As part of his visit to Calgary, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman took time to have a ‘nice chat’ with Mayor Nenshi and extend an offer to assist in future conversations between the Calgary Flames ownership group and the city.

“I think that everybody knows the issue with respect to the facility,” said Bettman of the Scotiabank Saddledome which is set to become the NHL’s oldest rink. “This is a building that needs to be replaced and hopefully it can be worked out in a way that not only provides a great facility for the city, for family shows, concerts, cultural events, as well as the team.”

With new arenas planned for Edmonton and Detroit, and the New York Islanders relocation to Brooklyn, the Scotiabank Saddledome will be the oldest NHL arena by a staggering 10 years.

“There are issues in this building that aren’t new, but at some point it’s got to be dealt with because it affects the team, it affects the community,” said Bettman prior to Thursday night’s game between the Flames and Minnesota Wild. “There’s going to be a new building up the road (in Edmonton). If you’re booking a tour of whatever, and you’ve got a certain limited number of dates, you’re probably going to opt for the state of the art facility.”

Bettman points to new arenas in Columbus, Ohio, and downtown Los Angeles which have revitalized the neighbouring communities.

“A new facility can be a catalyst for a whole host of other things that positively impact the city.”

The NHL commissioner says Calgary’s arena discussions are in a preliminary stage but he valued the time he spent with Mayor Nenshi on Wednesday.

“It’s always important that people who have important issues in common have good, open lines of communication,” said Bettman. “If my efforts are not needed, so much the better, and if I can be helpful under the right circumstances, we’re always happy to do that.”

In addition to his Nenshi meeting and the Flames-Wild tilt, Bettman’s time in Calgary included Wednesday night’s 2015 B’Nai Brith Dinner where he was honoured alongside businessman and philanthropist Alvin Libin.