Quebec City trying to keep the flame alive

[BKIslandersFan]

All the moves Bettman made have been undone with the only exception being the Nordiques. He clearly has a grudge with QC and from where I sit it might be because giving the Nordiques back would complete undoing all the moves he did.

Bettman didn’t move the Nordiques.

 

[AmabileCassarole]

Quebec has a more passionate hockey base

"Fans had long expected the Nordiques’ departure and only about 300 people attended a save-the-team rally at the provincial legislature last week. Nor did the Nordiques sell out the 15,399-seat Colisee for their last three playoff games against the New York Rangers."

All the moves Bettman made have been undone with the only exception being the Nordiques. He clearly has a grudge with QC and from where I sit it might be because giving the Nordiques back would complete undoing all the moves he did.

He doesn't have a grudge. You do realize he's just the puppet of the owners, right? And let's be real, even if they did put a team there, it'd just be another Edmonton/Winnipeg situation where nobody wants to play there and then yet another persecution complex takes shape.

 

[Jets4Life]

almost all, outside of a few (Cologne and Prague), would need a new arena.

The NHL will never expand to Europe. It has been a pipe dream since the late 70s. There has been talk about expanding the NFL, NBA, NHL, and even MLB outside North America for as long as I have been alive, but the logistics will prevent it from ever happening.

 

[Jets4Life]

All the moves Bettman made have been undone with the only exception being the Nordiques. He clearly has a grudge with QC and from where I sit it might be because giving the Nordiques back would complete undoing all the moves he did.

Bettman never moved the Nordiques. Marcel Aubit did. The only thing Bettman is guilty of, is not doing anything to keep teams in Winnipeg, Quebec, and Hartford like he has done for markets like Phoenix. Bettman has no grudge against Quebec. I mean looking at it realistically, the Jets were extremely lucky to return, as Atlanta had no arena to play in, no local ownership group to sell to, and no outside competition bids from larger US markets to contend with. In the mid 2010's it looked like Quebec may land a team again, but since building a new 18,000 seat arena, it seems the ownership group has taken a step back for whatever reason.

 

[AmabileCassarole]

Bettman never moved the Nordiques. Marcel Aubit did. The only thing Bettman is guilty of, is not doing anything to keep teams in Winnipeg, Quebec, and Hartford like he has done for markets like Phoenix. Bettman has no grudge against Quebec. I mean looking at it realistically, the Jets were extremely lucky to return, as Atlanta had no arena to play in, no local ownership group to sell to, and no outside competition bids from larger US markets to contend with. In the mid 2010's it looked like Quebec may land a team again, but since building a new 18,000 seat arena, it seems the ownership group has taken a step back for whatever reason.

He bailed out Edmonton, though.

Besides, like any league commissioner, he's at the mercy of the owners, so it's really pointless to crap on him.

 

[Chet Manley]

The only hope QC has is the dollar going back up against USD. It's fine if they want to keep the flame alive while they wait out the exchange rate. Not much use arguing about the market or the NHL's relationship with the city if nobody is willing to pay an expansion fee nor outbid others for a relocation team.

 

[AmabileCassarole]

The only hope QC has is the dollar going back up against USD. It's fine if they want to keep the flame alive while they wait out the exchange rate. Not much use arguing about the market or the NHL's relationship with the city if nobody is willing to pay an expansion fee nor outbid others for a relocation team.

As I see it, it's one thing to determine whether Quebec City should get a team or not. But it's another, which I feel people are missing, to determine if players wouldn't just stock up on NTCs like they have with Edmonton and Winnipeg. Steve Yzerman once said he wouldn't report to the Quebec Nordiques if he were ever traded there, and I can't imagine QC would fare any better these days in that regard.

"It would never happen," Yzerman told Le Journal de Montreal in response to a Wednesday report in The Star that he might be dealt to Quebec along with defenceman Steve Chiasson and a package of draft picks for junior star Eric Lindros.

"I would never accept to play in Quebec. No matter what happened, I wouldn't go."

Yzerman does not have a no-trade clause in his contract, a long- term deal signed last year that paid him $1.3 million last season.

"I don't know what I'd do, but I imagine I'd have no other option but to refuse to report to the Nordiques and stay home," Yzerman said. "I'm glad I don't have to deal with that."

...

"I agree with Lindros on one point," said Yzerman, 26. "Because of the taxes, the exchange rate on the dollar and the cost of living, it is financially very difficult to play in Quebec.

"I have nothing against Canada, the province or the city of Quebec. People won't like what I say but it is strictly business. The owners always make business decisions so why not the players?"

...

"It's just the high taxes," he said. "In Quebec, sales taxes are 15 per cent. In Michigan, they're 4 per cent.

"When I fill up my gas tank in Detroit, it costs $17. If I cross the river into Windsor, I have to pay $44 for the same gas. Quebec and Montreal are fantastic cities, just like my home town, Ottawa. But what the people put up with financially is crazy."

 

[Jets4Life]

He bailed out Edmonton, though.

Besides, like any league commissioner, he's at the mercy of the owners, so it's really pointless to crap on him.

That is what I ahve been saying for two pages. He is just a mouthpiece for the owners.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

All the moves Bettman made have been undone with the only exception being the Nordiques. He clearly has a grudge with QC and from where I sit it might be because giving the Nordiques back would complete undoing all the moves he did.

My hunch is that Bettman never even thinks about the Nordiques unless he's directly asked about Quebec City. I think you're confusing a lack of interest on his part with some kind of nefarious intent.

 

[Lions67]

It would be a challenge for sure. By then, the Concorde will make a return, getting players from Europe to NA in ~4 hours!

Current Geo-politics dictate no Russia, but by the time this ever happens, hopefully they are back in the good graces of the rest of the world.

Would be super cool to see some imagined names and logo designs for some of the potential Euro teams.

1-Stockholm SPIRIT
2-Gothenberg FIGHTING BEAVERS
3-Helsinki HELLCATS
4-Zurich MOUNTAINEERS
5-Prague CITADEL
6-Berlin ICE BEARS
7-Cologne FOXES
8-Munich LIONS
9-Vienna ORCHESTRA
10-Copenhagen GREAT DANES
11-London ROYALS
12-Paris CATACOMBS

11. London Monarchs is a much better name.
I would add Glasgow or Belfast for teams and take out Paris ( they don’t care about ice hockey.)
Glasgow Clansmen
Belfast Giants

 

[hockey20000]

As I see it, it's one thing to determine whether Quebec City should get a team or not. But it's another, which I feel people are missing, to determine if players wouldn't just stock up on NTCs like they have with Edmonton and Winnipeg. Steve Yzerman once said he wouldn't report to the Quebec Nordiques if he were ever traded there, and I can't imagine QC would fare any better these days in that regard.

a hockey player whining about 44$ for gas lol smh.

 

[waitin425]

11. London Monarchs is a much better name.
I would add Glasgow or Belfast for teams and take out Paris ( they don’t care about ice hockey.)
Glasgow Clansmen
Belfast Giants

 

[Lions67]

a hockey player whining about 44$ for gas lol smh.

He could have compared milk and eggs too lol

To be fair, the Glasgow Clansmen and Belfast Giants are real teams that playin the British Elite League. I didn’t come up with them.

 

[waitin425]

He could have compared milk and eggs too lol


To be fair, the Glasgow Clansmen and Belfast Giants are real teams that playin the British Elite League. I didn’t come up with them.

I know....I just love their names. Not huge on their sweater designs, but could imagine something better!

 

[Lions67]

I know....I just love their names. Not huge on their sweater designs, but could imagine something better!

Agreed!
But I will tell you this.
My cousin actually designed the Clansmen sweater a few years back!
** no I can’t prove that claim, but it is true **
Never met him.

 

[Yukon Joe]

Bettman never moved the Nordiques. Marcel Aubit did. The only thing Bettman is guilty of, is not doing anything to keep teams in Winnipeg, Quebec, and Hartford like he has done for markets like Phoenix. Bettman has no grudge against Quebec. I mean looking at it realistically, the Jets were extremely lucky to return, as Atlanta had no arena to play in, no local ownership group to sell to, and no outside competition bids from larger US markets to contend with. In the mid 2010's it looked like Quebec may land a team again, but since building a new 18,000 seat arena, it seems the ownership group has taken a step back for whatever reason.

Yes. The critique of Bettman is that he twiddled his fingers as Quebec City, then Winnipeg moved south, and only then came up with the Canadian Assistance Plan which helped prevent Edmonton, and potentially Calgary and Ottawa from moving as well. He also changed the rules to allow the Edmonton Investors Group to purchase the team, which wouldn't have normally been allowed as it was a collective of multiple minority owners.

"The Ownership group has taken a step back". The ownership group is Pierre-Karl Peladeau. PKP, as he is known, made his money through Quebecor, which held a bunch of newspapers, printing, and media assets.

You may recall that newspapers are a dumpster fire these days (Quebecor has divested itself of those assets), and that traditional cable media is in trouble as well.

In short, it's my educated guess PKP just doesn't have anywhere near enough money to buy a NHL franchise.

 

[Lions67]

Yes. The critique of Bettman is that he twiddled his fingers as Quebec City, then Winnipeg moved south, and only then came up with the Canadian Assistance Plan which helped prevent Edmonton, and potentially Calgary and Ottawa from moving as well. He also changed the rules to allow the Edmonton Investors Group to purchase the team, which wouldn't have normally been allowed as it was a collective of multiple minority owners.

"The Ownership group has taken a step back". The ownership group is Pierre-Karl Peladeau. PKP, as he is known, made his money through Quebecor, which held a bunch of newspapers, printing, and media assets.

You may recall that newspapers are a dumpster fire these days (Quebecor has divested itself of those assets), and that traditional cable media is in trouble as well.

In short, it's my educated guess PKP just doesn't have anywhere near enough money to buy a NHL franchise.

The French Blackberry.

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

They said the same thing about Winnipeg.


I for one want to see Quebec get a team again.

The 'Battle of Quebec' games against the Canadiens were even better then the 'Battle of Alberta' games.

Yep the best rivalry maybe all time...Quebec Nordiques vs the Habs of Montreal

 

[BKIslandersFan]

Bettman never moved the Nordiques. Marcel Aubit did. The only thing Bettman is guilty of, is not doing anything to keep teams in Winnipeg, Quebec, and Hartford like he has done for markets like Phoenix. Bettman has no grudge against Quebec. I mean looking at it realistically, the Jets were extremely lucky to return, as Atlanta had no arena to play in, no local ownership group to sell to, and no outside competition bids from larger US markets to contend with. In the mid 2010's it looked like Quebec may land a team again, but since building a new 18,000 seat arena, it seems the ownership group has taken a step back for whatever reason.

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

 

[RayMartyniukTotems]

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

Its a free country right and your words alone speak to dictatorship,friend

 

[Gnashville]

All the moves Bettman made have been undone with the only exception being the Nordiques. He clearly has a grudge with QC and from where I sit it might be because giving the Nordiques back would complete undoing all the moves he did.

You do realize that Bettman and the BOG has an open invitation for Quebec to have an expansion team.

 

[edog37]

All the moves Bettman made have been undone with the only exception being the Nordiques. He clearly has a grudge with QC and from where I sit it might be because giving the Nordiques back would complete undoing all the moves he did.

Oh stop….Bettman had nothing to do with the Nordiques leaving just like he had nothing to do with the Whalers leaving. Both are too small markets that would’ve never been considered for expansion in the first place. The only reason they got in was their WHA membership. The BoG don’t want QC in the league, plain & simple.

 

[joelef]

All the moves Bettman made have been undone with the only exception being the Nordiques. He clearly has a grudge with QC and from where I sit it might be because giving the Nordiques back would complete undoing all the moves he did.

Quebec fans don’t help themselves buy trashing on” non traditional” markets. While playing the woe is me game.

 

[BlueSeal]

Oh stop….Bettman had nothing to do with the Nordiques leaving just like he had nothing to do with the Whalers leaving. Both are too small markets that would’ve never been considered for expansion in the first place. The only reason they got in was their WHA membership. The BoG don’t want QC in the league, plain & simple.

But they’ll let the Yotes play in a 5000 seat college rink that they can’t even remotely sell out and continue to ‘assist’ the franchise.

Spare me.

 

[BMN]

That is what I have been saying for two pages. He is just a mouthpiece for the owners.

I'm not the President of the Gary Bettman Fan Club, believe you me, but whenever people play the "as long as Gary Bettman is in charge..." card as the reason why their (usually Canadian) city isn't going to receive a NHL team, I always have two questions for them:

1--- What would a "Gary Bettman arrives sooner rather than later" scenario have changed about the history of franchise locations in the northeast? I would argue very little. Honestly? I guess maybe you could make the (really really weak) argument that maybe a 1981 Gary Bettman tries hard to facilitate the Rockies staying in Denver or at the very least from going to the northeast. I honestly don't see much else of what would have been different.

It's been stated by others 100 times but to reiterate it: the NHL being in Quebec/Hartford/Edmonton/Winnipeg wasn't this thing that NHL owners wanted desperately and a by-God-hates-Canada-less commissioner helped make happen, while Uncle Sam Bettman came in later to wreck it/prevent from ever happening again. If there hadn't been a WHA there really isn't much of a chance, if any, that ANY of those teams come to be. And even then, it took a beer boycott to put it over the top.

As I mentioned in another thread, I think Hamilton fans in particular hold on to way too much animus about the failed Balsillie attempts and not nearly enough about the 1990 botching which predates Bettman and was to my mind the best shot the city ever had.

2--- If Bettman stepped down tomorrow...do you suddenly think your city's chances improve? Why? What makes you think that? What commissioner are you envisioning that the OWNERS ARE GOING TO HIRE that will then suddenly play a Jedi Mind Trick on them once hired to make them all go "y'know, now that Gary's gone, suddenly we want to award a franchise to Quebec City at a far lower price than other places are willing to, thereby lessening our payouts and splitting this Canadian TV contract we all profit from?" Who is this magic commissioner you are envisioning?