Why did Quebec not get a team?

ole ole

Registered User
Oct 7, 2017
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This is an honest question. And I'm not a super angry Canadian who thinks the NHL hates us. I'm just honestly confused because I thought they had an NHL ready arena and some super rich dude that was willing to pony up. Was it simply the East vs West thing needing to be worked out? Or were there other reasons. The NHL has shown it's willingness to go back to former Canadian markets so I have to believe that isn't it. As a Habs fan I kinda hoped it would happen because that was a damn good rivalry back in the day.
One word...Bettman
 

SotasicA

Registered User
Aug 25, 2014
8,489
6,402
easy why they didn't. the league wants 16 and 16 in the conferences not 15 and 17. they were never getting an expansion team.
Really doubt this had nothing to do with it. The league would run 20+ teams in the East coast, if there was more money to be made that way. In the big picture it's completely irrelevant if one conference has 15 teams and the other 17.
 
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crazychimp

Registered User
Jun 24, 2014
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Vancouver
No, but that's about the same distance from Columbus to Cleveland, and yet Cleveland is still generally associated with the Jackets.

* * *​

Because those teams have owners who wish to own franchises in those cities.

And for the record - let he or she who would take a team away from fans first volunteer his or her own. No excuses.

What fans? The only time Panthers arena is close to full is when Lightning fans invade there arena. The players deserve to play in front of a real crowd. Just sad.
 

Galactico

Registered User
Feb 17, 2016
723
731
Canada
Molson will do anything he can to prevent Quebec of having a NHL club. I don’t believe a word of what he says when he is saying that he would welcome them back.

And I am not buying the “the rivalry with MTL would be great for business therefore Molson would be for a club in QC”. No business wants to loose at least 20% of its market. Ever.
 

viceroy

Registered User
Mar 5, 2011
1,724
765
Montreal suburbs
I've heard rumblings that the Quebec City/Videotron grp may be interested in bringing in a KHL team.

Just rumours from Quebec City's wild talk radio scene.
 

ffh

Registered User
Jul 16, 2016
8,362
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Really doubt this had nothing to do with it. The league would run 20+ teams in the East coast, if there was more money to be made that way. In the big picture it's completely irrelevant if one conference has 15 teams and the other 17.
that's exactly why the did. And that's why if Arizona moves they will go to Houston and not Quebec City. And why if Florida or Carolina move they will go to Quebec City. They want every team to have the same odds to make playoffs.
 

Cellee

Registered User
Dec 20, 2014
8,951
6,168
Lol and then when the arena is full for a pre-season game: “Well it is a saturated market, the NHL won’t be getting any new fans”.

Loose-loose situation.

The Jets did not come back because it created a wealth of new hockey fans. So forget that excuse.

So that argument is illogical. Quebec cannot afford an expansion team, and never will be able to.

Getting indignant and trying to dictate the terms to the NHL is never going to work, and you just push yourselves down the desireability scale.
 
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ricky0034

Registered User
Jun 8, 2010
14,862
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I feel like Vegas vs Quebec City is a much better argument than Seattle vs them,them and Seattle isn't even remotely close Seattle offers both a big population and access to an entire new region(huge for TV deals)

Vegas is somewhat less appealing than that but even they have a much bigger population than Quebec City and provided a chance for the NHL to be the first major sports league to have a team there

in the end Quebec City just isn't appealing enough to be an expansion team,they'll probably make a nice safety net for a team in dire straights to quickly move to someday though like what happened with Winnipeg
 

These Are The Days

Oh no! We suck again!!
May 17, 2014
34,119
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Tampa Bay
There needs to be a multi-national TV deal in place then. Canada needs to push the game here just as much as the NHL needs to push more teams up north

The NHL can agree to better TV deals but they're always going to look at the money to be made. Quebec City is ready to go but yet it is little compared to all the money the 3.7 million people in Seattle have to spend in a grassroots movement that's going to be started from scratch. Maybe I'm wrong but there's another point to be made.

That's not to say Quebec won't make money either. It's that Quebec (maybe not necessarily from Quebec City) will continue to spend on the NHL product with or without the Nords. But they're not gonna get anything out of Seattle unless they get a team.

Other than to balance the conferences, the other best reason for Seattle is that the NHL needs to find a way to sustain it's business model and salary cap. Adding a MASSIVE market that's probably to be willing to pay dollars on the penny for the NHL product for the time being is a prudent business decision.
 

MSSLYNX

Registered User
Jul 27, 2009
4,009
917
What fans? The only time Panthers arena is close to full is when Lightning fans invade there arena. The players deserve to play in front of a real crowd. Just sad.
There is no invasion at all when TB is coming. But when Mtl and to a lesser extent NYR and Toronto play during the Holidays, there is indeed an invasion.
 

HuGo Sham

MR. CLEAN-up ©Runner77
Apr 7, 2010
27,621
18,924
Montreal
This is an honest question. And I'm not a super angry Canadian who thinks the NHL hates us. I'm just honestly confused because I thought they had an NHL ready arena and some super rich dude that was willing to pony up. Was it simply the East vs West thing needing to be worked out? Or were there other reasons. The NHL has shown it's willingness to go back to former Canadian markets so I have to believe that isn't it. As a Habs fan I kinda hoped it would happen because that was a damn good rivalry back in the day.
1) small canadian market - like winnipeg
2) canadian dollar
3) not a huge market for revenue growth outside of gate receipts
 

MSSLYNX

Registered User
Jul 27, 2009
4,009
917
Molson will do anything he can to prevent Quebec of having a NHL club. I don’t believe a word of what he says when he is saying that he would welcome them back.

And I am not buying the “the rivalry with MTL would be great for business therefore Molson would be for a club in QC”. No business wants to loose at least 20% of its market. Ever.
What do you mean "lose at least 20% of its market"?? People around Mtl would still go to the Bell centre.
 
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End on a Hinote

Registered Abuser
Aug 22, 2011
3,984
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Northern British Columbia
I just find it bizarre how quiet Quebec went away when they applied for an expansion. I've heard that Bettman is a really smart guy and he has things mapped out over many years. I wouldnt be surprised if Quebec was promised a team for less money (than expansion fee) in the event that an eastern team needs to be moved. I just dont know when that will happen. Doesnt really seem like any teams are in that bad shape at this point.

I've been saying that for a while. When Louisville, KY was trying to get the Vancouver Grizzlies in the early 2000's the people behind the effort publicly apologized to the fans for getting their hopes up after Memphis got them knstead. And of course you have TNSE who kept their mouths shut while working on getting the Thrashers to Winnipeg.

The fact that Quebec, after submitting an expansion fee and doing everything they had asked without shooting their mouths off and still not saying anything publicly, makes me think something is in the works behind the scenes.

It's not the end of the road for Quebec.
 
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FlameChampion

Registered User
Jul 13, 2011
13,521
15,049
I've been saying that for a while. When Louisville, KY was trying to get the Vancouver Grizzlies in the early 2000's the people behind the effort publicly apologized to the fans for getting their hopes up after Memphis got them knstead. And of course you have TNSE who kept their mouths shut while working on getting the Thrashers to Winnipeg.

The fact that Quebec, after submitting an expansion fee and doing everything they had asked without shooting their mouths off and still not saying anything publicly, makes me think something is in the works behind the scenes.

It's not the end of the road for Quebec.

Not to mention the Jim Balsille thing with Hamilton. The NHL doesnt like people who are loudmouths who dont follow their rules.
 

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