Why did Quebec not get a team?

[Mike Jones]

Or yknow they did the math and saw Seattle has a much bigger financial potential. And maybe one of his bosses, the owner of Montreal, didn’t want to put a team so close cuz of tv deals. But nah I’m sure a businessman who’s out to make money and grow the league presence ignored a “lucrative” market.

Seattle may have the numbers but from what I've heard and read the collective market simply cannot stack up to Quebec when it comes to passion for the game, knowledge of the sport, willingness to invest in the team, etc. Any businessperson worth their salt would do the math and choose Quebec City.

 

[maacoshark]

There might be enough such guys to fill an arena, but fans in seats alone do not an economically viable NHL franchise make.

The reason why folks talk about larger markets isn't (exclusively) about more potential fans; it's that such markets have larger corporate presences (so that all those people have jobs), and those corporations can also contribute to the franchise. Teams need that to be able to make payroll.

It also means that there's a higher chance that more deeper-pocketed fans will buy tickets, thus allowing ticket prices to go up, simply because with a larger population there's a bigger chance for such fans to exist at all. That also affects the bottom line.

Unfortunately it does take more than just filling the seats for a franchise to succeed. I'm saying population isn't much if an argument. It has to be the right market.

 

[lawrence]

I won't compare Quebec to Seattle, that said, a NHL team In Quebec can do better then at least half the teams in the NHL. No bloody joke.

 

[Voight]

Don't most in Quebec City follow the Montreal Canadiens anyways ?

The same way a lot of now Jets fans followed the other Canadian teams. When you get a team, things change.

 

[Galactico]

Seattle may have the numbers but from what I've heard and read the collective market simply cannot stack up to Quebec when it comes to passion for the game, knowledge of the sport, willingness to invest in the team, etc. Any businessperson worth their salt would do the math and choose Quebec City.

Look, I live in Quebec City, I am all for a Nordiques return, but it is obvious thar Seattle is a better choice business-wise for the league. It’s all about the money in the end and Seattle has a large population, has a lot of big companies there and is a vibrant and wealthy city. I can’t even hate. The NHL is going to be a sucess there no doubt and great decision by the league.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

If Quebec City got an NHL team Montreal would want one.

Hey! Did you hear something? What just whizzed by my head?

In all seriousness, I want Quebec to have a team 100%.

 

[Kimota]

Just watch any interviews with Jeremy Jacobs to see the mindset of the NHL brass. They only see glitters and they are snobish as Hell. It's still the sunny dream of going to a fantasy land where nobody knows hockey. These are stupid people who don't get that everything should go to a grassroot level of building up your brand before undertaking expansion. The UFC has grown cause it goes where the demand is, the NHL goes to where a market might exist in a Future World. You have to completely exaust the root of your homebase before seeing things elsewhere.

Instead of going to places that love hockey and that by playing there will give you more hockey players, they are going to artificial territories with no grassroot with people that will exit the place at the first sight of the team sucking. Even Vegas, just watch if they start sucking in a few years.

These owners have their heads in the clouds and it will continue being that way cause there's no acountability cause the NHL is a welfare league where success doesn't matter cause of the cap and other tools like that where you can afford basically to have no people in the stand and having crummy TV deals and a few successsful cows are giving their milk for free to the markets that don't make money. At the very least they should consider moving teams like the Canes/Yotes/Panthers to Quebec.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

The same way a lot of now Jets fans followed the other Canadian teams. When you get a team, things change.

A number of Jets fans used to follow the Anaheim Ducks cause of Selanne, the same way Montreal Expos fans followed the Anaheim Angels cause of Vladimir Guerrero.

 

[Mike Jones]

Look, I live in Quebec City, I am all for a Nordiques return, but it is obvious thar Seattle is a better choice business-wise for the league. It’s all about the money in the end and Seattle has a large population, has a lot of big companies there and is a vibrant and wealthy city. I can’t even hate. The NHL is going to be a sucess there no doubt and great decision by the league.

Seattle has the larger population but how many of them are actually going to spend money on hockey? How many of them are actually going to learn the sport and develop a fanbase? And how would this spending compare with QC? As far as I'm concerned I'd chose the market that knows and loves hockey any day of the week.

 

[Jetcetera]

People call QC a small market but I guarantee there are more hockey fans in and around QC than Seattle.

 

[Galactico]

Seattle has the larger population but how many of them are actually going to spend money on hockey? How many of them are actually going to learn the sport and develop a fanbase? And how would this spending compare with QC? As far as I'm concerned I'd chose the market that knows and loves hockey any day of the week.

It is not about the fans paying for tickets but it is about big companies buying season tickets and corporate boxes. I can guarantee you that there is way more money to be made with hockey in Seattle than in Quebec City. There is not a lot big companies in Quebec City, certainly not compared to Seattle.

Also, it is about the potential of a futur TV deal for the NHL. Having Seattle as a market is way more attractive for any broadcasting company in the US than QC.

I am from Quebec City myself, trust me.

 

[Mike Jones]

Also, it is about the potential of a futur TV deal for the NHL.

QC would be working off the existing Rogers deal wouldn't it? Or are you referring to regional rights?

 

[Grudy0]

I won't compare Quebec to Seattle, that said, a NHL team In Quebec can do better then at least half the teams in the NHL. No bloody joke.

I'll give the comparable - Quebec is similar in size to Winnipeg, and there's no way Quebec ends up in the top half of the league in revenues, as Winnipeg appears to be in the bottom third.

 

[Grudy0]

Seattle has the larger population but how many of them are actually going to spend money on hockey? How many of them are actually going to learn the sport and develop a fanbase? And how would this spending compare with QC? As far as I'm concerned I'd chose the market that knows and loves hockey any day of the week.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't there been a WHL team in Seattle (now Kent) for 40 years? It's a bit ignorant to assume the market doesn't love hockey, considering based on the ratings for the market they appear to be in line with top NHL markets.

 

[Djp]

Quebec City has a population of ~800,000 while Seattle has a greater metro area population of ~4 000,000. Pretty clear choice if you're the NHL BoG. Plus Quebec City already had a team, they might be a candidate for relocation but I doubt expansion is in the cards for them.

To add to this....

1 there is an additional 4 million people outside of metro Seattle to market to in the US
2 Seattle got serious screwed over and backstabbed in prior expansions
3 Quebec had its chance
4 Seattle does not have a saturated market. They have baseball, football, soccer, and Major ncaa college. There is no winter sports with no nba team.
5. It has large corporate HQ located in this area which can get higher revenue from arena revenue and league sponsorship deals.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

It isn't a great market.

End of story.

 

[Mike Jones]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't there been a WHL team in Seattle (now Kent) for 40 years? It's a bit ignorant to assume the market doesn't love hockey, considering based on the ratings for the market they appear to be in line with top NHL markets.

A WHL team is fine but does it come anywhere near what an NHL franchise can do? Quebec City also has a rich hockey history with teams at almost every level (CHL, AHL, NHL, etc) Given a choice between the two markets I'd place an NHL team in QC any day of the week.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Best case scenario for the league, Arizona moves to Houston and Florida moves to Quebec.

That would take away a bunch of travel for teams in their respective divisions, keep conference numbers the same and make a much better profit for everyone involved.

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

My guesses would be (in presumed priority order, most to least):
1) Considered to be less of a growth opportunity than Seattle (much smaller market that's arguably already saturated)
2) Ownership in Seattle in stronger financial position
3) The east versus west thing

You left out reason number one. They did not apply.

 

[puckIuck]

because no one would want to play in Quebec. terrible city

 

[pbgoalie]

Bettman sees Canada as a safety net for relocation not an expansion opportunity.

Or Canadians are smart enough to not pay the exhorbitant fees for expansion

 

[XX]

QC ownership groups don't want to pay the high price. They'd rather wait around and potentially pick off a struggling team for half the price. The league is content to keep the market as an escape hatch.

 

[snipes]

$$$

 

[Kimota]

It isn't a great market.

End of story.

There are teams in Glendale, Raleigh, Florida, Dallas. Tell me how much of great markets they are.

 

[Flair Hay]

I think they can. It will be hard to afford if they dont go the relocation route? That seems like the way to go. Just gotta be patient, miracles do come true.