Los Angeles Kings Visit | Clermont did not invest a penny of public money

(Quebec) Unlike the government of Quebec, the small Charlevoix municipality of Clermont has not put a penny of public money into the arrival of the Los Angeles Kings, expected next Monday for a public training.

The professional team, owned by American billionaire Philip Anschutz, will also pay for the rental of the arena, as would any team at the pee-wee or garage league level.

“No, there is no public money at all,” assures the mayor of Clermont, Luc Cauchon, on the phone. The Kings contacted us, we don’t do discounts or anything. They pay for the arena. »

The Kings’ two preparatory games at the Videotron Center caused a lot of discussion, especially because of the multi-million subsidy granted by Quebec. But after the games on Thursday and Saturday, the Kings will extend their time on Quebec soil. They will go to Clermont, in Charlevoix, for a training session open to the public.

“If I rely on the arrival of the Nordiques, the Senators and the Canadian, the arena will be full,” says the mayor, referring to the passage of these three teams in the small town of around 3,000 inhabitants.

A long tradition

Clermont, located 1 hour 45 minutes by car east of Quebec, has been welcoming NHL teams for a long time for training camps.

Coach Jacques Martin is the main responsible. He had organized training for the Nordiques in Clermont in 1993 and 1994, when he was Pierre Pagé’s assistant. The team’s last two camps took place in Charlevoix, before leaving for Colorado.

Martin then repeated the operation with the Ottawa Senators in 2003, then with the Canadiens in 2010.

The winning formula can be summed up as follows: the players stay at the Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, where they play golf on the establishment’s superb green, then go to put on their skates at the arena located just 12 km away. further, in Clermont.

This time, the NHL’s move to Clermont owes nothing to Jacques Martin. Instead, we have to thank Google.

“They were looking for an arena to practice. While searching in Google, they saw an arena 10 minutes from the Manoir, so they contacted us,” explains Nicolas Savard, leisure director at the municipality of Clermont.

The training scheduled for Monday at noon is open to all. Entrance is free. No autograph session is planned, at the request of the Kings organization.

“It’s their last training before leaving for Los Angeles and the start of the season,” explains Mr. Savard. That’s why the instructions we had regarding autographs. It’s not a public outing, it’s a work day, and then they go to LA.”