UPDATE: Return of the Quebec Nordiques? "Possible", say RDS, Corus Sports, other sources

In all the talk about returning NHL franchises to Canada, there is serious movement afoot to revive the Nordiques in Quebec.

Some time ago I posted some news about this, based on an interview by respected Montreal sports analyst Yvon Pedneault (Corus Sports, Hockey Night In Canada) conducted with a former member of the Nordiques organization. The suggestion was that the Nordiques are coming back, and as the interviewee said, "Sooner than you think."

Today, RDS reports that movement is gaining in strength in its article "Quebec Met Des Sieges En Vente" (Quebec starts selling seats).

http://www.rds.ca/hockey/chroniques/275521.html

Led by local businessman Mario Bedard and a Quebec-based group of investors, the push in on to sell advance seats and corporate suites to raise money to bring Le Colisee up to NHL standards. They have reportedly already sold 1500 seats priced from $1500 to $3000, and 63 of the available 70 suites.

The recent declarations of KHL chairman and Gazprom executive Aleksandr Medvedev that, in effect, Quebec City "should" have a team, in addition to Medvedev suggestions he is ready to but an NHL franchise, makes this situation all the more intriguing.

The Goverment of Quebec has already offered money to assist investors who want to buy Le Canadien, so Les Nordiques will most certainly shoot to the top of their agenda.

Would they facilitate a joint venture with Gazprom, the KHL and the Russian Government? Not out of the question.

From a marketing perspective, a revival of the Nordiques-Canadiens rivalry means big TV ratings--and potentially big dollars--in a hockey-mad environment.

There are reasons for the NHL to welcome this development. The Bedard Group has already had exploratory discussions with former Nordiques like Michel Goulet who is now part of the Colorado Avalanche executive team, so this group is clearly ready to play 'by the rules'.

If the league were to get behind the initiative, they could not only confound their critics accusing them of being 'anti-Canada', but might also have a way to thwart the threat of an anti-trust lawsuit by Jim Balsillie.

With a number of franchises potentially available--the Atlanta Thrashers being just one of those spoken of as being moveable--the return of Les Nordiques may be more than just a dream.

Your thoughts? Can it happen? Would you like to see it happen?

Make it so. Winnipeg, Quebec City, Hamilton and hell, Halifax... make it all happen.

NOW!

I'd love to see it happen if it's a sustainable model. I don't know if we'll see teams move from the States to Canada. I really hope I'm wrong but I have the distinct impression that the only chance Canada has of getting a franchise is through expansion. This could be achieved as long as Atlanta, Phoenix and Florida move to Kansas, Las Vegas and ??. Once that has transpired then they can think about bids for expansion in Winnipeg, Quebec, Southern Ontario with two of them winning a team.

I voted the NHL needs this team and the rivalry was great. Thanks DTR for allowing multiple choice on this one.

This would be AWESOME, loved the Candiens/Diques, Diques/Bruins Playoff Series... epic contests...

yes the NHL does need the Diques, the greatest reason being those Battle of Quebec playoff rivalries, but another part of it being the more Canadian cities, the better, starting first with Winnipeg and Quebec.

Obviously, I chose option number 2.

I just feel sorry for the poor bastards in Canadian cities that were led to believe they had a shot at teams as part of Bettmans little game with Balisillie. No amount of money, fan support and/or corporate support will bring additional teams to Canada.

If Bettman were a member of this forum, he would have checked No--let dead franchises stay dead, unless we're talking about Minnesota, Kansas City, Denver and Atlanta, of course.

SeawaySensFan wrote:Obviously, I chose option number 2.

I just feel sorry for the poor bastards in Canadian cities that were led to believe they had a shot at teams as part of Bettmans little game with Balisillie. No amount of money, fan support and/or corporate support will bring additional teams to Canada.

If Bettman were a member of this forum, he would have checked No--let dead franchises stay dead, unless we're talking about Minnesota, Kansas City, Denver and Atlanta, of course.

ah Screw Bettman and this horse -> :p: he rode in on, hope it turds on his head.

I liked their logo...



Sweet.

wprager wrote:Where'd you get that Tuk?

Also, your current avatar (Willie) -- is there really a mustache there, somewhere?

It was going to be their new jersey the year they left.

yes, there's a stach somewhere.

wprager wrote:

The Guy With The Mustache wrote:

wprager wrote:Where'd you get that Tuk?

Also, your current avatar (Willie) -- is there really a mustache there, somewhere?

It was going to be their new jersey the year they left.

yes, there's a stach somewhere.

Our you could change your userid to The Guy with The Mustache Or Some Stubble.

Too long :^^^^:

The Guy With The Mustache wrote:

wprager wrote:

The Guy With The Mustache wrote:

wprager wrote:Where'd you get that Tuk?

Also, your current avatar (Willie) -- is there really a mustache there, somewhere?

It was going to be their new jersey the year they left.

yes, there's a stach somewhere.

Our you could change your userid to The Guy with The Mustache Or Some Stubble.

Too long :^^^^:

are we talking about Sid's the Whiner's playoff growth again? oh wait, nevermind

I think its ludacrus that that team was lost. Hockey was invented in Quebec, and the capital can't keep a team. I find it hard to beleive that NHL hockey would not be popular there. I know the canadian dollar was brutal at the time ....

A team back in QC would be cool.

HowieMorenz wrote:I think its ludacrus that that team was lost. Hockey was invented in Quebec, and the capital can't keep a team. I find it hard to beleive that NHL hockey would not be popular there. I know the canadian dollar was brutal at the time ....

It was another case of rising salaries, poor Canadian dollar, a small market (Quebec was the smallest market in the entire NHL at the time) and their mono-linguistic French-only tendencies all contributed to poor marketability. The Govt turned down a bailout offer and there were no other investors, Aubut had to sell to the Colorado investment group... and the rest is history.

Are we about to see history being made?

If the Nordiques do in fact return to Quebec, one of the NHL's oldest franchise cities...the Quebec Bulldogs, originally known as the Quebec Hockey Club and Quebec Athletic Club, so back to 1889 when they played in one of the precursors to the NHL, the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada.

The Bulldogs became a professional team in 1908, joining the National Hockey Association which became the NHL, playing until 1920 when the team was moved to Hamilton and became the Tigers.

If Quebec were to regain a franchise before Hamilton, no doubt a certain irony would be noted.

It would be awesome, and the rivalries that would be rebuilt would be huge for ratings. There may be some reworking required with the divisions - maybe go to four instead of six? But that would be a minor thing to negotiate.

The only thing that I'd see as a potential issue is whether Medvedev (sp?) is up to something vis a vis his connection with the KHL - does he intend on using the team as a conduit for players or money back and forth?

RDS reports that Mario Bedard, one of the principals behind the effort to revive Les Nordiques, is to meet with Pierre Karl Peladeau and Quebecor, who had previously tried to buy Le Club de Hockey Canadien.

From RDS.ca this morning:

Quebecor rencontrera Bédard en août
2/8/2009

Dans le dossier du possible retour de la Ligue nationale à Québec, Mario Bédard a indiqué au Soleil qu'une rencontre entre Quebecor et lui est prévu pour la fin du mois d'août.

Jusqu'ici Bédard et le groupe de Pierre-Karl Péladeau ne se sont jamais parlé.

Cette rencontre visera donc à mesurer le sérieux de cette entreprise dans le dossier.

Avec Remstar et Quebecor dans son camp, Bédard estime que c'est maintenant à la population de se faire entendre et de prouver qu'elle souhaite réellement le retour de la LNH.


http://www.rds.ca/hockey/chroniques/279639.html

This follows a report confirming the Remillard brothers (successful broadcast producers and the sons of Quebec business magnate Lucien Remillard) and their firm Remstar's interest in, and the possible support of the TQS broadcast network for, the Nordiques' return.

LNH à Québec : le désir des Rémillard
Samedi 01 août 2009, RDS.ca

Les frères Rémillard parviendront-ils à ramener la LNH à Québec? Selon
ce que le quotidien Le Soleil rapporte, les frères Rémillard seraient
intéressés à ramener une équipe de la Ligue nationale dans la vieille
capitale.

Maxime et Julien Rémillard auraient même approché Mario Bédard, l’instigateur de la construction d’un nouvel amphithéâtre multifonctionnel.

TQS s’est dit intéressé au projet et serait prêt à investir dans les droits de télédiffusion.

Les frères Rémillard ont déjà été propriétaires d'équipes de la Ligue nord-américaine de hockey.

RDS commented today on this comment by Larry Brooks yesterday in the New York Post:

There is, we have been told by two individuals at the (NHL) Board level, a southern-based NHL team that's indicated some preliminary interest in moving a handful of October home dates for 2010-11 to Quebec City.

http://www.rds.ca/hockey/chroniques/279691.html

Des matchs à Québec : très incertain
RDS.ca, 3/08/2009

Selon ce que rapporte Larry Brooks du New York Post, une équipe de la Floride envisagerait jouer quelques matchs dans la vieille capitale lors de la saison 2010-2011.

Cette information proviendrait du Bureau des gouverneurs de la LNH.

Toutefois, toujours selon Brooks, les chances que les gouverneurs approuvent un tel projet sont à peu près nulles.

De plus, les gestionnaires du Colisée n'ont reçu aucune demande pour la location de l'amphithéâtre.
---

RDS points out there is no indication at this time that the NHL would approve the games in Quebec, nor have the management of Le Colisee received any request for the scheduling of dates.

However, this is all apparently being planned for the 2010-11 season...with the Florida Panthers being in the process of being sold, and major investors in Quebec like Pierre Karl Peladeau and the Remillard brothers emerging, a number of possibilities can be imagined.

Further developments in the 'Return of the Nordiques' dossier, from Corus Sports today:

LNH A QUEBEC: JOSEE VERNER Y CROIT
Corus Sports, 4-08-2009

La ministre des affaires intergouvernementales du Canada, Josée Verner, a affirmé que le gouvernement fédéral pourrait contribuer au financement de la construction d'un nouvel amphithéâtre à Québec.

À la suite d'un point de presse sur les fêtes de la Nouvelle-France, Verner a déclaré qu'elle était prête à « regarder ça, pousser ça et défendre ça. Je vais très certainement suivre le dossier de près et voir comment on pourrait investir là-dedans. »

Au niveau provincial, Jean Charest a déjà promis une somme de 50 millions $, alors que son ministre des Finances, Raymond Bachand, s'était dit enclin à consentir un prêt de 100 millions $ pour l'achat d'une équipe.

---

So it appears that the Federal Government, as expressed by the Minister Josee Verner, is prepared to add its subsidy to the $50MM being promised by Quebec PM Jean Charest and the $100MM being promised by the Quebec Finance Minister.

The prospect of Les Nordiques returning to Quebec seems credible, if these reports are added to the previous information posted here.

Quebec and "New GTA Team" would make a tidy expansion to 32 teams.

Those Remillards are true businessmen and ruthless ones at that. I recall some pretty immediate slash and burn measures when Remstar bought TQS.

Having Peladeau lose out on the Habs is the best thing that could have happened for Quebec City.

SSF> good point...but IMHO don't be surprised if the Panthers end up in Quebec City.

BTW Wang and the Islanders apparently had a good meeting with Nassau Country today (according to the Live Blog on MaxHockey.com), so Kansas City might indeed become the Coyotes' new home within two years...if the team isn't broken up into pieces before then by the legal battles.

I would love to see a team in Quebec City. I'm not so big on Hamilton, probably because JB is involved. Maybe in Hamilton with a different owner.

Prager> with all due respect, sir, where's the irony? Political patronage is part and parcel of professional sports franchises and all the infrastrucure projects, tax dollars and other 'considerations' they generate for the participants.

Peladeau and the Remillards may well have 'hand in glove' relationships with Mr Charest's government, and who knows, some friends in high places in Ottawa.

Looking west to the GTA, it is perhaps RimJim's lack of political clout and/or savvy that is impeding his quest for the purchase of his personal squad of puck pushers.

If the figures we have been seeing are correct, the timing of the 'Retour des Nordiques' may even coincide with a new election. Now that's something the voters in La Belle Province can relate to, n'est-ce-pas?

wprager wrote:It's ironic, don't you think, that the Federal government is offering to help out Quebec, while no assistance was offered from any level of government for the team in the Nation's Capital?

As much as I'd welcome back the thought of a Habs/Nords rivalry (it would take a few years to get anything close to what we had in the 80s) it bothers me that federal money -- my tax dollars -- would be used here. Maybe they could have disguised it as infrastructure by giving them money to build an interchange or expand the roads leading to the new arena. They didn't even do that here; instead they added the cost to build the interchange to the real-estate value of the Palladium and tus raised the property taxes for the owners.

Did Melnyk ever try to sell that interchange to the City of Ottawa for $1? Then charge them for clearing off snow in winter.

Actually, I remember that there were a lot of efforts deployed in order to supply federal funds to help out the senators in their time of need. Cabinet Minister John Manley was deeploy involved in assembling a plan but it was voted down. it was also very unpopular with the population at the time.

I'm still very bitter about that (+ the fact that the Bryden had to pay for that stupid overpass).

I think Quebec city should get the same treatment.

TA

We're talking about different times. It's normal, in times of recession particularly, for infrastructure spending to rise dramatically. Those conditions didn't exist at the time Hot Rod Bryden was bankrupt.

Besides, Federal Taxes are collected in Quebec too.

I'm completely in favour of creating jobs and generating tax revenue anywhere in Canada.

wprager wrote:Having lived in La Belle Province for 20 years, being enrolled in highschool as a "Native American" in order to squeak by the language laws, seeing a great many friends move away in the '70s and '80s, having been forced to move myself -- I have a great deal to say about how our federal government seems to always be bending over backwards trying to appease one -- admittedly substantial -- portion of the population of Canada. Sorry for the long sentence -- don't have time to make it shorter. Maybe irony is too soft a word.

I have no issues with Charest lending a hand -- he is the Premier of Quebec. I also did not expect federal money for the Senators (although you could argue that, since this is the Nation's capital it would have been appropriate). I do have an issue with federal money halping out a provincial sports franchise, especially since no such assistance was given to help other teams. Are the feds going to help Winnipeg get a team back?

Prager> governments continue to demonstrate they are more than willing to do the bidding of those who fund their election campaigns, fill their coffers, and pass along cash in brown envelopes in Swiss hotel rooms.

As you well know, the attitude in La Belle Province is a form of gallic shrug when it comes to patronage--as long as it serves certain interests--and is done with a certain 'je ne sais quoi'. And in that, mon ami, there is more than a little irony.

In terms of the fine people of Winnipeg, remember the reports posted on the Jets thread on this forum? According to the information cited on that thread, the people were screwed by their own government who refused to grant the Jets' citizens' movement tax-exempt status so they could pursue their efforts to keep the team there.

If Les Nordiques return, Monsieur Charest looks like a hero to the hockey-hungry population...who will probably carry him on their shoulders as the O'Keefe flows once again in La Vieille Capitale.

...plus ça change, plus c'est la même estie d'chose...

"Bettman ne dit pas non" says Corus Sports in their headline today for a story about the possible return of an NHL franchise to Quebec. The NHL Commissioner has given his tacit approval to the efforts of the investor group that apparently includes Quebecor chief Pierre Karl Peladeau. From the article:

Le retour d'une équipe à Québec: Bettman ne dit pas non

lundi 5 octobre 2009 à 13 h 41 - par Christine Roger
(Corus Sports) - Le commissaire de la Ligue nationale de hockey, Gary Bettman, a mentionné qu'il ne s'opposait pas contre l'idée de ramener une équipe de la LNH à Québec.

En entrevue sur les ondes de Corus Outaouais, Bettman a affirmé que la ville devrait se doter d'un nouvel amphithéâtre et que des investisseurs sérieux devraient manifester leur intérêt. Ensuite, le commissaire de la LNH serait prêt à se pencher sur le dossier.

Podcast of the interview here:
http://www.corussports.com/hockey/nouvelles/le-retour-d-une-equipe-a-quebec-bettman-ne-dit-pas-non-1772441.html

---

It seems that if the Quebec group can satisfy the NHL that they have taken the necessary steps to provide a facility which meets the league's standards, the process could advance in a significant way.

With a $50 to $100 million dollar subsidy from the Quebec government assured by Jean Charest, and probably more financial support forthcoming, this could get interesting.

the Battle of Quebec could be back, that would be amazing, they were always one of the best playoff series' to watch, and I didn't like either team (okay, hated the habs, but was okay with les Diques)

So let's sort this out.

Atlanta moves to Winnipeg
Phoenix moves to KC
Florida moves to Quebec City
Las Vegas and Hamilton/Toronto receive expansion frachises.

How simple that would be.