passemoelapuck
Registered User
- Apr 8, 2016
- 1
- 1
Hello guys,
I know that some of you are both nervous and frustrated by the current rumours about moving the Canes to Quebec City. And I do understand your pain.
I live and grew up in Quebec City and in June 1995, I lost the team I cheered for all my life (even if they were SO BAD for all my teenage years). There were speculations, biased comments and it was hard to understand for some months what was true and what was not.
I do not wish that the Canes move to my Quebec City. I will be honest, I know the pain it causes and I am very sympathic to fans in a struggling market. Don't get me wrong, we want our team back, but I was looking forward stealing one or two players from your team in an upcoming expansion draft instead.
I figured out that you guys have untranslated info, rumours that you cannot fully judge or decide easily what is credible or not…
After reading a previous post about all that confusion, I would offer you my help answering any questions on the rumours you hear and what is being discussed right now. (If you can forgive my typos. Yeah, I am French Canadian and my English is rusty).
1. Where do the rumours come from?
To comment on a recently closed topic, I do agree that the main cause of the current situation is the media, overzealous when it comes to anything hockey related. The current sources of the rumors are local media, especially Quebec City local radio stations. Is it credible info? Yes and no. They were sure that the Coyotes would move to Quebec City a few years ago. They are “talking radiosâ€, with info 24/7, so their sources are often minimal, if not purely circumstantial. And the Montreal Canadiens really suck, so a new team in Qc City (with the upcoming expansion results coming in) is an important topic to discuss.
But they do cover a lot of ground and have some interesting contacts.
2. Is it credible info?
Something I did not see discussed here is the quality of some info. According to some, there are proofs that Karmanos or his staff visited Quebec City in the last year.
What is being analysed by some is the flight patterns. Quebec City has a small airport. Raleigh has a small airport. We know the codes for the planes owned by the NHL. Teterboro (Bettman) is a small airport. Trois-Rivières, a possible AHL candidate for a team in Quebec City, has been visited. It is well documented that were a lot of traffic during last March. This is not a rumour, there were a lot of converging flights in Fall and during Spring. And it is what drives the more credible rumours right now.
3. So all this comes from speculative information?
Of course. But a lot sees the exact pattern from the Atlanta to Winnipeg case a few years ago: Flights patterns; NHL officials’ interviews; upgrading existing facilities to specific NHL standards (especially weird when the arena is brand new); more credible sources in the Canadian and American media hinting that something might be brewing.
4. What is the main rumour?
Some say it is a done deal, that Karmanos keeps a minority of shares and moves the team to Quebec City. The majority of shares would belong to Quebecor, a media with some sport channels. They keep Quebec in the East, Las Vegas for a 31st team (expansion) and waiting for Seattle to get organized (expansion). Some say that an announcement is imminent (Winnipeg was May 31st).
But a lot of people do not see it happening.
I am one of them. In the newspaper this morning, Karmanos gave a great interview, a "no, the team won't move. I am so tired of those stupid rumours" kind of interview that you do not give a few weeks before moving your team out. Karmanos also said that the last time he went to Quebec City was during his son's hockey tournament (Quebec has a huge minor league hockey tournament) and last time he went to Montreal, it was two years ago.
5. Is the Quebec Nordiques a big deal in Quebec City?
Still a religion. There are no rivality that can compare between the Habs and the Nordiques. We still argue about a disallowed goal during the 1987 playoffs. I bought a Quebec Nordiques pyjama last week to my baby girl. I broke up with a girl because she was an avid Habs fan. And yeah, my grandmother knows the difference between a 2-minute penality for boarding and a 5-minute penality for charging.
Hockey is in our genes. It is an important part of our national identity. Hockey players like Maurice Richard or Peter Stastny are national heroes.
And yeah, it did really suck when the Avs won the Cup the year they left.
------
If you have any question about what is being discussed right now, I would be happy to discuss it with you.
I know that some of you are both nervous and frustrated by the current rumours about moving the Canes to Quebec City. And I do understand your pain.
I live and grew up in Quebec City and in June 1995, I lost the team I cheered for all my life (even if they were SO BAD for all my teenage years). There were speculations, biased comments and it was hard to understand for some months what was true and what was not.
I do not wish that the Canes move to my Quebec City. I will be honest, I know the pain it causes and I am very sympathic to fans in a struggling market. Don't get me wrong, we want our team back, but I was looking forward stealing one or two players from your team in an upcoming expansion draft instead.
I figured out that you guys have untranslated info, rumours that you cannot fully judge or decide easily what is credible or not…
After reading a previous post about all that confusion, I would offer you my help answering any questions on the rumours you hear and what is being discussed right now. (If you can forgive my typos. Yeah, I am French Canadian and my English is rusty).
1. Where do the rumours come from?
To comment on a recently closed topic, I do agree that the main cause of the current situation is the media, overzealous when it comes to anything hockey related. The current sources of the rumors are local media, especially Quebec City local radio stations. Is it credible info? Yes and no. They were sure that the Coyotes would move to Quebec City a few years ago. They are “talking radiosâ€, with info 24/7, so their sources are often minimal, if not purely circumstantial. And the Montreal Canadiens really suck, so a new team in Qc City (with the upcoming expansion results coming in) is an important topic to discuss.
But they do cover a lot of ground and have some interesting contacts.
2. Is it credible info?
Something I did not see discussed here is the quality of some info. According to some, there are proofs that Karmanos or his staff visited Quebec City in the last year.
What is being analysed by some is the flight patterns. Quebec City has a small airport. Raleigh has a small airport. We know the codes for the planes owned by the NHL. Teterboro (Bettman) is a small airport. Trois-Rivières, a possible AHL candidate for a team in Quebec City, has been visited. It is well documented that were a lot of traffic during last March. This is not a rumour, there were a lot of converging flights in Fall and during Spring. And it is what drives the more credible rumours right now.
3. So all this comes from speculative information?
Of course. But a lot sees the exact pattern from the Atlanta to Winnipeg case a few years ago: Flights patterns; NHL officials’ interviews; upgrading existing facilities to specific NHL standards (especially weird when the arena is brand new); more credible sources in the Canadian and American media hinting that something might be brewing.
4. What is the main rumour?
Some say it is a done deal, that Karmanos keeps a minority of shares and moves the team to Quebec City. The majority of shares would belong to Quebecor, a media with some sport channels. They keep Quebec in the East, Las Vegas for a 31st team (expansion) and waiting for Seattle to get organized (expansion). Some say that an announcement is imminent (Winnipeg was May 31st).
But a lot of people do not see it happening.
I am one of them. In the newspaper this morning, Karmanos gave a great interview, a "no, the team won't move. I am so tired of those stupid rumours" kind of interview that you do not give a few weeks before moving your team out. Karmanos also said that the last time he went to Quebec City was during his son's hockey tournament (Quebec has a huge minor league hockey tournament) and last time he went to Montreal, it was two years ago.
5. Is the Quebec Nordiques a big deal in Quebec City?
Still a religion. There are no rivality that can compare between the Habs and the Nordiques. We still argue about a disallowed goal during the 1987 playoffs. I bought a Quebec Nordiques pyjama last week to my baby girl. I broke up with a girl because she was an avid Habs fan. And yeah, my grandmother knows the difference between a 2-minute penality for boarding and a 5-minute penality for charging.
Hockey is in our genes. It is an important part of our national identity. Hockey players like Maurice Richard or Peter Stastny are national heroes.
And yeah, it did really suck when the Avs won the Cup the year they left.
------
If you have any question about what is being discussed right now, I would be happy to discuss it with you.
