Why did Quebec not get a team?

[LuckyDay]

Likely lots of players from Europe would love to have an nhl team in Quebec City. It has a charm that gives it the feel of a smaller European city, so the guys would feel more at home. Can’t think of a better city for the nhl from a charm pov. But the owner would need to incredibly wealthy because the city, although charming, doesn’t have the economic base to support an nhl franchise. The rabid and passionate fans are there though; that’s for sure.

If you could use it as a springboard for interest internationally, that would make sense. How many major sports leagues are greedily eyeing China? But there's never been much of a French market outside of Quebec. Western Europe's largest, wealthiest cities don't seem to be interested in hockey - London, Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Vienna, Rome. Even Amsterdam in a country crazy obsessed with skating.
I can't see other French speaking countries showing much interest unless there was an effort or something grassroots already bubbled up.

 

[StreetHawk]

Who is/are the owner(s), and do they have the money and structure, and can they convince the league that they don’t devalue the Canadiens?

Do they add enough to the media footprint?

Same questions we’ve always asked.

Also want to make clear that I’d love nothing more than for it to happen.

Yep. Plus corporate base. We see in Win that their corporate support dropped drastically. Does QC have enough companies to continuously support the team with sponsorships and season tickets? Can only ask so much of the regular fanbase.

Van would like an NBA team back, but they are not at the top of the expansion list like SEA and LV. So, have to wait their turn, plus unlike the NHL, NBA isn't going to be moving to add 4 more teams in a short period of time.

Plus, the ownership group of the Canucks doesn't have NBA expansion fee money. So, the chances of getting a team in the future doesn't look good. A team in Mexico might happen before another one in Canada.

 

[tucker3434]

I think they’ve gotten priced out. A market that size should’ve come in when franchises cost $100m. Now that the cheapest franchise is over 10x that, I just don’t see it ever happening.

 

[TheBeard]

The Bettman strategy has always been to get a foothold in non-traditional hockey markets with big populations and then hang around until people warm up to the game. Hence expansion rules that make these teams competitive right out of the gate. It’s much easier to warm up to a team that’s good.

I have to imagine one of the greatest barriers to NHL “legitimacy” in the US, is the fact that most Americans don’t care to know where or what places like Winnipeg are. These places possibly tarnish the image of the NHL as folks picture frozen tundra and people living in igloos in the sticks.

I think that's a big part of it. Quebec will always be a hockey-first market. Getting the potential from major non-traditional markets is more important. Once Vegas proved it could be a viable market Gary had eyes for all the other non-traditionals that he probably was afraid to touch (especially after the last go-around with Atlanta and then the Arizona fiasco).

But also, Quebec is a fickle market. When the the political strife of separatism rears its ugly head (as it seems to do every 6-8 years) messing with the economy and the perception, there just seems to be too many unstable aspects that can be expected to make it worthwhile when there's a million other places. I wouldn't be surprised if Hamilton or some other Toronto Suburb gets a franchise before QC does.

 

[Drake1588]

Franchise fees have doubled from $500M to $1B since Vegas entered the league. We haven't heard a peep out of those supposedly willing to front those fees in Quebec City since that happened, even as rumors of Houston and Atlanta have surfaced and expansion to as many as 36 teams is on the table, never mind 34. You're looking at $2B to get a team and build the arena for them to play in, if one doesn't already exist, just to get to Day 1.

Then you need to drum up stable corporate support for suites and to fill the lower bowl. It's not even about population size, per se. No one doubts they can fill an arena with passionate blue collar fans. That isn't the market at the box office for North American pro sports anymore, though. They're seeing this in Winnipeg now.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

$$$ is the reason QC will always be on the outside looking in. Negligible, French speaking media market, very little corporate support, not deep pockets, etc. It would have to be a total vanity project and the city doesn't have the value to jump the queue.