Quebec still in discussions.

[Masked]

IIRC the Nords 1.0 were the #1 least desireable place to play (remember Eric Lindros?). Not only is it cold and small like those other cities, but it's overwhelmingly French speaking.

Yes, but it's one saving grace compared to the smaller Western Canadian markets is that travel would be much easier for a Quebec team, like it is for all the northern Eastern Conference teams.

 

[Ernie]

Didn't Brian Mulroney claim, when it leaked the team's expansion bid would not succeed, Quebec would have a team by 2024. He stated we just needed to be patient. Do you think a deal was already in the works for Florida to move as soon as it could?

haha the lengths people will go to keep this Quebec City thing alive.

The Panthers re-negotiated their lease just 6 months before Quebec City was rejected for a new franchise. If Mulroney had this kind of information and shared it with the public it certainly wouldn't be with the league's blessing and would almost certainly get him blackballed from any further dealings with the league.

 

[Hockeyholic]

I wonder if having a team in QC would lead to Habs fans switching allegiances. Could put pressure on them too.

 

[Mightygoose]

Didn't Brian Mulroney claim, when it leaked the team's expansion bid would not succeed, Quebec would have a team by 2024. He stated we just needed to be patient. Do you think a deal was already in the works for Florida to move as soon as it could?

Mulroney didn't say anything in regards to a timeline

Quebec City unlikely to land NHL expansion team now, per Mulroney

"Eventually, we will have a team in Quebec, I think, but it will not be for tomorrow,” Quebecor chairman of the board Brian Mulroney told La Presse (translated).

Obviously he said earlier than 'yesterday'.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Yes, but it's one saving grace compared to the smaller Western Canadian markets is that travel would be much easier for a Quebec team, like it is for all the northern Eastern Conference teams.

It would be the least attractive Eastern market for players and possibly only behind Winnipeg, Edmonton and Calgary league wide.

IIRC the Nords 1.0 were the #1 least desireable place to play (remember Eric Lindros?). Not only is it cold and small like those other cities, but it's overwhelmingly French speaking.

Yes, but it's one saving grace compared to the smaller Western Canadian markets is that travel would be much easier for a Quebec team, like it is for all the northern Eastern Conference teams.

My next question is: why the push from the fans to put a team there when Jacobs and Bettman are aware of this?

 

[voyageur]

My next question is: why the push from the fans to put a team there when Jacobs and Bettman are aware of this?

Some of those statements are hyperbole. Quebec is the most European like city in Canada. And though it is predominantly French speaking, tourism (specifically from New England) has forced it to adapt to being more anglophone, with "outsiders."

It would have a much easier time attracting players than Winnipeg, and some other small markets, in that it is a beautiful place to live.

It has the main things Bettman wants from a franchise: stable ownership, in the fact that Quebecor is an investor in the NHL already, even though Peladeau is controversial (he may need to step aside to get a franchise), it has a state of the art arena, and it could easily meet a 13 000 season ticket drive to ensure stability.

 

[Yukon Joe]

My next question is: why the push from the fans to put a team there when Jacobs and Bettman are aware of this?

Well the simplest explanation is that the league exists for its fans, not for its players.

As @voyageur points out, it would replace an unstable team with a stable one.

And as a fan of a small market Canadian team (WPG), you don't need to be attractive to every player in the league. You just develop them, or find the players who like what your team has to offer. Multiple players have signed long term in Winnipeg (and Edmonton, and Calgary). Ottawa has its own specific issues right now that have nothing to do with the city.

 

[Stumbledore]

Well the simplest explanation is that the league exists for its fans, not for its players.

As @voyageur points out, it would replace an unstable team with a stable one.

And as a fan of a small market Canadian team (WPG), you don't need to be attractive to every player in the league. You just develop them, or find the players who like what your team has to offer. Multiple players have signed long term in Winnipeg (and Edmonton, and Calgary). Ottawa has its own specific issues right now that have nothing to do with the city.

Yep, excellent point. Especially when so many hockey players, including Americans, grew up playing the game in places with winters just as bad as Edmonton or Winnipeg. And then there's all the players around the league who have families and raved about how Winnipeg was such a great place to raise kids.

My favourite story in this regard though came when the Atlanta Thrashers were sold to Winnipeg. The media descended on the few players they could find in the city and pressed them for quotes about the tragedy that was unfolding and the horrible future that awaited them. Curiously, one of them was goaltender Chris Mason.

One young woman stuck a microphone in his face and asked him how he felt about having to move to such a "frozen, wintery northern city".

Mason looked at her quizzically for a few moments and asked, "You know I'm from Red Deer, right?"

The sweet young thing nodded enthusiastically and pressed, "But the team is moving now to Winnipeg, where its very cold and dark for most of the winter." She pushed the mic closer to him.

Mason looked at her a bit longer, obviously suppressing a smile and said, "Red Deer, Alberta."

Not comprehending but aware she wasn't getting the sound bite she wanted, the reporter turned away to face the camera and began to prattle about how the Thrashers players would now be moving to the dark frozen north and would be.... etc. etc. Mason stood behind her and smirked.

They must have played that clip about a hundred times on Winnipeg television when the news of the sale broke. It still makes me chuckle when I hear people mention all the NMCs that are out there.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Well the simplest explanation is that the league exists for its fans, not for its players.

I would argue the league exists solely for benefit of the owners.

 

[TheLegend]

Yep, excellent point. Especially when so many hockey players, including Americans, grew up playing the game in places with winters just as bad as Edmonton or Winnipeg. And then there's all the players around the league who have families and raved about how Winnipeg was such a great place to raise kids.

My favourite story in this regard though came when the Atlanta Thrashers were sold to Winnipeg. The media descended on the few players they could find in the city and pressed them for quotes about the tragedy that was unfolding and the horrible future that awaited them. Curiously, one of them was goaltender Chris Mason.

One young woman stuck a microphone in his face and asked him how he felt about having to move to such a "frozen, wintery northern city".

Mason looked at her quizzically for a few moments and asked, "You know I'm from Red Deer, right?"

The sweet young thing nodded enthusiastically and pressed, "But the team is moving now to Winnipeg, where its very cold and dark for most of the winter." She pushed the mic closer to him.

Mason looked at her a bit longer, obviously suppressing a smile and said, "Red Deer, Alberta."

Not comprehending but aware she wasn't getting the sound bite she wanted, the reporter turned away to face the camera and began to prattle about how the Thrashers players would now be moving to the dark frozen north and would be.... etc. etc. Mason stood behind her and smirked.

They must have played that clip about a hundred times on Winnipeg television when the news of the sale broke. It still makes me chuckle when I hear people mention all the NMCs that are out there.

Okay...... Now explain the great Canadian migration into Arizona that takes place every winter.

And I’m not talking about geese this time.

 

[Fatass]

Okay...... Now explain the great Canadian migration into Arizona that takes place every winter.

And I’m not talking about geese this time.

I remember reading in a local news paper (maybe 20 years ago?) that in January/February there are up to 1 million Canadians “snow birding” south of the border. One would think at least 15,000 of them could show up to Coyotes’ and Panthers’ games.
The thing is though, in Quebec City there would be 18,000 locals fighting for tickets.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Some of those statements are hyperbole. Quebec is the most European like city in Canada. And though it is predominantly French speaking, tourism (specifically from New England) has forced it to adapt to being more anglophone, with "outsiders."

It would have a much easier time attracting players than Winnipeg, and some other small markets, in that it is a beautiful place to live.

It has the main things Bettman wants from a franchise: stable ownership, in the fact that Quebecor is an investor in the NHL already, even though Peladeau is controversial (he may need to step aside to get a franchise), it has a state of the art arena, and it could easily meet a 13 000 season ticket drive to ensure stability.

Well the simplest explanation is that the league exists for its fans, not for its players.

As @voyageur points out, it would replace an unstable team with a stable one.

And as a fan of a small market Canadian team (WPG), you don't need to be attractive to every player in the league. You just develop them, or find the players who like what your team has to offer. Multiple players have signed long term in Winnipeg (and Edmonton, and Calgary). Ottawa has its own specific issues right now that have nothing to do with the city.

Yep, excellent point. Especially when so many hockey players, including Americans, grew up playing the game in places with winters just as bad as Edmonton or Winnipeg. And then there's all the players around the league who have families and raved about how Winnipeg was such a great place to raise kids.

My favourite story in this regard though came when the Atlanta Thrashers were sold to Winnipeg. The media descended on the few players they could find in the city and pressed them for quotes about the tragedy that was unfolding and the horrible future that awaited them. Curiously, one of them was goaltender Chris Mason.

One young woman stuck a microphone in his face and asked him how he felt about having to move to such a "frozen, wintery northern city".

Mason looked at her quizzically for a few moments and asked, "You know I'm from Red Deer, right?"

The sweet young thing nodded enthusiastically and pressed, "But the team is moving now to Winnipeg, where its very cold and dark for most of the winter." She pushed the mic closer to him.

Mason looked at her a bit longer, obviously suppressing a smile and said, "Red Deer, Alberta."

Not comprehending but aware she wasn't getting the sound bite she wanted, the reporter turned away to face the camera and began to prattle about how the Thrashers players would now be moving to the dark frozen north and would be.... etc. etc. Mason stood behind her and smirked.

They must have played that clip about a hundred times on Winnipeg television when the news of the sale broke. It still makes me chuckle when I hear people mention all the NMCs that are out there.

Here's the thing. If Bettman and the owners, think that is an issue, then that has factored in to the decisions not to have a team there. Players that are not elite sign in Edmonton and Calgary. Other then Tavares, the last big free agent to move north was Alex Mogilny...in 2001. Pronger, Trouba, wanted out after a long team. Also, the Canadian media is brutal. Look what's happening to Gaudreau right now. A guy who scored 99 points a year ago.

 

[TheLegend]

I remember reading in a local news paper (maybe 20 years ago?) that in January/February there are up to 1 million Canadians “snow birding” south of the border. One would think at least 15,000 of them could show up to Coyotes’ and Panthers’ games.
The thing is though, in Quebec City there would be 18,000 locals fighting for tickets.

Good.... then they should’ve had no problem getting the 32nd team granted to them back when they applied along with Vegas. Right??

But..... it didn’t happen.

Which was unfortunate because I was actually hoping they would have succeeded.

 

[voyageur]

Here's the thing. If Bettman and the owners, think that is an issue, then that has factored in to the decisions not to have a team there. Players that are not elite sign in Edmonton and Calgary. Other then Tavares, the last big free agent to move north was Alex Mogilny...in 2001. Pronger, Trouba, wanted out after a long team. Also, the Canadian media is brutal. Look what's happening to Gaudreau right now. A guy who scored 99 points a year ago.

Montreal has had no trouble signing free agents. They just haven't signed good ones, though Kovalchuk was pretty good for them. Vancouver has brought in some good ones. Maybe Patrice Bergeron would like to retire in his hometown, you can't say that Canadian teams are not competitive in the market, they do lose out in the taxation aspect.

 

[Stumbledore]

Okay...... Now explain the great Canadian migration into Arizona that takes place every winter.

And I’m not talking about geese this time.

Not sure what there is to explain.

Canadians who work at professions other than hockey love to get away from the harsh winter for days, weeks, or months at a time and LOVE to visit warmer climes. Up until recently, it was safer to visit the southern states, especially Florida and Arizona, than it was to venture into Mexico, the Caribbean or Latin American countries. Hence the great migration into Arizona. Heck, some of us even bought properties there.

Canadians who are professional hockey players are amazingly eager to play for an NHL team and won't give a fig for where it's located. For more established players, it's important to have a warmer city, or a bigger city, or a more hip city. (Yep, looking at you, Evander!) My anecdote was to point out that an NHL team in a cold, northern city would not be unattractive to most of the players who grew up in that climate.

Case in point: when Buff was asked about moving to Winnipeg he pointed out that his favourite past time was ice fishing. When Blake Wheeler was asked about moving to Winnipeg, he pointed out that he grew up in Minnesota. When Andrew Ladd was asked, he said it was a great place to raise kids.

Et cetera, et cetera. Totally unrelated to people who flee the winter to hang out in Arizona. And become obsessively fond of McFadden's.

And then there's those weird Americans who travel up to Churchill to enjoy the arctic winter...

 

[Fatass]

Good.... then they should’ve had no problem getting the 32nd team granted to them back when they applied along with Vegas. Right??

But..... it didn’t happen.

Which was unfortunate because I was actually hoping they would have succeeded.

I think moving the Coyotes to Quebec City would be a good financial decision for their owner. I think the other owners will be on board with that now too, because they are all sharing in the league’s current losses. Maybe the other owners don’t have the cash flow currently to keep the Coyotes afloat?

 

[Melrose Munch]

Montreal has had no trouble signing free agents. They just haven't signed good ones, though Kovalchuk was pretty good for them. Vancouver has brought in some good ones. Maybe Patrice Bergeron would like to retire in his hometown, you can't say that Canadian teams are not competitive in the market, they do lose out in the taxation aspect.

Kovalchuk was way over the hill. Remember when Montreal was all Europeans during the koivu era? I'm for Quebec, but I recognize this is an issue. And not surprisingly, a Canadian team has not won in almost 30 years.

I'll give you Vancouver. Vancouver and Toronto are the only teams that ever have a chance.

 

[Stumbledore]

Pronger, Trouba, wanted out after a long team. Also, the Canadian media is brutal. Look what's happening to Gaudreau right now. A guy who scored 99 points a year ago.

Not sure what point you are making.

Chris Pronger had to leave Edmonton because his wife demanded it as a condition of saving his marriage. There are a spectrum of rumours and stories relating to the reason why she demanded it (all of them salacious and involving everything from a TV weather reporter to an under-age dalliance) but the fact of her demanding they move is well documented. Nothing to do with hockey.

Jacob Trouba got engaged in the final year of his Jets contract. His fiancee was accepted into a New York medical school and Trouba asked the Jets for a trade to one of the three teams located within 50 miles of said medical school. Nothing to do with hockey.

The Canadian media really are brutal when it comes to hockey players. Gaudreau gets off easy compared to what the sports writers do in Toronto and Montreal.

 

[Melrose Munch]

Not sure what point you are making.

Chris Pronger had to leave Edmonton because his wife demanded it as a condition of saving his marriage. There are a spectrum of rumours and stories relating to the reason why she demanded it (all of them salacious and involving everything from a TV weather reporter to an under-age dalliance) but the fact of her demanding they move is well documented. Nothing to do with hockey.

Jacob Trouba got engaged in the final year of his Jets contract. His fiancee was accepted into a New York medical school and Trouba asked the Jets for a trade to one of the three teams located within 50 miles of said medical school. Nothing to do with hockey.

The Canadian media really are brutal when it comes to hockey players. Gaudreau gets off easy compared to what the sports writers do in Toronto and Montreal.

The point is will this team have a chance to be good? Or will it remain treadmill status like all the other Canadian teams except for breakout season here and there due to guys refusing to come?

 

[Bondurant]

I think moving the Coyotes to Quebec City would be a good financial decision for their owner. I think the other owners will be on board with that now too, because they are all sharing in the league’s current losses. Maybe the other owners don’t have the cash flow currently to keep the Coyotes afloat?

Thinking is not a reality. The owners have shown that they have no desire to bring hockey back to QC for whatever reason. Even after the pitfalls of COVID how much will moving any franchise, Arizona or otherwise, change anything collectively? I can understand wanting to bring QC back but it's amusing how many obsess over it. It does not matter how many "Move the Coyotes" threads are started it will not happen any time soon.

 

[TheLegend]

I think moving the Coyotes to Quebec City would be a good financial decision for their owner. I think the other owners will be on board with that now too, because they are all sharing in the league’s current losses. Maybe the other owners don’t have the cash flow currently to keep the Coyotes afloat?

I thinking why would it be good for a Cuban-American owner, who’s marketing emphasis is focused towards Hispanics, to relocate his franchise from a 40% Hispanic market to the epicenter of French speaking North America.

Point being there’s no way in Hades he’s going to do that. Not when Houston is potentially available.

 

[Fenway]

I thinking why would it be good for a Cuban-American owner, who’s marketing emphasis is focused towards Hispanics, to relocate his franchise from a 40% Hispanic market to the epicenter of French speaking North America.

Point being there’s no way in Hades he’s going to do that. Not when Houston is potentially available.

IF Phoenix moves anywhere it will be Houston.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

I thinking why would it be good for a Cuban-American owner, who’s marketing emphasis is focused towards Hispanics, to relocate his franchise from a 40% Hispanic market to the epicenter of French speaking North America.

Point being there’s no way in Hades he’s going to do that. Not when Houston is potentially available.

If they move to QC, its because he sold it to QC group.

 

[adsfan]

I remember reading in a local news paper (maybe 20 years ago?) that in January/February there are up to 1 million Canadians “snow birding” south of the border. One would think at least 15,000 of them could show up to Coyotes’ and Panthers’ games.
The thing is though, in Quebec City there would be 18,000 locals fighting for tickets.

I went to a Panthers game about 10 years ago. It was the week between Christmas and New Year's. They hosted Toronto. I would say that 1/3 of the 15,000 fans were cheering for Toronto. Everywhere that I went that week in the Ft Lauderdale area I saw Ontario license plates. My MIL's condo neighbors were from Toronto. They came down a few times a year, including for 2 weeks around Christmas. I think they were teachers.

It reminded me of a trip to Niagara Falls, NY when I could not get into a gas station because all of the Canadians were filling their tanks with the cheaper US gasoline. You could see the bags of groceries in their back seats. I had to drive 2 or 3 miles away from the border to find a gas station where cars weren't lined up in the street waiting to get to a pump.

Quebec might get a relocation team. Maybe it will be the Panthers?

BTW, I have lived in Wisconsin for 40 years. The first winter here it went down to -26 (-32 C) and -25 F on consecutive weekends. The snow was piled up waist high. It turned out that it happens about every 10 years or so. Welcome to the Great White North!

 

[Stumbledore]

The point is will this team have a chance to be good? Or will it remain treadmill status like all the other Canadian teams except for breakout season here and there due to guys refusing to come?

In my opinion - which is worth absolutely nothing so I frequently give it away for free - the Canadian teams will remain at treadmill status except for breakout seasons where they happen to draft the next wunderkind who can quickly develop before becoming too expensive to re-sign.