“ Quebec City has announced its intention to build a modern arena in the hope of bringing back an NHL team, a decade and a half after the city lost its beloved Nordiques.
Mayor Regis Labeaume told a news conference Friday that the city’s longstanding dream of hosting an Olympic Games is also a pipe dream without a new arena.
He said he’s hired engineering firm SNC Lavalin to conduct a feasibility study, and hopes to see the arena built from 2010 to 2012.
Labeaume said he expects the arena to cost about $400 million — and that the city would put up $50 million.”(source-TSN)
15 years after watching their beloved Nordiques go south to Colorado, and win the Stanley Cup the 1st season there, Quebecers might have something to look forward to. This is the proper first step to getting an NHL franchise to relocate to Quebec, and we all know there will be no shortage of candidate franchises in the coming years.
Despite all of Jim Balsillie’s efforts to strong-arm the NHL into selling him a team to relocate to southern Ontario, it makes much more sense to actually build the infrastructure necessary to facilitate an NHL team before trying to get the NHL to allow such a move.
The Nordic fans were always loyal, despite limited success, and as Mayor Regis Labeaume stated “hockey is a religion to Quebecers”.
Hmmm, I wonder what reasons Gary Bettman can conjure up to deny this hockey market. You know he’s looking at Kansas City and Las Vegas. It’s understandable to want to build the game in a huge market like Vegas but how about having a few more self-sufficient cities under your belt before spreading the game even thinner in the southern USA.
Maybe he’ll just repeat what happened to Quebec last time, allowing Quebec fans to nurture the Nordiques through all the growing years and then ripping the franchise away when it finally became competitive.
#1 by Jeff at October 19th, 2009
I am the first guy to suggest the NHL find a new commissioner and a executive team. However, in this case, they should take their time on this (and winnipeg) as there will be little to no corporate support in those cities. I think you can argue that there should be a team in those cities before places like Nashville, Atlanta and Phoenix. But i would argue there shouldnt be a team in any of those cities.
The NHL went into those cities because they are very large markets, that inevitably, just couldn’t sell hockey to the fans and corporations. Winnpeg and Quebec City are very small cities, with a greater base of hockey fans but no corporate support. So, do fans in those cities come out to games, long term, if their teams are spending the league minumum on salaries every year?
Not an easy question.
#2 by Joe at October 19th, 2009
I think it’s a fantastic idea to bring teams to cities where they’re actually wanted… I’ve never been to Vegas, but I would assume that the topic of their conversation is NOT how much they would love a franchise NHL team in their neck of the woods. Why else would Balsillie be trying to move a franchise team OUT of Pheonix? Because people in cities like Vegas and Pheonix just don’t care enough. Let’s get more teams into the regions where people WANT more teams… Wouldn’t hurt the revenue either…
#3 by Jeff at October 19th, 2009
Contraction is the better option.