Quebec City trying to keep the flame alive

[joestevens29]

I know those meetings are pretty much pointless but Quebec's finance minister once again met with Gary Bettman in in NYC today

Seems like a waste of taxpayers money

 

[rojac]

Seems like a waste of taxpayers money

I suspect the finance minister was most likely in New York on other business and arranged a meeting to coincide with that. The cost to taxpayers for the NHL meeting was quite probably minimal.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

In the end, doesnt matter, the Qc case is totally over and only lunatics still have hope.

Never say never.

Unlikely in the short run though.

What Quebec needs is more people. More people means more economic power.

With the current Quebec government though...

 

[Kimota]

The Quebec Mayor has just said that the NHL has no interest returning to Québec.

 

[Kimota]

Yea because Atlanta is a big market with lots of money, something QC isn't. QC can be passionate all they want, without money it means nothing to NHL. They can capture only part of the market in Atlanta and still be ahead of QC. Thats just the reality.

It's not a big market and it doesn't have a lot of money. For hockey. It has been proven time and time again that wealth and population number has no bearing in the success of something that has no interest.

Interest is King and Bettman never got that. Which is the complete opposite of UFC where they go where the interest is at the biggest about their sport. Bettman multiplying new franchises who ultimately only survive via the welfare system of the cap.

 

[Kimota]

Anyone who believes Gary Bettman alone runs NHL like a dictator should not be allowed to post here.

He used to be the puppet but he is now the puppeteer. In the last 20 years, he essentialy has placed all the owners that are there. That's how it works. You are welcome to the club and when you join, you have to obey by the system that is in place controled by Bettman.

 

[aqib]

Seems like a waste of taxpayers money

A roundtrip ticket from QC to NYC is like $350. That's assuming he was only there to meet with Bettman and had no other reason to be in NYC.

Whether this means anything or not, how can we know? We know that the NHL meets with cities all the time. Mark Chipman said he had met with the NHL in like 2007 and like 3-4 other cities presented that day to. There were meetings with Atlanta groups that we didn't know about. We aren't in these meetings so we don't know what is discussed. Its easy for us to say there is no way, but you don't hear of Bettman meeting with Omaha.

 

[tarheelhockey]

A roundtrip ticket from QC to NYC is like $350. That's assuming he was only there to meet with Bettman and had no other reason to be in NYC.

Whether this means anything or not, how can we know? We know that the NHL meets with cities all the time. Mark Chipman said he had met with the NHL in like 2007 and like 3-4 other cities presented that day to. There were meetings with Atlanta groups that we didn't know about. We aren't in these meetings so we don't know what is discussed. Its easy for us to say there is no way, but you don't hear of Bettman meeting with Omaha.

Even if they just talk about training camps and exhibition games, it’s still worth the meeting. It’s not like Quebec’s sole interest in the NHL is having a franchise, and it goes no further.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

The Quebec Mayor has just said that the NHL has no interest returning to Québec.

I get that this is red meat to their voting base, and I'm sure that there is a kernel of truth to what the mayor's saying.

But the bigger factor is that Quebec has basically gone silent since the Vegas expansion fee of half a billion dollars was announced, and the asking price has gone up considerably since then.

Like it or not, it looks like the people that could bid on a Quebec City expansion team don't appear to think that it's worthwhile to do so at a high nine+ figure amount.

If Quebecor was holding a billion dollar check payable to the NHL and offering it to Bettman, I get the feeling we'd be hearing a helluva lot more about Quebec.

 

[lakeshirts37]

It's not a big market and it doesn't have a lot of money. For hockey. It has been proven time and time again that wealth and population number has no bearing in the success of something that has no interest.

Interest is King and Bettman never got that. Which is the complete opposite of UFC where they go where the interest is at the biggest about their sport. Bettman multiplying new franchises who ultimately only survive via the welfare system of the cap.

This is so ridiculous and incorrect on so many levels I dont know where to begin. The NHL is never returning to QC. give it up.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

He used to be the puppet but he is now the puppeteer. In the last 20 years, he essentialy has placed all the owners that are there. That's how it works. You are welcome to the club and when you join, you have to obey by the system that is in place controled by Bettman.

I mean you wrong but ok

 

[edog37]

It's not a big market and it doesn't have a lot of money. For hockey. It has been proven time and time again that wealth and population number has no bearing in the success of something that has no interest.

Interest is King and Bettman never got that. Which is the complete opposite of UFC where they go where the interest is at the biggest about their sport. Bettman multiplying new franchises who ultimately only survive via the welfare system of the cap.

A city of 6 million is not a big market…ok

 

[Ernie]

I get that this is red meat to their voting base, and I'm sure that there is a kernel of truth to what the mayor's saying.

But the bigger factor is that Quebec had basically gone silent since the Vegas expansion fee of half a billion dollars was announced, and the asking price has gone up considerably since then.

Like it or not, it looks like the people that could bid on an Quebec City expansion team don't appear to think that it's worthwhile to do so at a high nine+ figure amount.

If Quebecor was holding a billion dollar check payable to the NHL and offering it to Bettman, I get the feeling we'd be hearing a helluva lot more about Quebec.

The Winnipeg and QC markets are similar in size and economy. If Winnipeg is struggling with revenues now, there's zero chance that a public company like Quebecor can justify paying $1bn plus CAD for a NHL team in QC.

 

[Mr Positive]

The one chance they had was to take on the Coyotes in an emergency situation like how Winnipeg got the Thrashers. But, there have been places stepping up in recent years who the NHL would prefer, like Utah.

Also, the Coyotes might not move

 

[aqib]

I mean you wrong but ok

Wow with such a fact based well reasoned argument who could disagree with that.
Let me put it another way. If all 30 owners were to rise up against Bettman like MLB owners did against Fay Vincent 30 years ago, yes he would lose. However as a practical matter he has had control over who got into the club of owners over the years and he has been there longer then all but a handful of owners.
Secondly while he isn't more powerful than the collective group of owners he is more powerful than any particular owner.

The one chance they had was to take on the Coyotes in an emergency situation like how Winnipeg got the Thrashers. But, there have been places stepping up in recent years who the NHL would prefer, like Utah.

Also, the Coyotes might not move

I wonder if Glendale didn't make that second $25 million payment and the Coyotes went to Winnipeg would the Thrashers have gone to QC or would Gaglardi have been allowed to take them to Hamilton.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Wow with such a fact based well reasoned argument who could disagree with that.
Let me put it another way. If all 30 owners were to rise up against Bettman like MLB owners did against Fay Vincent 30 years ago, yes he would lose. However as a practical matter he has had control over who got into the club of owners over the years and he has been there longer then all but a handful of owners.
Secondly while he isn't more powerful than the collective group of owners he is more powerful than any particular owner.I

I don’t know why I have to keep repeating this over and over again. Owners vote for new owners. Yes Bettman can recommend to owners but owners as a whole has mind of their own. They are not Bettman slaves.

Bettman works for owners, period. Bettman is still there because owners like him.

 

[Mr Positive]

Wow with such a fact based well reasoned argument who could disagree with that.
Let me put it another way. If all 30 owners were to rise up against Bettman like MLB owners did against Fay Vincent 30 years ago, yes he would lose. However as a practical matter he has had control over who got into the club of owners over the years and he has been there longer then all but a handful of owners.
Secondly while he isn't more powerful than the collective group of owners he is more powerful than any particular owner.


I wonder if Glendale didn't make that second $25 million payment and the Coyotes went to Winnipeg would the Thrashers have gone to QC or would Gaglardi have been allowed to take them to Hamilton.

You never know. I do assume that the league would have rather not went to Winnipeg. I could be wrong, but Bettman's comments about them needing to sell out every night.

 

[aqib]

You never know. I do assume that the league would have rather not went to Winnipeg. I could be wrong, but Bettman's comments about them needing to sell out every night.

Daly said afterwards that there were 6 other cities who were interested but the league preferred Winnipeg. There is a reason why TNSE was the only buyer talking to ASG.

I don’t know why I have to keep repeating this over and over again. Owners vote for new owners. Yes Bettman can recommend to owners but owners as a whole has mind of their own. They are not Bettman slaves.

Bettman works for owners, period. Bettman is still there because owners like him.

Yes owners vote but do you think anyone gets to the point they are even voted on. Have you ever seen the owners go against Bettman's recommendation? Put it this way, if Bettman was on board with Balsillie moving the Coyotes to Hamilton do you think anyone of the owners would have lifted a finger to stop it?

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Yes owners vote but do you think anyone gets to the point they are even voted on. Have you ever seen the owners go against Bettman's recommendation? Put it this way, if Bettman was on board with Balsillie moving the Coyotes to Hamilton do you think anyone of the owners would have lifted a finger to stop it?

This is a bad logic. Owners hired Bettman because they like Bettman, and he does what they want him to do.

Why would they go against Bettman? Bettman is literally doing their bidding.

And Bettman would never have been on board with Balsillie and Hamilton because that is what owners mandated.

 

[aqib]

This is a bad logic. Owners hired Bettman because they like Bettman, and he does what they want him to do.

Why would they go against Bettman? Bettman is literally doing their bidding.

And Bettman would never have been on board with Balsillie and Hamilton because that is what owners mandated.

Yes the owners in 1993 hired Bettman. Now how many of those owners are still there? Maybe 5? All the other owners came in under his watch. So the owners in 1993 hired him but he hired most of the current owners.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Yes the owners in 1993 hired Bettman. Now how many of those owners are still there? Maybe 5? All the other owners came in under his watch. So the owners in 1993 hired him but he hired most of the current owners.

All voted by existing NHL owners, as stated before.

LIke I said, getting Bettman to dislike you is probably not a good idea if you want to be an NHL owner, Bettman certainly has some influence.

But at the end of the day, this league is ran by owners. You can't possibly tell me NHL owners are on board with team in QC but Bettman is standing in the way.

 

[Ciao]

@aqib @BKIslandersFan The owner's are the head, and the Commissioner is the neck. The neck can turn the head any way it likes

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

This is so ridiculous and incorrect on so many levels I dont know where to begin. The NHL is never returning to QC. give it up.

It shouldn't either , its a small town with no money

 

[dj4aces]

@aqib @BKIslandersFan The owner's are the head, and the Commissioner is the neck. The neck can turn the head any way it likes

The head contains the brain, and the brain tells the neck which direction to turn the head.

Bettman "serves at the pleasure of" the board of governors. If Bettman ever lost their confidence, he'd have been fired. Instead, he's the longest serving league commissioner in North American sports. Everything he has done has been at the direction of the owners, whether we like it or not.

I realize that disregarding reality because the conspiracy is so much more interesting is a very popular thing to do these days, but this is just getting silly.

 

[TheLegend]

Daly said afterwards that there were 6 other cities who were interested but the league preferred Winnipeg. There is a reason why TNSE was the only buyer talking to ASG.

TNSE also spent nearly 10 years working towards getting a team back. That means putting themselves in the position to actually support a franchise long term rather than a bunch of wealthy yahoos looking for something the have a tax write off on.

Yes owners vote but do you think anyone gets to the point they are even voted on. Have you ever seen the owners go against Bettman's recommendation? Put it this way, if Bettman was on board with Balsillie moving the Coyotes to Hamilton do you think anyone of the owners would have lifted a finger to stop it?

But he wasn’t and you keep demonstrating more and more how little you really know about Arizona.