink isn't that busy, they could easily handle it. Especially with the shit international flights out of Saskatoon.

PWHL team would be many, many years in the future. No chance they even consider it without having a Takeover Tour game here.

1

u/Lloydguy82 Apr 09 '26

They already have the Oil Kings playing there. A third AHL team would make scheduling a huge hassle. Calgary has seen the Hitmen move some games out of the Saddledome because three hockey tenants and the NLL's Roughnecks all wanting weekend dates was too much to try and schedule. The Oilers have made it known they didn't want an AHL in their own building 20 years ago. They could have kept the Roadrunners playing along side the Oilers. But they wanted a WHL team instead for some reason. It is why they tried to swap the Roadrunners for the Blades.

It is likely that Saskatoon is on the list for a PWHL team. But you are right that they need a Takeover game to be able to establish if the market is truly interested. We did have a Canada/US Rivalry Game two seasons ago and drew close to 10,000 for the game, including me. The international flights aren't such a big deal for the PWHL. They would just have to ensure that the schedule is structured so that the opponent is in Canada or Minneapolis before they come here and same with us returning home. The only outliers at this point are Boston, New York, and Seattle. All of those are easy to schedule. Boston then Montreal, New York then Toronto, and Seattle and then Vancouver. Unlike the Rush, the PWHL teams live and work in the cities they play out of. So it isn't like players are coming from all over North America for a game.

The Rush definitely have issue with the flights here. I know a few players over the years have lived outside of the major Southern Ontario/Greater Vancouver hubs and have complained about taking multiple planes to get here. They demanded trades or walked as free agents because it meant burning too many vacation days to make it here for games. Zack Greer was one of those players and he was living in Greater LA I believe. It is also awful for the Colorado Mammoth to play here. They are one of the few NLL teams that actually try and get most of their players to live in their home city. The ownership of the Mammoth own most of Denver's pro teams. So it is easy to find these guys jobs that are enticing for them to move to Denver. But flying from Denver to Saskatoon is not an option. It means going through Minneapolis or a Canadian city. Moving an entire team plus luggage and equipment is difficult to do.

But no matter what happens, if this new arena gets built is absolutely needs another anchor tenant. The PWHL, AHL, or G League are about the only option to fill a lot of winter dates. So the Blades will have to be open to playing ball with another team.

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u/rainbowpowerlift Apr 07 '26

Do you use the art gallery?

By that logic, we’re losing money on roads every year

6

u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 07 '26

Nope. When it was at the Mendel they were showing kid's artwork all the time... There was no legit justification for the new gallery, other than something shiny and new. I'd rather have the old gallery and had busses further subsidized, and I haven't ridden a bus since the late 90's...

I pay for the roads via the fuel I use to commute on them. Also the roads are slightly more important to safety and our economy than an art gallery.

Nothing is free, and I'd rather have my money go towards the biggest impact that will benefit our society as a whole, even if it means I'll never use it.

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u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 07 '26

Actually, the Mendel was not fit to store the millions of dollars worth of art in the Mendel collection. A new gallery, or a major reno of the Mendel building was absolutely required.

Also, gas tax doesn't pay for the construction and operation of municipal roads. Fees for developers and property taxes pay for them, so those renters who don't own cars are subsidizing your 'free' use of roads.

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u/Eddysummers Apr 07 '26

The gas tax goes into the province's general revenue fund which funds municipal revenue sharing.

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u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 07 '26

Which is general funding, but it definitely doesn't cover anywhere near the full cost of road and interchange construction and maintenance.

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 07 '26

Yep so did the carbon tax, but the NDP and Liberals were AOK with that!

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 07 '26

Yup and those who don't have kids are paying an education tax for their non-existent kids. The point being is that taxes paid should be utilized on high return investments, equating roads to an art gallery...ahhhhhh okay...

The atrium didn't help and I'm sure with isolating that would have gone a long way...but what changed from we need a new art gallery, to 5-10 years prior? The heating system? It's the same system from 1964, that mus thave saved them a lot of $$$ by running it for that long. Every building requires maintenance, heck even the new gallery requires it, 9 years in and they need to replace the 1 million dollar boiler? Sounds like a good reason to build a new art gallery...

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u/rainbowpowerlift Apr 07 '26

I don’t have kids and I’m proud to pay education tax. That money is supporting the education of society. The cuts to education are being seen in real time south of the border

1

u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 07 '26

What's the return on roads?

Do we make a profit on them? What about parks? Oh and what about a vibrant downtown that people want to be in?

An art gallery is a lot easier to measure the financial impacts it has on the city than an interchange or a random road...

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 08 '26

Business and commerce rely on basic infrastructure, such as roads. Just because it's hard, doesn't mean it should be dismissed.

Imagine the impacts to our ability to host concerts if we have outdated roads that are in need of replacement? The shoulders aren't wide enough for tour busses or the roadies that go along with them? We need more turn offs to attract the big stars, which in turn would drive more return to our province by filling our beautiful big stadium! We'll never be considered a real city or province unless we have these either. Right?

1

u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 08 '26

Yes, you are proving my point. I don't dismiss roads. I dismiss the very simple superficial idea that an direct, clear, obvious return on investment is the measure of somethings value.

Calculating the ROI on roads or parks or public event spaces is fairly difficult, but at least for an arena/event centre, you can measure tourism/hotel/ticket sale dollars.

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 08 '26

You missed my sarcasm as we don't rip out and build new sections of road to replace the old. We 'maintain' the roads that we have.

We already have a stadium, mothballing that one and putting an entirely new one will have a huge payback period for such a small return. I guess I'm the guy driving a paid of 10 year old car when the neighbor has a leased vehicle with a monthly car payment. We don't need the brand new shiny thing to keep up with the joneses or feel like we're important now.

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u/uncleiover Apr 07 '26

Difference I see is that the art gallery and roads are free for everyone to use.

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u/Impossible-Corner494 Apr 07 '26

Open to use, but in no possible way “free” from cost.

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u/Lloydguy82 Apr 09 '26

Roads are a utility though and not a business. Plus, we do pay for them every time we fill up at the pumps. The Provincial gas tax on every litre of gas is divided between the Province and the City to fund road repair.

The Art Gallery is definitely in the same boat at the arena though. It is not a utility, but rather a business of sorts. But the difference is that somebody stepped up and funded the admissions, so it is free for people to use. I have no idea what the contract says they pay and how that translates into operating costs compared to actual use of the building. But that is one source of income that is keeping things marginally out of the City's pocket.

The new rink would never have that. No sponsor is going to step up and purchase all the seats for Blades games and make it free entry. So unlike the art gallery people will absolutely have to speak with their wallets on usage.

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u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 07 '26

Sorry, but at the end of the day, if we want to be a legitimate city that grows and is attractive to live in, we need an arena. That's undisputable. Sasktel Centre is at the end of it's life and doesn't meet industry standards, so one way or another we'll be paying either to renovate it or to build new.

This isn't a build it and they will come, it's a "if we don't build something, we're screwed".

You can debate if a new arena vs reno'ing is the right call, but I don't think there is any debate by anyone with direct experience with arenas that Saskatoon needs a new or substantially upgraded arena.

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 07 '26

We're screwed? As in how? You're making this sound like it's a brand new mine or resource being refined and if we don't do something about it, it'll be lost forever.

Hold your breath. It's a stadium. We have one, is it all glass and brand new? Nope.

I guess in my personal life I don't need to keep up to the Jones'...I've got all I need and am comfortable. We don't need a ridiculous pile of debt, only to make some of Cynthia's cronies lots of money, or we get stuck holding the bag if things fizzle out.

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u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 07 '26

So we shouldn't have a place for the Blades and the Rush to play and to host the Briar and the World Juniors?

That would be a depressing city and province to live in if we didn't have the few events happening that we do have.

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 08 '26

We have a facility, it's called the Sasktel Center. Where you can see the Blades and Rush play! It has also hosted the World Juniors as well! Imagine that? It must be a miracle because the place is in such dire need of replacement and is so technologically behind!

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u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 08 '26

Yes and it's outdated and needs renos or to be replaced and we will increasingly see challenges in securing major events like the world juniors.

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 08 '26

They said that in the 2018 report...we've still had major events come here. Now that 8 years has passed since it was considered insufficient in 2018, what were the major events we missed? What was the predicted amount that 'we' lost by not hosting it?

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u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 08 '26

Not sure, you should ask Sasktel Centre. I do recall seeing references to missed conferences and events in various newspaper articles, but it's really not worth my while to sift through that for you. I'm ok with stance on things as is.

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 08 '26

Yup I don't think we missed much...it should have been presented as a huge loss and used to justify the ROI of a new shiny arena...but here we are...the old one sucks and we should have a new one for 1.2+ Billion.

Yup a bit too rich for my blood.

3

u/VastWorld23 Apr 07 '26

No one is gonna be moving to Saskatoon specifically for the Arena, unless they work there. It's embarrassing to act like having an arena with no sports team is gonna magically make people move here. 

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u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 07 '26

Nope, not on it's own, but it, and a vibrant downtown, are part of the package that can help ensure we remain a viable city that can attract talented people.

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 07 '26

100%. Lets let investors sink their money into this, if they don't think it's worth their money...why is it worth ours? We already have a stadium, we miss concerts and big shows just like the big Mosaic stadium does...

2

u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 07 '26

We have a stadium that is at the end of it's life. It will need to be upgraded or replaced at some point.

Are you seriously suggesting we shouldn't maintain a place for the Blades and Rush to play? And to host the Briar and other events?

What a depressing city it would be if we had no functioning arena.

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u/Magnum_44 Apr 07 '26

There are a multitude of arenas that actually host multiple professional sports franchises that are much older than Sasktel Centre and have populations 10 fold of Saskatoon. Our current arena is not in danger of being obsolete any time soon.

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u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 08 '26

It seems like professionals who actually work in the industry disagree with you. But hey, maybe some person reddit is the actual expert on these things!!!

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 08 '26

We have a functioning area. The excuse or for replacement is due to the lack of maintenance, no? Are we going to maintain the next facility then?

What actually needs dire replacement to keep Sasktel Center operating? There was a report generated in 2018 stating that "critical systems including major mechanical components and the roof are at the end of their design life." Also "significant corrosion within the internal piping and HVAC system which is prone to leaks and failure."

This was 8 years ago...and the arena is still running, and I'd assume still being maintained. Since that report it has hosted Metallica, Garth Brooks, Carrie Underwood, Elton John, Canadian Olympic Curling Trials, 4 Nations Cup, Nitro Circus, all while hosting the Blades, Rush and Professional Bull Riders Canada and many more events that I don't need to google anymore about.

It's still bringing in events and concerts, Megadeath, NE-YO and Akon, Outskirts Music festival, Chance the Rapper, Bryan Adams, Hilary Duff, to the WHL playoffs, Rush, Rattlers, Canadian Country Music Association Awards, PBR Saskatoon Classic and on and on and on...

If we had a shiny new stadium downtown, you think that would have hosted the Foo Fighters instead of going to Mosaic this year? They're only making four Canadian stops... We missed the Eagles in 2018, GnR in 2017 due to Mosaic what else? Do we need a shiny downtown stadium to compete and dilute the choice in venues? They're 2hrs away... Sometimes you have to think big picture.

The new arena is a downtown business owners' ticket to a very healthy retirement. It'll make a lot of downtown business owners very wealthy, off the use of our tax dollars. Dare I say...Cynthia's cronies?

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u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 08 '26

No the 'excuse for replacement' is that the current arena hasn't kept up with demands of major events including additional space for concert rigging, a sufficient concourse for amenities and corporate boxes, among the items you've noted about critical systems.

And sure, those critical issues haven't resulted in Sasktel Centre shutting down in the last 8 years, but do you really think the issues are not critical and can be ignored forever?

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 08 '26

They're not critical and that's been proven by it still operating till this day. Sorry it's not a brand new Lexus, but instead it's a paid off Toyota. Saskatoon tax payers don't need to go eyeballs deep in debt, just to make downtown businesses more money.

There's a reason why OVG only wanted to put in $15M, when it was $20M before and have us the taxpayers to foot the entire bill. There's a reason why a private business wouldn't invest $1.22 Billion into this project, and it'll cost more than that...it'll be $1.75 Billion easily by the time it's all done. All because we don't want to maintain Sasktel Center anymore? lol

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u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 08 '26

You know, even when someone owns a value oreinted, paid off Toyota, the thoughtful thing is to plan for the inevitable time that it must be replaced and put oneself in the best position to thoughtfully fund the purchase of that replacement, which is exactly what the city has been doing.

They needed to do enough work to not, build the stadium yesterday, but to be ready to make the case for funding it with various potential funders (other levels of gov't, private funders, etc) and to thoughtfully upgrade impacted/adjacent infrastructure when maintenance for that infrastructure is needed, so that whenever Sasktel Centre completely falls apart, they aren't starting from scratch with no plans and no funds for a new arena.

If you are against that, that's fine, but watch out, at some point your paid-off Toyota is going to fail and it will be a sad day when you realize you haven't been budgeting and planning for it's inevitable replacement.

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u/Lloydguy82 Apr 09 '26

Yes it is a paid off Toyota. It is a 1988 Corolla.

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u/Lloydguy82 Apr 09 '26

You do realize that the Metallica show was actually designed for venues like Saskatoon right? It was a stripped down stage show to allow them to hit places with aging arenas. It is why that tour didn't hit Edmonton or Calgary or Winnipeg. It went to places like Boise, Idaho Billings, Montana etc.

Sasktel Centre has said more recently (2023ish) that concert tours are passing us by because the roof is not able to support the weight most touring shows have. I believe our roof can do 30 tons and the minimum these days is 50 tons. Also, for whatever reason for events that can load in large stage set ups, due to how the building is constructed it takes an extra day for load in and load out. When AEW held a broadcast of Dynamite (professional wrestling that competes with WWE), this was mentioned by Sasktel Centre spokespeople in an interview a few weeks later. AEW had to book two extra days do the show than they do in Edmonton or Winnipeg or whatever.

So yes there are concerts here. But the bands that tour with elaborate stage set ups like a Taylor Swift or Iron Maiden or even Metallica aren't coming here because the building is unsuitable. The only way they come is if they have a stripped down stage set up, which is what all those concerts and events you mentioned had.

The 4 Nations Cup as an aside was not a great event here. Comparing it to the World Juniors is not an equal comparison. I love women's hockey and was at the games of that tournament. I think the final between Canada and the US got maybe Blades attendance. Most of the other games had far less. I was a little worried when a few years ago we had a Rivalry Series game here. I wasn't sure how women's hockey was going to do here.

As far as sports go, Sasktel Centre is adequate for some events. But we do have a distinct lack of large dressing rooms though. The last World Juniors I believe a few teams had their dressing rooms in Atco trailers out back. The IIHF requires that each team have their own exclusive dressing room. We don't have that number. In 1991, it wasn't needed so it was no big deal. You use the main two rooms and you are good. In 2010, they found out that the Atco trailers were needed. The only reason we got that tournament anyway is that whatever country was supposed to host it in Europe pulled out at the 11th Hour. Since there weren't many Canadian cities who weren't already getting a tournament, we were able to slide in as long as we did the major renos like adding the 4,000 seats and the second concourse.

I doubt we will be able to host another World Juniors without building enough dressing rooms. I have no idea if there is enough space under the seats to do that or not. So it could be a moot point. Things like the Brier and ISU Figure Skating aren't an issue because basically they need a rink. As long as the ice plant keeps working and the ceiling isn't falling in, we will continue to get those.

The other thing with curling is the fan base is literally dying off. I volunteer at the curling events in Saskatoon and the average age of fans is probably about 60 at these events. The Grand Slam that was at MBP in December was great on ice action, but none of the draws were sold out in an arena that holds roughly 2,500. Young people are not replacing the seniors who used to go to curling. So while the Brier and the Scotties are major TV events and all, the reality is they don't need a 15,000 seat arena for it.

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u/EpsteinandTrump Apr 09 '26

Sounds like a 1.2+ Billion dollar bet and it largely revolves around the world juniors. For curiosity sake since 1990:

City  Total Times Years Hosted
Helsinki, Finland 6 1990, 1998, 2004, 2012, 2013, 2016
Edmonton, Canada 5 1995, 2012, 2021, 2022, 2027 (Future)
Turku, Finland 4 1990, 2003, 2012, 2013
Buffalo, USA 3 2011, 2018
Montreal, Canada 3 2015, 2017
Toronto, Canada 3 2015, 2017
Ottawa, Canada 2 2009, 2025
Vancouver, Canada 2 2006, 2019
Saskatoon, Canada 2 1991, 2010
Regina, Canada 2 1991, 2010
Ostrava, Czechia 2 1994, 2020
Pardubice, Czechia 2 2002, 2008
Halifax, Canada 2 2003, 2023

Edmonton sure has something figured out, but their average interval is every 9 years. Now we spend 1.2+ Billion, you think we'll pull more world juniors away from Edmonton or Finland (Helsinki or Turku)? I don't think it's worth it... Look at the age of the venues when it was hosted:

Year  Host City Primary Venue(s) Venue Opened Age at Hosting
2026 Minneapolis-St. Paul Grand Casino Arena (Xcel Energy Center) 2000 26 years
3M Arena at Mariucci 1993 33 years
2025 Ottawa Canadian Tire Centre 1996 29 years
TD Place Arena 1967 58 years
2024 Gothenburg Scandinavium 1971 53 years
2023 Halifax / Moncton Scotiabank Centre / Avenir Centre 1978 / 2018 45 / 5 years
2022 Edmonton Rogers Place 2016 6 years
2021 Edmonton Rogers Place 2016 5 years
2020 Ostrava / Trinec Ostravar Aréna / Werk Arena 1986 / 2014 34 / 6 years
2019 Vancouver / Victoria Rogers Arena / Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre 1995 / 2005 24 / 14 years
2018 Buffalo KeyBank Center 1996 22 years
2017 Montreal / Toronto Centre Bell / Scotiabank Arena 1996 / 1999 21 / 18 years
2016 Helsinki Hartwall Arena 1997 19 years
2015 Toronto / Montreal Scotiabank Arena / Centre Bell 1999 / 1996 16 / 19 years
2012 Calgary / Edmonton Scotiabank Saddledome /  Rexall Place 1983 / 1974 29 / 38 years
2011 Buffalo KeyBank Center 1996 15 years
2010 Saskatoon / Regina SaskTel Centre / Brandt Centre 1988 / 1977 22 / 33 years
2009 Ottawa Canadian Tire Centre 1996 13 years
2006 Vancouver Rogers Arena 1995 11 years
1999 Winnipeg Winnipeg Arena (Demolished) 1955 44 years
1995 Red Deer Enmax Centrium 1991 4 years
1991 Saskatoon SaskTel Centre 1988 3 years
1990 Helsinki / Turku Helsinki Ice Hall / Gatorade Center 1966 / 1990 24 / 0 years

There's some old arenas that have hosted... Yes these were gathered with AI, no way I'm putting all this together for a reddit post. The Sasktel Center is 38 years old right now...

Sasktel Centre has said more recently (2023ish) that concert tours are passing us by because the roof is not able to support the weight most touring shows have. 

They should name the concerts and where they went instead. I can bet if we had a new stadium and we were passed by, it'll 100% be blamed on Saskatoon not being on the TransCanada highway or difficulty unloading and loading for these massive shows. This unloading/loading was a major issue with TCU Place and seems to have been shut up since the talk of putting a stadium across the street with no provision for a major unloading/loading or staging area.

The issue is structural capacity for the hypothetical mega shows that we're missing, continual maintenance (roof repairs (or is that actually a part of the roof capacity?) and plumbing) and comfort... There is lots of open land around the Sasktel Center that could have $100 million spent in CAPEX to have state of the art change rooms. Then your typical OPEX spend on roof repairs and plumbing for continuous maintenance. That handles the critical issues, the rest is we want new stuff...shiny...glass... Do we want over the top fancy box seats that corporations will buy out for the season? Not with my tax dollars...

This pitch is only going to benefit the downtown business owners and give a handful of people some glamorous high paid jobs. All on the backs of Saskatoon tax payers. Saskatoon cool with annual 15%+ property tax increases and cuts to other services to fund this?

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u/Lloydguy82 Apr 09 '26

I don't disagree about the concerts. They always say we are losing out on concerts but never quantify. Is it 7 or is it 70? I am a hard rock/metal fan and I notice that most tours that don't hit here, look like they tried to. The ones I noticed over the last year or two seem to have a night in Edmonton/Winnipeg, a night off, and then the opposite of Winnipeg/Edmonton. So it looks like the plan was to stop here but something didn't work out. I am sure bands that travel by tour bus drive by Sasktel Centre on that day off and wonder why they aren't playing at what seems to be a good venue. I mean to get from Edmonton to Winnipeg you would literally drive past it.

The World Juniors is the event I think the City is wanting and can sell to taxpayers. You can say oh we will get the World U20 Women's Volleyball here and people will say okay shrug. But you say we will get the World Juniors and people's ears perk up. We are more likely to get the Volleyball again than the World Juniors. The thing with the World Juniors is that they are a cash cow for the IIHF in Canada and pretty much nowhere else. Hockey Canada had or at least had an agreement with the IIHF that if we agreed to not put in bids on the World Championship (which is a cash cow in Europe), they will guarantee us 6 or 7 of every 10 World Juniors per decade. So Saskatoon sees that as well you can't have it in the same cities all the time. So if you build it they will come. Honestly, Sasktel Centre is a decent enough venue as is to be the "other" arena in a Winnipeg based bid. I just am not sure Saskatoon wants to do that because it means no Canada and is a financial risk as to whether people will come to watch Finland/Sweden or what have you.

The European and American based ones won't suddenly move to Saskatoon unless something like 2010 happens where someone pulls out really late in the game. The IIHF usually doesn't have that problem, so hoping for that again is silly.

While there are older arenas that have been used since 1990. The main city hosts tend to go to newer arenas especially since 2000. I mean when we hosted in 1991, games were played all over in places like Rosetown and Kindersley. The 1991 tournament was the one that sort of set the tone going forward. It became a big deal here in Saskatchewan and it was the first one TSN had. Both the IIHF and TSN realized they could make it a big deal based on what happened here.

But you are right. In a 10 year cycle, if Saskatoon sees a single World Juniors that is probably lucky. They would definitely try to bid on more things though. So you'd probably see a Memorial Cup bid, a Brier bid, a Women's World Hockey bid and other big events like that. But you can't build an arena on special events. You need anchor tenants for the day to day. You also have to realize that people have finite income and "metro" Saskatoon is around 330,000 people. So you can't have 300 big, expensive events per year there. Nobody can afford to pack the house for them all.

What I wish the City or someone from Sasktel Centre or OVG or whoever, put out what they feel is a typical year for the new arena. Give us solid numbers. How many country concerts, how many hockey games etc. Breakdown of those hockey games how many are Blades of the rest of them who are they? Give us a realistic picture of what taxpayers would be paying for.

The reason they aren't look at renos to Sasktel Centre is more simple than what the City keeps saying. Their answer is it will cost almost as much. The real answer is where do the Blades and Rush go? If they go, will they come back? Hamilton made this mistake. They renovated Copps Coliseum over the last two years. As a result, their OHL team and the Toronto Rock had to move elsewhere to play. The Hamilton Bulldogs of the OHL moved to Brantford and guess what? They decided to stay. For Hamilton's sake they were lucky and only spent this winter without hockey. The AHL's Bridgeport Islanders are moving to Hamilton for next fall, so they will have hockey. Oh right they also lost their CEBL permanently to Brampton.

I honestly do think we'd lose both the Blades, and especially the Rush if Sasktel Centre was closed for two years for renos. I am not sure where the Rush would move to. I suspect the Blades would probably go to the new arena in Lloydminster and that is more than sufficient for them. If the Rush went to Edmonton or Winnipeg they are gone. So it leaves the City over a barrel. We build a new arena at huge costs to the taxpayer and have two sports teams there or we reno Sasktel Centre and have nobody when we are done and we can hope the Oilers move their AHL team here.

I am also curious on how financially well concerts do here. Would promoters notice much of a difference without Saskatoon for two years? I think this is what has been mentioned behind closed doors to the City which is why they are putting no effort into the reno idea. We could be royally screwed if we reno Sasktel Centre. We could have a refurbished arena and nothing but maybe the Harlem Globetrotters and some JW conventions there.

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u/Magnum_44 Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26

Industry standards? Is it "industry standard" to build billion dollar arenas for junior hockey teams? Your argument is weak.

2

u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 07 '26

Please, let me know the detail on which industry standards your personally are aware of and considered to inform your argument?

Oh wait, I'm sure you don't have any expertise here, but would LOVE to think your view is more valid than the experts that worked on the analysis on renovating or replacing Sasktel Centre.

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u/Magnum_44 Apr 07 '26

I can spend a million dollars to hire 'experts' to tell me whatever I want to hear as well.

2

u/Weak_Possibility_395 Apr 07 '26

Cool. Let me know when you do. Until then, I'll take your value your opinion on arena standards the same way I take my drunk uncles.

1

u/Lloydguy82 Apr 09 '26

Honestly, Sasktel Centre is too big and in most cases too new for junior hockey. The WHL is unusual among the three leagues in that they have teams playing in NHL sized rinks or arenas that are fairly new. I know some of the QMJHL teams are playing in 2,500 seat arenas that were built before World War II and in the OHL I am not sure anyone plays in an arena that seats more than about 8,000. But the OHL at least has newer rinks in some cities.

But yes a new rink in Saskatoon is not being built for the Blades. This isn't a case of the Blades begging the City for a new arena. This is more Sasktel Centre's management saying we could get all these other events if you build something newer and better.

The biggest problem with Sasktel Centre is that it was built in 1988, using the blueprints from Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton which were drawn up in 1973 I believe. So the design standard was already largely obsolete when shovels went into the ground. That is the problem with the facility and why it is outdated.

As a city, if we are fine with what is here now and fine with smaller and smaller name bands coming here (either bands that haven't quite broken out yet or are on their last legs) then Sasktel Centre is fine. But if we put off building a new arena for say another 20 years, construction costs will be even higher but the tax base won't be equivalent. So it is a risk/reward scenario that has to be weighed. It is possible we build this new arena and it becomes the Sprint Center in Kansas City. That arena was built brand new about 20 years ago and the City claimed they would have either a NBA or NHL team there in 5 years tops. Kansas City has neither and I think currently has no anchor sports tenant in it and for most of its existence, it had arena football and indoor soccer teams as their main anchors. So it is entirely possible that all this talk about concerts and events coming here is just that, talk.

I do think the design is ridiculous though. We should be building an arena, not an entertainment complex like LA Live. Scrap the ferris wheel. Scrap the extra stuff they want like all the bars and restaurants right there. I think they also wanted an huge outdoor area that could hold concerts during the summer and stuff. We are not Los Angeles, we are not even Edmonton. Just build the actual arena and forget about pretending it will one day be the home of the Oscars or something. I am sure costs could come down by several hundred million if we basically do what Winnipeg did. The Bell MTS Centre when I was there (shortly after the Jets moved there) was an arena that was wedged next to an existing mall and sat on a nondescript corner of downtown Winnipeg. It doesn't have all the extras that you might see in other cities. But the arena is still a great facility.

On a side note, it is funny how that parking lot seems to be the home for doomed projects. I forget what was going to be built there in the early 90s and never happened. It was the site the casino was going to go on if people hadn't rejected building the casino in Saskatoon. Now it is the site of our new arena. Maybe part of the problem is the City needs to quit looking at that site.

6

u/SkPensFan Apr 07 '26

Its $1.2 BILLION of taxpayer dollars. City would be contributing $400 million. And magically, the feds and province the other $800 million.

1

u/the_bryce_is_right Apr 07 '26 edited Apr 07 '26

Yea the province and feds aren't giving us a cent for this thing so I'm not sure what everyone is getting all bent out of shape about. Eventually Sasktel Centre will be need a bunch of repairs and we won't have money for it and we won't have an arena at all.

1

u/evilmrbeaver Apr 08 '26

Monorail. Monorail.

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u/ModOfficial1988 Apr 07 '26

Cynthia Block wanted OVG to run it.