Gallery: Artistic expression takes center ice at the Saddledome

This past weekend, The Scotiabank Saddledome's ice transformed into a canvas for the youngest artists. The Saddledome's Paint the Rink occurs right before the ice is taken out of the arena for the summer months. Among the season ticket holders who attended the colourful event was Airdronian Lindsey Ricioppo along with her toddler son, Leo., as well as their family friends. 

"We were able to literally walk right down to the ice where the entrance [is] that the players use. We got to walk out right on the red carpet that the national anthem singer[s] stand on," she said.

One little Airdronian got to visit the Scotiabank Saddledome this past weekend - and it wasn't for a hockey game. (Photo provided by Lindsey Ricioppo)

Kids were given buckets of paint for the artistic ice adventure and then were able to venture anywhere onto the ice to design whatever they wished. 

"They were just having a good time and putting big blobs of paint everywhere. The kids actually got to go sit on the players' bench, which was really neat. I'll be able to show him [Leo] in the future and tell him that he was on the ice and sat where the players sat," she said. "It was all smiles afterwards."

Little Airdronian Leo and his best friend were all smiles when they attended an event at the Scotiabank Saddledome. (Photo provided by Lindsey Ricioppo) 

When asked if being on ice level lends a whole different perspective to being in the iconic Saddledome, she agreed, saying that there is a definite difference in perspectives.

"I have been to many games and you're always looking down onto the ice - even for me being on the ice for the first time was really cool. The 'dome felt much bigger." 

Hazarding a guess on which Calgary Flames player - past and present - may have the keenest sense of artistic expression, she said that Jerome Iginla would be her guess.

Calgary Flames Alumnus Joel Otto was also in attendance signing autographs. 

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