Quebec City potential owner PKP talks to the Washington Post

[Frenchy]

Exactly what I was thinking. They are not going to want an owner who is this brash. Could very well be they are willing to go to Quebec City, just not with this guy as the owner. I no very little about Quebec City, except Vieux Quebec is pretty cool, but is there another person with the financial means that would be required to own an NHL team? Is there another group? I know he owns the arena, which would be another hurdle for someone else.

The Desmarais Family with Guy Laliberté ( le Cirque du Soleil )... and Patrick Roy. Back then they were rumored to be the other group interested to bring the NHL back.

 

[MNNumbers]

The Desmarais Family with Guy Laliberté ( le Cirque du Soleil )... and Patrick Roy. Back then they were rumored to be the other group interested to bring the NHL back.

Is not that the same group which also put in a bid to develop LeBreton in Ottawa?

 

[Frenchy]

Is not that the same group which also put in a bid to develop LeBreton in Ottawa?

yes ( without Roy this time )

 

[Headshot77]

I think you'll see Arizona move to Houston. They stay in the central (which they will be forced into after the Seattle expansion anyway), and they move into a larger media market (the only reason Arizona still has a team is because of how large of a media market it is, IMO).

Then you'll maybe see Ottawa relocate to QC, and then I think the league would be fairly set. I think it would take a lot for any other teams to be serious relocation risks. Carolina and Florida are locked in place for a while, and NYI has their arena situation figured out. So, I think that would be your league for the foreseeable future.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

So does Fertitta's 'Hockey struggles south of the Mason-Dixon Line' comment get him in trouble by Bettman and co. too?

They never bid for expansion team so...

 

[Megaterio Llamas]

the only way i see Quebec joining NHL before Seattle , its only if Ottawa sells and move to QC which would make sense because Melnyk is a disaster

I agree. I think Quebec's only chance is as a landing spot for a failed Ottawa franchise.

 

[MikeCubs]

I guess I was trying to think of an alternative for the Panthers if hockey is not viable long term in Sunrise and if the team was not welcome in Miami for various reasons. Perhaps Atlanta or Birmingham could be considered as it would keep the team in the U.S. southeast and continue to be a geographical rival to Tampa Bay and Carolina.

I don't see Atlanta unfortunately. The renovations the new owners did made the arena less hockey compatible(see the bar area behind the hoop). Atlanta Spirit nuked/salted the market. You'd have to let a ton of time pass before you try again. Someday I bet they will given the size.

Birmingham is only 1.3M CSA, is barely growing, has only 3 fortune 1000 companies and would be the smallest US market other than Buffalo(Buffalo gets to draw across the boarder). Don't see the NHL going for it though the no competition thing is nice.

If the Panthers move how about Quebec?

 

[nhlfan79]

I don't see Atlanta unfortunately. The renovations the new owners did made the arena less hockey compatible(see the bar area behind the hoop). Atlanta Spirit nuked/salted the market. You'd have to let a ton of time pass before you try again. Someday I bet they will given the size.

That courtside bar area is fully moveable. In fact, it is regularly moved for full-house concerts. There may be impediments to Atlanta being in the NHL discussion, but the bar isn't one of them.

 

[NorthCoast]

I think you'll see Arizona move to Houston. They stay in the central (which they will be forced into after the Seattle expansion anyway), and they move into a larger media market (the only reason Arizona still has a team is because of how large of a media market it is, IMO).

Then you'll maybe see Ottawa relocate to QC, and then I think the league would be fairly set. I think it would take a lot for any other teams to be serious relocation risks. Carolina and Florida are locked in place for a while, and NYI has their arena situation figured out. So, I think that would be your league for the foreseeable future.

0% chance of the Sens moving to QC.

Melnyk would be the same trainwreck in QC, plus, if he doesn't have the money for Ottawa's new stadium then he doesn't have the money to buy the stadium in QC and the relocation fee.

If he sells, then the new owner will keep it in Ottawa since the opportunity for the new stadium downtown plus surrounding commercial business, plus it's a bigger market, is a better business opportunity, etc. Never mind the opposition from Montreal.

 

[MNNumbers]

Just for clarification, I think that I remember that in QC, the city owns the arena, but Quebecor has managing rights.

And, I believe those managing rights are not lucrative in the absence of a hockey team.

In the case of Melnyk trying to move there, it seems unlikely to me that Quebecor would give them a decent lease. So, they would have to purchase the management rights. I'm not sure how that would go.

Alternatively, they could move and then sell, but it seems far more likely to simply sell in the city of Ottawa.

 

[sawchuk1971]

they built the arena 20 years too late.....

even though i would like to see quebec back in the nhl, there is no chance for that city to get a nhl team...

 

[sawchuk1971]

Alright 2nd smallest. Greenbay is a very unique situation that only works in football.

the green bay packers are a publicly owned team....

 

[Slashers98]

Melnyk could simply sell 51% of the Senators to Quebecor and remain as a minority owner. It's not really complicated.

 

[DowntownBooster]

I don't see Atlanta unfortunately. The renovations the new owners did made the arena less hockey compatible(see the bar area behind the hoop). Atlanta Spirit nuked/salted the market. You'd have to let a ton of time pass before you try again. Someday I bet they will given the size.

Birmingham is only 1.3M CSA, is barely growing, has only 3 fortune 1000 companies and would be the smallest US market other than Buffalo(Buffalo gets to draw across the boarder). Don't see the NHL going for it though the no competition thing is nice.

If the Panthers move how about Quebec?

Although there are obstacles to another team in Atlanta, I agree that given the size of the market, it cannot be ruled out in the future. They need an owner that would be committed to the fans there.

In regards to Birmingham, while it might only have 3 fortune 1000 companies and would be the smallest US market, if the NHL were ever to go there, it would be the only major league game in town as there would be no competition from the NBA, NFL or MLB.

The discussion to move the Florida Panthers may be a moot point anyway depending on how committed Sunrise Sports and Entertainment & Vincent Viola are to keeping hockey in Sunrise. There really hasn't been any indication that ownership is looking to sell or relocate the team.

 

[edog37]

the green bay packers are a publicly owned team....

they were grandfathered. Publicly owned teams are no longer a thing...

 

[HisIceness]

I guess I was trying to think of an alternative for the Panthers if hockey is not viable long term in Sunrise and if the team was not welcome in Miami for various reasons. Perhaps Atlanta or Birmingham could be considered as it would keep the team in the U.S. southeast and continue to be a geographical rival to Tampa Bay and Carolina.

I'm not sure how many Alabama posters we have here but I've been to Birmingham. I don't see how that city can support any kind of major league sport.

The NHL wouldn't give Birmingham the time of day, especially with nearby Atlanta having a vacancy.

 

[vanarchy]

the only way i see Quebec joining NHL before Seattle , its only if Ottawa sells and move to QC which would make sense because Melnyk is a disaster

Ottawa is a better market than QC though so what is the sense in that?

The fans didn't choose their owner or that arena in the middle of nowhere.

 

[DowntownBooster]

I'm not sure how many Alabama posters we have here but I've been to Birmingham. I don't see how that city can support any kind of major league sport.

The NHL wouldn't give Birmingham the time of day, especially with nearby Atlanta having a vacancy.

Birmingham was home to the Stallions of the USFL from 1983 to 1985 and the Bulls of the WHA from 1976 to 1979. The fan support of both teams wasn't too bad at the time. I don't disagree with you regarding the NHL not giving consideration to Birmingham as a possible location. I guess the point was to look at alternative locations for the Panthers which would keep the team in the U.S. southeast if it was determined that Sunrise was not feasible long term. My own preference would be for them to remain where they are or in that geographical region.

 

[Galactico]

And, while I tend to think Quebec would work, I don't think the league is at all excited about it.

Quebec and Winnipeg are very close in size.

Quebec would add little to anyone else in the league except solving a problem.

It's a distance off yet

I don’t know why people keep on saying that Quebec City would be the smallest market in the NHL when the city has a metro population of 800 000 people while Winnipeg has a metro population of 778 000 people.

Also, at least 1/3 of the Province would be rooting for Quebec. That is 2.8M people, twice the entire population the province of Mannitoba.

 

[HisIceness]

Birmingham was home to the Stallions of the USFL from 1983 to 1985 and the Bulls of the WHA from 1976 to 1979. The fan support of both teams wasn't too bad at the time. I don't disagree with you regarding the NHL not giving consideration to Birmingham as a possible location. I guess the point was to look at alternative locations for the Panthers which would keep the team in the U.S. southeast if it was determined that Sunrise was not feasible long term. My own preference would be for them to remain where they are or in that geographical region.

I think in the Panthers case, they are in the area they need to be in. Some of their fans have mentioned that Miami would be a disaster and would possibly off many of their long-time customers and I believe them.

While South Florida is notoriously fickle for supporting their teams, the Panthers haven't been a team worth seeing night in and night out for years. Give them more consistent seasons like 2012 and 2016 and they should be fine.

I also agree that I would like to see them remain where they are. I'm of the opinion that they have one of the most underrated jobs in professional sports. No income tax, lots of beautiful women of all nationalities walking around in bikinis, the beaches, can golf year round, the warm weather, and don't have to put up with overbearing sports fans and media constantly calling for your head. If I were an NHL player I'd love that.

 

[Mightygoose]

they built the arena 20 years too late.....

even though i would like to see quebec back in the nhl, there is no chance for that city to get a nhl team...

At times, I think they built it about 10 years too early

In the next decade, allot of arenas that we're opened in the 90s will hit that 30 year mark where either major renovations or new buildings will be 'required' and more leases will either expire or have out clauses coming up, opening more doors than there are now.

 

[DowntownBooster]

I don’t know why people keep on saying that Quebec City would be the smallest market in the NHL when the city has a metro population of 800 000 people while Winnipeg has a metro population of 778 000 people.

Also, at least 1/3 of the Province would be rooting for Quebec. That is 2.8M people, twice the entire population the province of Mannitoba.

Just to provide an update to you Galactico regarding Winnipeg's population, Bartley Kives of CBC reported on March 8, 2017 that Statistics Canada indicated the population of the Winnipeg census metropolitan area - the city and nearby municipalities where more than half the population commutes daily for work or school - was estimated to be 811,874 as of July 1, 2016. That's up from 794,729 on Canada Day in 2015. It also edges out Quebec City's metropolitan population, which Statistics Canada pegged at 807,211 on July 1, 2016. The Winnipeg metropolitan population (according to Stats Canada) is the seventh-largest in Canada.

In regards to 1/3 of the province voting for Quebec, that's a little bit of speculation. After all, it's been 23 years since the Nordiques last played in Quebec. A new generation has grown up without them.

 

[MikeCubs]

Blackouts were a problem years ago, to be fair
Dolphins plan to do 'everything we can' to prevent TV blackouts in 2012
Miami Dolphins take step to avoid TV blackouts

That's fair but it was only a few bad years they had and they were playing with a too big of a stadium with too many upper deck seats most of their history.
2012 was a rare bad year where they averaged 57,379 their lowest since 89. 1991 was bad too with 59,607. In 2011 they average 60,886. Other than than the next lowest they averaged were 63,716 in 1990, 64,072 in 1992.

Overall since 1989 not counting this year and international games they've average 67,901, 65,380 since they renovation was complete 2 years ago which is a hair over capacity. Not bad at all consider the mostly garbage teams they were given.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Ottawa is a better market than QC though so what is the sense in that?

The fans didn't choose their owner or that arena in the middle of nowhere.

Old times old market old history

Tell me how Ottawa is such a better market. All stars played are traded for useless crap , awful team on the ice , closing parts of canadian tire center to make it more empty , half of the time its 60% empty or filled with other team jersey. Traded best franchise player in history for utter garbage.

LHMJQ Quebec Remparts have more viewers than the Senators.

let the joke end.

 

[powerstuck]

Old times old market old history

Tell me how Ottawa is such a better market. All stars played are traded for useless crap , awful team on the ice , closing parts of canadian tire center to make it more empty , half of the time its 60% empty or filled with other team jersey. Traded best franchise player in history for utter garbage.

LHMJQ Quebec Remparts have more viewers than the Senators.

let the joke end.

For once, Ottawa issues are all but because ''of the market''.

Their owner fired competent managers on the team. Their owner sold out best star players because he didn't want to pay them.
Fans are leaving not because of the team or on-ice performance, but because of the said owner.

History will say Chicago had a similar problem.