Penguins moving to Quebec ???

les Habs

Registered User
Sep 21, 2005
22,236
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Wisconsin
How do this sound. Quebec City doesn't get a new team. Montreal gets Crosby (and Crosby gets Montreal - who he wants to play for). Then the Quebec City folk can go to the Bell Centre to see Crosby. Sounds good to me.
 

Pens75

Pens Fan Since 1975
Jul 30, 2005
2,948
0
Duquesne Gardens
les Habs said:
Montreal gets Crosby (and Crosby gets Montreal - who he wants to play for).

Correction...

Who he wanted (past tense) to play for as a child, like every hockey player when he was a kid, just like Ryan Malone dreamed of playing for the Penguins, all on the record.
 

jkrdevil

UnRegistered User
Apr 24, 2006
42,636
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Miami
No team is moving from the US to Canada. The League will not allow it. If the Penguins do in fact move from Pittsburgh they will go to Houston or Kansas City. Personally I think at the end of the day they will stay in Pitt.
 

Ruckus007

where to?
May 27, 2003
8,023
23
Huntington, WV
I feel bad for Pens fans. With so many other cities/fanbases/posters circling like vultures over your team, I can't imagine what that must be like. I'm sure I'd be absolutely paranoid.


Hopefully the arena situation is resolved and we can put this behind us. Personally, I think the Pens belong in Pittsburgh.
 

tinyzombies

Registered User
Dec 24, 2002
16,827
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Montreal, QC, Canada
I've been to Pittsburgh. Nice enough town, and there is some hockey there, but it's not a hockey mecca and it doesn't do much to attract a major TV contract. Personally, I don't think the NHL will ever get a nationwide TV contract because sports on TV is gravitating to localalized coverage anyway.

Under the current cap structure, the NHL doesn't need US TV anyway, they are now self-supporting. But a bigger US market wouldn't hurt. HOwever, the NHL is already planted in all the major TV markets except maybe Houston.

But Quebec City would be a guaranteed market if they can work the business side of it out (casino). I would love to see that as a Habs fan. It would also regenerate interest in hockey in Quebec, which has been dramatically falling for some time now.

Even as a dual citizen, a major US TV contract isn't such a big deal to me. The game is fine as it is. With Texas now growing into a major hockey state, I think the future will take care of itself.
 

HandshakeLine

A real jerk thing
Nov 9, 2005
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According to the last census there is roughly 2,358,695 people in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Quebec City's metropolitan area only has about 717,600 according to 2005 figures. How is Quebec City a bigger market?

I'd like to note that, with a few exceptions in the early '00s, Pittsburgh sees at least 15,000 per homegame, on average. Not too shabby, attendence-wise, especially compared to the other US hockey markets.
 

72projectmgr

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May 3, 2006
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72projectmgr

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May 3, 2006
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habitué said:
There will be a press conference Wedenesday morning at 10 in Quebec City about a huge project of bringing back a NHL team in town.

According to rumors, the group of investors - among whom Guy laliberté, the owner of Cirque du Soleil - would build a new complex, including a Casino and a theatre for a Cirque's permanent show.

That group would like to attrack the Pittsburg Penguins which still seem to have problems getting a new arena in Pittsburg.

Can you just imagine Crosby and Malkin in a "Nordiques" uniform ? And Patrick Roy as a co-owner/DG/ or coach ?

If they can get +12,000 fans for a Junior team, there is no doubt, they can fill a 18,000-19,000 arena for a NHL team of their own . Especially with a Crosby in the line up !

I wonder if Pittsburgh even know?

PITTSBURGH -- Ray Shero is the Pittsburgh Penguins' new general manager, signing a five-year contract Thursday after the Nashville Predators assistant general manager broke off talks with the Boston Bruins.

Shero replaces Hall of Fame executive Craig Patrick, whose contract was not renewed in April after 16-plus years on the job.
"I think I'm ready for it; I've had 14 years as an assistant [GM]," Shero said. "I'm thrilled to get this thing going."
The 43-year-old Shero is the son of former Stanley Cup-winning coach Fred Shero of the Philadelphia Flyers. The younger Shero spent eight years with Nashville after serving as Ottawa's assistant general manager for seven years.
Shero was a player agent before becoming a front-office executive. In college, he was a two-time captain for St. Lawrence University.
The Penguins, two-time Stanley Cup winners with Patrick as GM in 1991 and 1992, are coming off four consecutive last-place finishes in their division. They have won no more than 28 games in any season since reaching the Eastern Conference finals in 2001, following a series of salary-shedding moves that included star Jaromir Jagr.
The Penguins tried to rebuild after the one-year labor shutdown with older free agents and spent millions last year on Sergei Gonchar, Mark Recchi, John LeClair and Ziggy Palffy, with little return. Shero said his goal is long-term building, rather than a one-season fix to reach the playoffs.
"You have to have a vision, a plan -- and patience," Shero said. "And with the new [NHL] collective bargaining agreement, it doesn't have to take that long. If you look at the four conference finalists [Buffalo, Carolina Edmonton and Anaheim], none of them were in the playoffs the last time."
Shero said any executive would be excited to take over a team led by 18-year-old Sidney Crosby and former No. 1 pick Marc-Andre Fleury, with young Russian star Evgeni Malkin -- the No. 2 pick in 2004 -- expected to arrive next season. But he said the Penguins need more depth and more third- and fourth-line players willing to do the hard work.
Shero was hired after Penguins president Ken Sawyer conducted a one-man search to fill the position, declining to comment on all candidates. Initially, Shero was apprehensive about taking over a club with a coach -- Michel Therrien -- already in place with a multiyear contract but now is comfortable with the situation. Therrien took over in December after former coach Eddie Olczyk was let go following a terrible start.
"There have been so many changes, with players, management and coaches, they need some stability here," Shero said. "I think I can work well ... with Michel. My feeling is we can win a Stanley Cup together."
While in Nashville, Shero oversaw the Milwaukee Admirals minor-league club and was involved in contract negotiations, scouting and various day-to-day club operations. He has been pushed for a general manager's job by Nashville GM David Poile.
"There's a sense he's ready," Sawyer said. "Everyone around the league was saying he's the guy."
Shero appeared ready to take the Bruins' general manager job earlier this week, but talks may have broken down over compensation and authority issues. Shero is expected to be given wide latitude involving player issues in Pittsburgh, where Patrick was always in charge of all player acquisitions.
Shero did not say he chose the Penguins over the Bruins but suggested he felt more comfortable working for Sawyer and owner Mario Lemieux. Shero becomes the ninth general manager in Penguins history.
Shero said he doesn't want to hear any players complaining about the Penguins' arena issue -- they have sought a new building for years -- or the team's possible sale or talk the club may have to relocate if no arena is built.
"I want to be in Pittsburgh. I want to be here for a long time," he said.
 

tinyzombies

Registered User
Dec 24, 2002
16,827
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Montreal, QC, Canada
ChitownExile said:
According to the last census there is roughly 2,358,695 people in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Quebec City's metropolitan area only has about 717,600 according to 2005 figures. How is Quebec City a bigger market?

I'd like to note that, with a few exceptions in the early '00s, Pittsburgh sees at least 15,000 per homegame, on average. Not too shabby, attendence-wise, especially compared to the other US hockey markets.

Yeah, but the area around Quebec are full of viable hockey fans as well. Any new arena in Quebec wouldn't have a problem selling out.

I've heard that you can get a seat in Pittsburgh for $6 and that the arena is always empty. You just buy a cheap ticket and move down (which bites into their profit twice if you think about it). Kind of contradicts the official NHL numbers. They do the same thing with Jersey. That place is always empty, and I mean EMPTY.

But I can't blame the fans in Pittsburgh at all. Who wants to watch bad hockey? Though that will soon change presumably.
 

bleedgreen

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Dec 8, 2003
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i dont think the pens are moving at all. i bet they stay right where they are, making all the kansas/quebec/hartford etc babble useless until someone else makes up an article about a team in financial trouble.
 

Beatnik

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Sep 2, 2002
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Thibaj said:
There's a link:

http://www2.canoe.com/sports/nouvelles/archives/2006/05/20060531-132454.html

The link of the project:

http://www.quebeclnh.com/

Is it a serious project? The man behind this project is not really known, do not have any money (at least for now) and starts with an internet petition... We'll see.


No it's not serious. Serious people don't announce a press conference without any money. They annouced the press conference on the same day that the local junior team won the Championship and is about to celebrate. Talk about giving people false hope.

A journalist said in the press conference: "It's the first time I go to a press conference where nothing new is annouced"

What the city needs is a new arena, not a new petition...
 

Killiecrankie*

Guest
raketheleaves said:
Yeah, but the area around Quebec are full of viable hockey fans as well. Any new arena in Quebec wouldn't have a problem selling out.

I've heard that you can get a seat in Pittsburgh for $6 and that the arena is always empty. You just buy a cheap ticket and move down (which bites into their profit twice if you think about it). Kind of contradicts the official NHL numbers. They do the same thing with Jersey. That place is always empty, and I mean EMPTY.

But I can't blame the fans in Pittsburgh at all. Who wants to watch bad hockey? Though that will soon change presumably.
What the hell are you talking about dude? The cheapest seats are like 25$ or something and you can get them from scalpers for an even 20 if you wait until the game starts. As for moving down are you crazy, this isnt baseball, There are attendants that check your ticket-AND most of the bottom rows are filled-in fact the only area that isnt filled is the so called igloo club(corporate sector) So get your facts strait before you post please-and stop swooping around my team like birds of prey saying"oh the penguins are going here" "oh wait they should go there".... At least have the decency to wait untill the off chance that they are confirmed to be moving to speculate. Do I think Quebec should have an NHL team-probably. But why do you think you deserve my team?
 

HandshakeLine

A real jerk thing
Nov 9, 2005
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raketheleaves said:
Yeah, but the area around Quebec are full of viable hockey fans as well. Any new arena in Quebec wouldn't have a problem selling out.

I've heard that you can get a seat in Pittsburgh for $6 and that the arena is always empty. You just buy a cheap ticket and move down (which bites into their profit twice if you think about it). Kind of contradicts the official NHL numbers. They do the same thing with Jersey. That place is always empty, and I mean EMPTY.

But I can't blame the fans in Pittsburgh at all. Who wants to watch bad hockey? Though that will soon change presumably.

What you heard and the reality of the Pens are two completely different things.

For starters, the metropolitan area of Pittsburgh (primarily Butler and Allegheny counties) alone is nearly 25% of Quebec's total population. And considering that 3.5 million is the estimated total of the Montreal metropolitan area, I don't know where your "new" fans are coming from, because the Habs already have quite a fan base. Secondly, the number of counties in Ohio, West Virginia, and PA that are within an hour of Pittsburgh probably would add a couple hundred thousand to the available market for the Pens. That might push the possible market for the Pens to well over the 2.5 million mark.

According to the numbers this year, the Pens averaged 15,804 people per game, which is over 90% capacity. For the second WORST club in the NHL. Season ticket prices, while lower than Detroit and NYR, for example, are still not bottom-of-the-barrel. In fact, the biggest problem with the Pens' finances isn't attendence or merchandising, but a terrible lease on an outdated facility. Fix that, and I'm willing to bet the Pens turn a profit a few years into a new lease.

Also, Pittsburgh had the second highest TV ratings in the US, out of all American teams, second to Detroit. I don't see a new team out of Quebec commanding nearly that amount of brand recognition, even with Crosby and Malkin.

I'd love to see Quebec with a team again, but to say that Quebec City is a more viable hockey market than Pittsburgh is absurd when looking at the numbers. It's purely Canadian bias.
 

Phil Parent

Sorel, 'fant d'chienne!
Feb 4, 2005
15,833
5,666
Sorel-Tracy, Quebec
Can't wait to listen to the later afternoon sports show on CKAC in Montreal. This "Press Conference" will be panned heavilly.

Its announcement wasn't met with great enthusiasm anyway. Michel Villeneuve responded with a hearty "QUI?!" (WHO?) when the name of the main guy in the project was mentionned.

Fact of the matter is, if Mayoress Boucher stays in office, there won't be a new arena. And if Marcel Aubut is not involved and he's not, there won't be a team.
 

Luigi Lemieux

Registered User
Sep 26, 2003
21,439
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last 5 years of nordiques attendance.

Quebec Nordiques 1989-90 40 603,193 15,080
Quebec Nordiques 1990-91 40 567,762 14,194
Quebec Nordiques 1991-92 40 558,967 13,974
Quebec Nordiques 1992-93 41 613,479 14,963
Quebec Nordiques 1993-94 41 600,695 14,651

that is with a 15,700+ arena. if quebec was such a great market you would think they'd be able to sell out their games.

last 5 years of penguins attendance.

Pittsburgh Penguins 2000-01 41 669,806 16,337
Pittsburgh Penguins 2001-02 41 641,615 15,649
Pittsburgh Penguins 2002-03 41 604,728 14,749
Pittsburgh Penguins 2003-04 41 486,961 11,877
Pittsburgh Penguins 2005-06 41 647,975 15,804

i don't see how it's a better market than pittsburgh. going from pittsburgh to quebec would be a backwards move for the nhl. you all pimping quebec are just showing your canadian bias.
 

iamcaper

Registered User
ChitownExile said:
According to the last census there is roughly 2,358,695 people in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Quebec City's metropolitan area only has about 717,600 according to 2005 figures. How is Quebec City a bigger market?

I'd like to note that, with a few exceptions in the early '00s, Pittsburgh sees at least 15,000 per homegame, on average. Not too shabby, attendence-wise, especially compared to the other US hockey markets.

By this statement, and I"m not trying to pick a fight, Edmonton, with it's 660,000 people in the city, isn't a decent hockey market either.

The fact is, the Quebec Nordiques average attendance was higher than that of the Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Washiington Capitals, Chicago BLack Hawks, and NY Islanders. Here are some links for proof.

http://www.kenn.com/sports/hockey/nhl/nhl_col_attendance.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/attendance?year=2006

The Winnipeg Jets average attendance was on par with both the NY Islanders and the Chicago Black Hawks.
 

Phil Parent

Sorel, 'fant d'chienne!
Feb 4, 2005
15,833
5,666
Sorel-Tracy, Quebec
And here's what RDS has to say on the matter (Translated from RDS.ca article.)

Always Dreaming About The NHL In Quebec City

Wednesday, May 31th 2006 - QUEBEC CITY (CP) - With no funds whatsoever, a Quebec City businessman, Mark Charest, believes he can bring back a National Hockey League (NHL) team in the capital, simply with an online petition.

"There's no project if we can't show the people's interest." explained the founding president of the LNH Quebec committee Wednesday in a well-attended press conference at the Colisee De Quebec.

A little known figure in the business circles, an unknown for the general public, Mark Charest presented the results of a "Feasibility Study", without being able to give copies of it to the journalists, which would prove the viability of an NHL team playing in the obsolete amphitheatre located in the borough of Limoilou.

A modest investment of 25 millions $ would be largely sufficient to bring the Colisee back in a condition to host an NHL franchise, claimed the man who touts himself as an expert in event organization.

According to Mr. Charest, 70 people are working "In The Shadows" since 2004 to open the way to the comeback of the NHL in Quebec City.

This committee includes some former employees of the defunct Nordiques but no former stockholders, neither does it includes former team president Marcel Aubut, or the Tanguay family, or any visible businessmen of Quebec City.

"Mr. Aubut is aware of our project and he's not against." said Mr. Charest, who worked brieftly for the Nordiques in the Marketing Team.

Convinced of the feasibility of an NHL return in Quebec City, the committee has no financial guarantees whatsoever to acquire a team.

Even if there has been "Serious approach with investors", it is not yet time to talk about money, said Mr. Charest.

For now, the comittee's sole activity is the launch of a website -quebeclnh.com- where visitors are invited to sign an online petition in favor of the return of Quebec City in the circles of big league hockey.

The objective is to gather 500,000 signatures between now and the end of October.

"All investors will tell you: They want to know if the population is ready to support the club" said the president of the committee.

------------------------

In other news, the man is being interviewed on CKAC...and as expected....he's gonna get panned.
 

petrskudra1

Registered User
Jun 14, 2005
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Pittsburgh
I want to bring up a topic that was discussed on the Tim Benz show on ESPN Radio in Pittsburgh about a month ago. Benz was talking about hockey cities and was ranking the top hockey cities IN THE USA.
Benz allowed the listeners to also call in and voice their opinion.
Benz's arguement was that Pittsburgh could easily be in the top 5 or 6 best hockey cities. Benz rated these cities on hardcore base following, and television ratings. Maybe another topic too, excuse me for trying to remember a radio show from a month ago.
He ranked them as the following I believe:

1. Detroit
2. Minnesota
3. Colorado
4. Philadelphia
5. Pittsburgh

If any fellow Pittsburghers remember hearing such a thing your comments would be very welcomed
 

HandshakeLine

A real jerk thing
Nov 9, 2005
47,759
31,603
Praha, CZ
iamcaper said:
By this statement, and I"m not trying to pick a fight, Edmonton, with it's 660,000 people in the city, isn't a decent hockey market either.

The fact is, the Quebec Nordiques average attendance was higher than that of the Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues, Washiington Capitals, Chicago BLack Hawks, and NY Islanders. Here are some links for proof.

http://www.kenn.com/sports/hockey/nhl/nhl_col_attendance.html

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/attendance?year=2006

The Winnipeg Jets average attendance was on par with both the NY Islanders and the Chicago Black Hawks.

No, I'd actually agree that Edmonton is a good hockey town. And Chicago, again, is proof that a large market doesn't always make for good attendence. But it's foolish to say that that any American team would automatically do better in a Candian city, especially a smaller one with similar financial problems.
 

Finest

Puck Fittsburg
May 15, 2006
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I dont know, living in New York and close to NYC, I would have to say that New York deserves to be on that top 5. From what I hear from my freinds up in Buffalo, its getting huge again up there, and when the rangers made the playoffs this year(as short of a run as it may have been) I saw allot more jerseys out in public areas and resturants/bars showing the games. I find it hard to belive(although not saying your lying or anything like that, just a personal opinion) that New York being one if not the largest sports towns/states isnt in the top 5 :dunno: .......

On this topic,if pittsburg where to lose the pen's, it would hurt the NHL imencly, so for that reason alone, i dont see it happening. You take out a established franchise and move it to Kansas city/or back to quebec???? I dont see it happening sorry
 

Killiecrankie*

Guest
Ya ive been to NY a lot and yes they are a great hockey market-people dont realize that all 8 million or how many new yorkers are not going to be die hard fans of hockey- and because of the fact that a large majority dont know much about hockey that NY doesnt care. Ive been to bars on hockey night and you will find fans as diehard as in montreal or toronto(yep been to both also great cities). Ive always loved a trip there to watch my pens and have some (friendy of course) banter with the local ny fans. As for Quebec I seriously hope they do return for I know that would be a great market. Seriously though I miss their jerseys haha.
 

Blades of Glory

Troll Captain
Feb 12, 2006
18,401
6
California
San Jose has only drawn less than 17,000 fans (the capacity of the Tank is 17496) twice in 11 years at the Shark Tank. Those were the last two years, and they drew 16,800 average this year.

Without a new arena this plan is useless.
 

skullman80

Registered User
Nov 18, 2005
4,088
2
Pittsburgh, Pa
If the Pens leave, and that's a HUGE IF, it will never be because of lack of fan support.

Pittsburgh is a hockey town, and has proved it time and time again.

If the Pens leave it's because the politicians have the fix in.
 

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