Wray Morrison: Winning on and off the ice

It appears that winning can fix many things, especially when it comes to big cities and NHL arenas.

In September of 2017, the then-president of the Calgary Flames, Ken King, said that talks with the city about a new arena were spectacularly unproductive. In the 2017-18 season, the Flames missed the playoffs. This season, the Flames are leading the Western Conference and, earlier this week, Calgary’s council approved a strategy for $1.5 billion in capital projects, which would include a new arena.

Approving a strategy doesn’t guarantee that a new arena will be built, but the tone is positive. This is more than a coincidence.

In Ottawa, Mayor Jim Watson and Senators owner Eugene Melnyk are at odds over a failed plan to build a new arena in LeBreton Flats. Talks there are not positive. On the ice, the team is losing and has unloaded its most talented players. Senators fans are so unhappy that questions are being asked about the future of NHL hockey in Ottawa.

There is a lot to be said for winning.