Venues of the 1988 Winter Olympics

When the National Hockey League (NHL) Flames franchise was relocated from Atlanta, Georgia in the United States during the summer of 1980, a new arena was needed.

Completed in 1983, the Olympic (Scotiabank since October 2010) Saddledome has played host to the Flames ever since, including three Stanley Cup Finals (championship in 1989) and the NHL All-Star Game in 1985.

An innovation for the games was the first indoor long-track speed skating venue which has served as a model for future Olympics.

[9][10] Following the 1979–80 National Hockey League (NHL) season, the Flames franchise moved from their original founding at Atlanta in the United States to Calgary.

[14][15] The Corral hosted the World Figure Skating Championships in 1972 and continues to be of use for the annual Calgary Stampede rodeo events.

The third time was the charm for Calgary in 1981 when they were awarded the 1988 Winter Olympics over Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

[20] It was Bill Pratt, the former contractor who took over as Calgary Organizing Committee president in 1983, and who supervised the enormous construction project.

Says Donald Jacques, general manager of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede: “Because of him, everything was built on time and on budget.” But Pratt rubbed many colleagues the wrong way.

The conversation took place during a September 1979 site investigation by COC while at the mountain, and Frank King CODA's chairman quickly selected a gentler hill next to the original location.

[32] East German biathlete Jürgen Wirth had test fired in windy conditions before the start of the 4 × 7.5 km relay.

[33] The Saddledome continue to play host the Flames, and witnessed two more Stanley Cup Finals with a win over Montreal in 1989 and a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning fifteen years later.