from Kristen Odland of the Calgary Herald,

King clarified his comments in an interview with Postmedia on Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours after Sam Bennett scored an empty-netter to seal a 5-2 victory over the Sharks at one of the oldest facilities in the NHL.

He said they were in response to a question of him using a “threat tactic” as a way of posturing their position to Calgarians.

“That’s not the way our guys operate,” King said. “We’re not threatening people. And furthermore, I think and hope we’re going to get a deal. The truth of the matter is, we would just move. Which is not to be confused as a threat. We don’t think it’s fair to threaten. We think it’s fair for people to decide whether or not if they want a facility … and whether or not they think it’s appropriate. If they do, great. We’ll participate. If they decide not to, well then we’ve, obviously, got to make some decisions about the future.

“It won’t include threats. But it certainly may, at some point, include a clear decision. My entire job and my role in life right now is to ensure that day never comes.”

Mayor Naheed Nenshi told reporters Monday that CalgaryNEXT, the proposed hybrid arena-stadium-field house complex in the West Village, is “dead.”

more