As the NHL’s not-so-well-hidden dance with Las Vegas continues undeterred (and is likely going to end in an expansion franchise for Sin City come later this month), fortunes are not so great in Quebec City, as their dreams of an expansion team to replace the dearly beloved Nordiques are likely not coming to fruition anytime soon.
“Eventually, we will have a team in Quebec, I think, but it will not be for tomorrow,” Quebecor chairman of the board and former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney told La Presse (article in French).
One of the major issues preventing Quebec City from getting an NHL team for their sparkly new Centre Videotron is the value of the Canadian dollar.
“For a team like Quebec, with the exchange rate, a deductible cost, depending on the day, between 650 and 750 million [Canadian]. While an American owner would pay $500 million. It presents challenges for us all,” Mulroney said.
However, his comments have left a little wiggle room for Quebec City should one of the league’s current franchises need to be relocated for one reason or another. This has been a badly kept secret for years and many have speculated this is the NHL’s current plan to deal with the Quebec City question.
While Quebecor and Quebec City might not be getting a team in the NHL expansion round upcoming, there is still hope that the Nordiques (or whatever they’ll be called) will come to Quebec’s Capital eventually.