Has Quebec City been priced out of the NHL?

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Thank you.

and Quebec has hockey, who's the tenant in Centre Videotron? The Remparts....

 

[voyageur]

I just wanted to share this. Highlights from the Nordiques 1st home game against Montreal. Listen to that crowd. Listen to that passion. I was listening to announcers talk about how the Nordiques first game in 1979 was like a Festival, the city shut down. Just like Winnipeg's in 2011.

Bettman and Jacobs are fools. Look at Florida, winning consistently, team is great. There's no one in the building. It's pathetic what Bettman's vision has done for the game. Priced it out of the middle class. Made it harder to play because of cost. Hockey is a game of passion. Can't wait to see that passion in a 1st round Tampa-Florida matchup. Just sad. Bring back the Nordiques, for the love of the game.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

I just wanted to share this. Highlights from the Nordiques 1st home game against Montreal. Listen to that crowd. Listen to that passion. I was listening to announcers talk about how the Nordiques first game in 1979 was like a Festival, the city shut down. Just like Winnipeg's in 2011.

Bettman and Jacobs are fools. Look at Florida, winning consistently, team is great. There's no one in the building. It's pathetic what Bettman's vision has done for the game. Priced it out of the middle class. Made it harder to play because of cost. Hockey is a game of passion. Can't wait to see that passion in a 1st round Tampa-Florida matchup. Just sad. Bring back the Nordiques, for the love of the game.

how many times must it be pointed out... Florida has a fifteen year lease that cannot be broken without major penalty to Broward County

 

[voyageur]

how many times must it be pointed out... Florida has a fifteen year lease that cannot be broken without major penalty to Broward County

I don't care. Good for their taxpayers. Good for their franchise. Take a little more revenue sharing, from fans who care, and keep America great by half filling the arena, on what Winnipeg's captain described as parking lot ice. It's great for the game.

Quebec should have never lost their team. Now they can't get it back.

You don't get it. Arizona could move to Quebec anytime. 50 000 people would rally that day in the city. Building would sell out for 10 years. However those fans don't matter because of Bettman's wall that makes the Eastern Time Zone a barrier to its most passionate fans. Damn them, filling the empty Islanders arena. Who needs fans in the arenas? A generation has already been lost that doesn't remember how great the rivalry was. But hockey's America's game now, until the Olympics, so screw them right? It's not embarrassing at all, as long as somebody is willing to share their pie with the great American dream.

 

[gstommylee]

I don't care. Good for their taxpayers. Good for their franchise. Take a little more revenue sharing, from fans who care, and keep America great by half filling the arena, on what Winnipeg's captain described as parking lot ice. It's great for the game.

Quebec should have never lost their team. Now they can't get it back.

You don't get it. Arizona could move to Quebec anytime. 50 000 people would rally that day in the city. Building would sell out for 10 years. However those fans don't matter because of Bettman's wall that makes the Eastern Time Zone a barrier to its most passionate fans. Damn them, filling the empty Islanders arena. Who needs fans in the arenas? A generation has already been lost that doesn't remember how great the rivalry was. But hockey's America's game now, until the Olympics, so screw them right? It's not embarrassing at all, as long as somebody is willing to share their pie with the great American dream.

You do realize Bettman is only doing what the owners want and they want to have a balanced 16 west 16 east and there is no way to move a eastern team to western conference in terms of alignment. So coyotes going to a eastern city is a no go.

Its unfortunate Quebec lost their team. Seattle knows how that feels. I hope at some point there is a way to keep it geographically balanced 16/16 with quebec having a team. I just don't see a western conference team relocation to eastern conference possible.

 

[zetajerk]

I just wanted to share this. Highlights from the Nordiques 1st home game against Montreal. Listen to that crowd. Listen to that passion. I was listening to announcers talk about how the Nordiques first game in 1979 was like a Festival, the city shut down. Just like Winnipeg's in 2011.

Bettman and Jacobs are fools. Look at Florida, winning consistently, team is great. There's no one in the building. It's pathetic what Bettman's vision has done for the game. Priced it out of the middle class. Made it harder to play because of cost. Hockey is a game of passion. Can't wait to see that passion in a 1st round Tampa-Florida matchup. Just sad. Bring back the Nordiques, for the love of the game.

Dumping on other fans and insisting how much better you are than them isn't a great way to earn sympathy, at least not mine. You can just wait forever with that snot nosed attitude. Florida or Carolina or wherever you think sucks isn't a 1:1 comparison with quebec, no matter how much you try to force that. You aren't owed a team, especially not someone else's team.

And not for nothing, but florida is on a hot streak that might lead them to the last wild card spot. That isn't going to result in nightly sellouts, nor should it. But keep attacking if it makes you feel good.

 

[Melrose Munch]

What a poster says doesn't make it truth. It is an opinion. Ask a network exec, if they would not poop their pants at the chance to broadcast Detroit-Chicago, Toronto-Montreal, Bruins and Rangers in the 1st round of the playoffs. That's who ultimately will decide any relocation idea, and the owners it effects. Detroit-Toronto, and certainly Detroit-Boston do not represent the same kind of rivalry for U.S. Tv dollars. I'm just saying it makes sense. Not likely to happen, I don't know if the club of owners see it the same way.

It's come out of the leagues mouth that Detroit is not going back.

 

[GoldenSeal]

and Quebec has hockey, who's the tenant in Centre Videotron? The Remparts....

But they're not the Nordiques

 

[Bookie21]

I just wanted to share this. Highlights from the Nordiques 1st home game against Montreal. Listen to that crowd. Listen to that passion. I was listening to announcers talk about how the Nordiques first game in 1979 was like a Festival, the city shut down. Just like Winnipeg's in 2011.

Bettman and Jacobs are fools. Look at Florida, winning consistently, team is great. There's no one in the building. It's pathetic what Bettman's vision has done for the game. Priced it out of the middle class. Made it harder to play because of cost. Hockey is a game of passion. Can't wait to see that passion in a 1st round Tampa-Florida matchup. Just sad. Bring back the Nordiques, for the love of the game.

Not sure what this game in 1979 has to do with Quebecor being priced out, but back to my point: Quebecor was looking for additional investors and couldn't come up with any, resulting in the deferment of their expansion

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

But they're not the Nordiques

the Nordiques, were based in the NAHL, TOO Golden Seal... at the now Androscoggin Bank Colisee from 1973-77, AND BASICALLY collapsed when Philadelphia arrived that season with the new arena in Portland, franchise in tow from the AHL, essentially what's being done now, with Spectra returning hockey there this October in the ECHL...

ERAS change, and have to adapt to it.... had Quebec done what Aubut asked them to do in 1995, Quebec likely doesn't get sold and relocated to Kroenke/COMSAT (Colorado), would there still be 16 EC Franchises, today, if that relocation had not occurred....

same premise about Winnipeg before TNSE returned the NHL there, and same applies to Hartford with Carolina's relo to establish that market..... Hartford got lucky that the Rangers/MSG recognized that market when it became open and there have been few changes there in 20 + years except for the Baldwin "experiment".

 

[SCBlueLiner]

how many times must it be pointed out... Florida has a fifteen year lease that cannot be broken without major penalty to Broward County

Any deal can be broken, just need to negotiate the terms.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Any deal can be broken, just need to negotiate the terms.

not without severe penalties, SC... WHAT other tenant uses BB & T Center professionally, other than the Panthers?

 

[MNNumbers]

Any deal can be broken, just need to negotiate the terms.

The lease has breakage penalties written right into it. It would be very expensive right now

 

[SCBlueLiner]

How long before the price is outweighed by the benefits?

I won't sugar coat it, I have the perspective that Miami is a poor sports market overall, not just when it comes to hockey. There is just so many other things to do in South Florida.

 

[MNNumbers]

How long before the price is outweighed by the benefits?

I won't sugar coat it, I have the perspective that Miami is a poor sports market overall, not just when it comes to hockey. There is just so many other things to do in South Florida.

Count it like this....
500-650M for the franchise plus the relo fee. Then add the breakage penalty. It's too much right now.

Breakage fee decreases all the way through the lease.

 

[edog37]

I just wanted to share this. Highlights from the Nordiques 1st home game against Montreal. Listen to that crowd. Listen to that passion. I was listening to announcers talk about how the Nordiques first game in 1979 was like a Festival, the city shut down. Just like Winnipeg's in 2011.

Bettman and Jacobs are fools. Look at Florida, winning consistently, team is great. There's no one in the building. It's pathetic what Bettman's vision has done for the game. Priced it out of the middle class. Made it harder to play because of cost. Hockey is a game of passion. Can't wait to see that passion in a 1st round Tampa-Florida matchup. Just sad. Bring back the Nordiques, for the love of the game.

this is an issue across all sports, not just hockey.

 

[GordonGecko]

Miami and Phoenix aren't doing well, and they may have to retreat -- TEMPORARILY -- from those sites, but believe me, if they do move, wheels will be in motion for how to rebuild the NHL in those places

Panthers play Northwest of Fort Lauderdale, not in Miami

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

Panthers play Northwest of Fort Lauderdale, not in Miami

HENCE, Sunrise=Broward County, not Miami/Dade is where the Panthers relocated, and why they're involved in the lease.

 

[DowntownBooster]

It has now been 23 seasons that Quebec has been without the Nordiques. That is equal to the number of years they had them - 7 in the WHA + 16 in the NHL.

Winnipeg was fortunate to get back into the NHL in 2011 at the price of $ 170 million U.S. when the Canadian dollar was at par. I highly doubt TNSE would ever pay $ 650 million (or even $ 500 million that Vegas paid) for an expansion team. The interest payments on that kind of debt load would make it highly unlikely the team would be able to generate a profit. As a Jets fan, I do not take it for granted that we have a team in the NHL. I appreciate having our team each and every day.

 

[CHRDANHUTCH]

It has now been 23 seasons that Quebec has been without the Nordiques. That is equal to the number of years they had them - 7 in the WHA + 16 in the NHL.

Winnipeg was fortunate to get back into the NHL in 2011 at the price of $ 170 million U.S. when the Canadian dollar was at par. I highly doubt TNSE would ever pay $ 650 million (or even $ 500 million that Vegas paid) for an expansion team. The interest payments on that kind of debt load would make it highly unlikely the team would be able to generate a profit. As a Jets fan, I do not take it for granted that we have a team in the NHL. I appreciate having our team each and every day.

Winnipeg fans actually have the Moose to thank, because if it wasn't for that franchise would TNSE have been a success with where that franchise started so that TNSE could land the Jets v 2.0, and how they treated that fanbase when the Jets did return

 

[voyageur]

You do realize Bettman is only doing what the owners want and they want to have a balanced 16 west 16 east and there is no way to move a eastern team to western conference in terms of alignment. So coyotes going to a eastern city is a no go.

Its unfortunate Quebec lost their team. Seattle knows how that feels. I hope at some point there is a way to keep it geographically balanced 16/16 with quebec having a team. I just don't see a western conference team relocation to eastern conference possible.

Seattle is going to be great for NHL. It's long overdue.

But look at the revenues the NBA is generating. They have Minnesota and OKC in the same division as Portland. Chicago with Detroit. Doesn't seem to be hurting the bottom line. The league keeps growing. And growing.

Keeping Eastern time zone teams together is great for Pittsburgh, who never leaves their time zone once until the Finals, tidily arranged.

But fans, they aren't that important, that's the message. Buttman threatens Calagary, because they "are cutting the cheques." Revenues are falling there. Who cares if the bulk of those cheques come off the Canadian TV deal, and 3 of the 6 richest franchises being in Canada? The fans don't matter. Hockey needs to sell itself to US TV networks. They are the ones who decide start times for playoff games. And so what if less Canadian teams make the playoffs, and fan interest drops without them. It doesn't matter. There's expansion to mask the money being bled. I mean what organization can prosper when the building is half full? If a Tim Horton's didn't gain its market share because it expanded to a place with no footing, would it prop that franchise up to keep its existing franchises in place. Not for too long if the losses were affecting the bottom line. But we all know that every time that a hockey fan from Montreal, Toronto, Boston, Chicago, New York attends a game or buys merchandise, that because of the NHL logo on it, they are supporting hockey in Florida. Or Arizona. Not their own team.

The NHL could make a Canadian division with Quebec, travelling all time zones, essentially guaranteeing than 1 of the final 4 teams comes from Canada. Would make money for the league. But must respect the Eastern time zone. The wall has been built, and America is great again, in a hockey sense. Is Detroit with a brand new arena, unfilled, still Hockeytown. More than Toronto and Montreal? The mirage is in the desert, behind the palm trees. And in Quebec, well you're too close to Montreal, too French, Jacobs can't make money off you. Anschultz can't manage your arena, so why go there. Not for the fans. They don't matter in the business.

 

[powerstuck]

Winnipeg fans actually have the Moose to thank, because if it wasn't for that franchise would TNSE have been a success with where that franchise started so that TNSE could land the Jets v 2.0, and how they treated that fanbase when the Jets did return

TNSE owned the Moose before Jets 2.0...so Winnipeg has to tank TNSE.
Yes Moose was a very well run franchise but that was just one sales pitch TNSE used on their resumé when they proposed to NHL to buy the Thrashers and relocate them.

 

[DowntownBooster]

Winnipeg fans actually have the Moose to thank, because if it wasn't for that franchise would TNSE have been a success with where that franchise started so that TNSE could land the Jets v 2.0, and how they treated that fanbase when the Jets did return

You make a good point. Yes, we are thankful for the Moose and the way TNSE operated the team in such a professional manner. Because of them, the NHL had confidence in the TNSE organization and knew they would be a good partner for the league should an opportunity arise (which thankfully for Winnipeg did occur in 2011). I'm glad that we still have the Manitoba Moose in our city as they provide an attractive alternative for the hockey fans that may not have the opportunity to attend Winnipeg Jets games.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Not sure what this game in 1979 has to do with Quebecor being priced out, but back to my point: Quebecor was looking for additional investors and couldn't come up with any, resulting in the deferment of their expansion

But listen to the passion of that crowd! Few of which are now under 50.

 

[voyageur]

But listen to the passion of that crowd! Few of which are now under 50.

You have clearly never been to Quebec City. It's not like Montreal-Ottawa where Montreal fans dominate the crowd. Quebec and Montreal are rivals like Edmonton-Calgary, a provincial capital and a corporate one. Or Philly-Pittsburgh, a colonial city, vs a steel city. Not like Tampa-Florida. A rivalry built on passion, with passionate hockey fans, the same ones who filled the Isles rink not too long ago to prove a point.