Quebec City trying to keep the flame alive
- Thread starter GordonGraham
- Start date
That's because it takes in almost no immigrants. The entire province accepts 56,000 a year, mostly to Montreal. But immigrants tend not be fans of hockey anyway, so this makes little difference.
brentashton
Registered User
- Jan 21, 2018
- 13,702
- 19,421
Yukon Joe
Registered User
The problem with Quebec City is the same problem they've had for a number of years now.
The people of Quebec City built a very nice new arena, then proceeded to hand over control of that arena to PK Peladeau for 25 years. It was a deal so controversial Quebec had to pass a special law just to make it legal.
Having handed control of the arena over to PKP though he now finds himself unable to afford an NHL team. But nobody else can buy a team because PKP controls the arena.
Until Quebec City can solve that dilemma they won't have a team.
The people of Quebec City built a very nice new arena, then proceeded to hand over control of that arena to PK Peladeau for 25 years. It was a deal so controversial Quebec had to pass a special law just to make it legal.
Having handed control of the arena over to PKP though he now finds himself unable to afford an NHL team. But nobody else can buy a team because PKP controls the arena.
Until Quebec City can solve that dilemma they won't have a team.
There's also the fact that Quebec City isn't really a major league market by most criteria. Fairly small, provincial government heavy economy, not exactly swimming in cash. It's just not a place which looks enticing to the other owners. Which is exactly why they rejected it already. "Deferred" was just being polite.
Jumptheshark
Rebooting myself
there is just too much working against Quebec. NHL is all about growing the game stateside not in Canada
cheswick
Non-registered User
I'm not as pessimistic on Quebec City as some others. It's a city that's nearing a million people and they don't have a pro sports team in any of the major leagues. Not sure how many metro areas are larger without a team in NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, MLS or even CFL.
Gil Gunderson
Registered User
Unfortunately the lack of corporate presence in a government town is a big factor for owners. The QC metro population is bigger by Winnipeg's by a hair, but Winnipeg's corporate base is much larger.
When MLB expands they set up a process, take applications and then pick. Same with the NFL when they added Jacksonville, Carolina, and then Houston.
Only the NHL just continually takes meetings and then says "ok sure. start a ticket drive and if you sell out we'll expand to your city"
I know the NBA sort of did that with Toronto and Vancouver and there are a few other exceptions like the revived Browns and Hornets but generally its not like this.
Only the NHL just continually takes meetings and then says "ok sure. start a ticket drive and if you sell out we'll expand to your city"
I know the NBA sort of did that with Toronto and Vancouver and there are a few other exceptions like the revived Browns and Hornets but generally its not like this.
Winnipeg also had geographic advantages. Number 1 was being in the central timezone and number 2 was not being close to an original 6 franchise.
Bixby Snyder
IBTFAD
37 Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk, VA-NC MSA 1,787,188
39 Providence–Warwick, RI-MA MSA 1,673,802
43 Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN MSA 1,361,946
45 Richmond, VA MSA 1,339,182
47 Birmingham, AL MSA 1,181,196
48 Fresno, CA MSA 1,175,446
50 Hartford–West Hartford–East Hartford, CT MSA 1,158,069
51 Grand Rapids–Wyoming–Kentwood, MI MSA 1,157,752
52 Tucson, AZ MSA 1,057,597
53 Rochester, NY MSA 1,056,701
54 Tulsa, OK MSA 1,034,123
55 Urban Honolulu, HI MSA 995,638
56 Omaha, NE-IA MSA 976,671
58 Greenville–Anderson–Greer, SC MSA 958,958
59 Bridgeport–Stamford–Danbury, CT MSA 950,976
60 Knoxville, TN MSA 932,245
61 Albuquerque, NM MSA 919,543
62 Bakersfield–Delano, CA MSA 916,108
63 Albany–Schenectady–Troy, NY MSA 904,617
64 North Port–Bradenton–Sarasota, FL MSA 891,411
65 McAllen–Edinburg–Mission, TX MSA 888,367
66 Baton Rouge, LA MSA 873,060
67 El Paso, TX MSA 872,195
68 Allentown–Bethlehem–Easton, PA-NJ MSA 871,229
69 Worcester, MA MSA 862,927
Metropolitan statistical area - Wikipedia
EDIT: added Hartford at #50
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BKIslandersFan
F*** off
That’s bigger than QC? Quite a few. Not that those markets would necessarily support any of the 4 leagues well but there are definitely couple.
GKJ
Global Moderator
- Feb 27, 2002
- 187,962
- 39,895
The NHL got an application from Quebec City and in so many words, the public response to it was that it would set a geographical imbalance.
Cacciaguida
Registered User
if New York can have two teams so can Quebec.
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Yeah but before the process was announced they had already had Vegas do its ticket drive then opened the application process.
When they expanded to Seattle they had them do a ticket drive but there was no process that anyone could apply for.
Now they are talking to Salt Lake City even though there is technically no process going on. You don't hear the NFL taking meetings with San Antonio or Portland (or whoever) when there is no expansion process going on.
The current metro area population of New York City in 2023 is almost 19 million, which is significantly more than the population for the entire province of Quebec.
WatchfulElm
Former "Domi a favor"
"Almost no immigrants". You're funny. This amount is twice what the USA welcome per year, per capita. And it doesn't even include the 471 000 immigrants with a temporary status welcomed in Quebec in 2022 alone.
Hmm, this article says 89,765 in 2022.
JSYK, I think it's prudent of Quebec (and USA) to keep immigration low. As opposed to what's happening in Anglo-Canada.
These metro areas are demographically ill-suited for the NHL, and/or quite close to present NHL teams. Omaha and Tulsa possible exceptions.
WatchfulElm
Former "Domi a favor"
Hmm, this article says 89,765 in 2022.
JSYK, I think it's prudent of Quebec (and USA) to keep immigration low. As opposed to what's happening in Anglo-Canada.
These numbers don't include student visas, among other things. Full picture is here : L’opposition dénonce la stratégie caquiste en immigration | RCI
moosemeister
5,000 strong
Bixby Snyder
IBTFAD
Why does QC limit them themselves to the NHL? It's pretty clear the NHL isn't interested in putting a franchise there. Maybe they should try for a CFL or MLS team instead.
Bixby Snyder
IBTFAD
The NHL isn't going to any of those cities. Unlikely the other leagues go there either although Virginia Beach and Louisville have an outside chance.
Its a bigger problem than that. PKP has entirely alienated the league by several decisions and outbursts and has been called by many unfit to be an owner. At the moment its far less if he can afford it than if the board of governors, one of whom he attacked with a racist rant (not his first), would accept him.
If that arena was not under his control, I think a team could already be there.
They have far lower odds of landing an MLS team than an NHL team. The MLS will never add another Canadian team, and if for some extremely strange reason they ever did it would be to Ottawa or Calgary.
The CFL may yet go there, but I think QC will continue to reject joining that league until its NHL dream is 100% dead and buried which, if we're being honest, is never going to happen - maybe in 2050 when the Videotron Center is clearly too old and there are no funds to build another one. Quebec City will almost always remain a viable (in the sense that, say, Honolulu or Louisville or Regina or Virginia Beach are not, and never will be, viable NHL markets by comparison.) market and so will always sort of have that dream above their head.
I don't think the dream is dead either, though at this rate the earliest you could see a team play there wouldn't be until the 2030s.
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