Montreal’s candidacy for the Four Nations Showdown in February 2025 is not compromised, according to Tourisme Montréal. “It smells good,” says its president and general manager, Yves Lalumière.
Negotiations are advanced with the National Hockey League, he adds. The financial package, however, still remains to be finalized.
Last February, the NHL and the Players’ Association jointly announced the presentation of the Four Nations Showdown, a tournament in which the national teams of Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden will compete. The matches would be played in two cities, one in Canada and the other in the United States. At a press briefing, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman then stated that the identity of these cities remained “to be determined,” but the news quickly circulated that Montreal and Boston were the targeted destinations – which was not the case. has never confirmed the league yet, moreover.
On May 22, during an episode of the very popular podcast show 32 Thoughts, journalist Elliotte Frideman, from Sportsnet, claimed to have “heard” that Montreal’s candidacy was floundering. “I guess it comes from the city or whoever is involved in the negotiations, but there seems to be a problem with the agreement,” Friedman said, adding that it now seemed “possible” that the Canadian portion of the event will instead take place in Toronto.
The next day, May 23, in a column on BPM Sports, journalist Renaud Lavoie put forward the same hypothesis. “We will have to move quickly to ensure that this remains with us. If it continues like this, [le tournoi] goes somewhere else,” he said.
In Boston, it’s settled, in Montreal, we wait. It’s as if the event didn’t exist.
Renaud Lavoie, journalist
Yves Lalumière was surprised to hear these comments, since Tourisme Montréal, the organization responsible for negotiating with the NHL on this matter, is in almost daily communication with the league on this subject. The channels have never been broken, he insists.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Yves Lalumière, president and general director of Tourisme Montréal
In the office of Mayor Valérie Plante, we assure that “no administrative pitfalls in the City of Montreal prevent the organization of this event”, which is confirmed by Mr. Lalumière. No logistical issues are feared, given the presence among the project partners of the Montreal Canadiens, owned by the CH Group, “an expert” in the organization of events of this type.
“It smells good, we are heading in the right direction,” Mr. Lalumière repeated during an interview with The Press, Tuesday. But until we have all the elements tied up, we will not be able to go out publicly. »
According to him, the “economic aspect” is at the heart of the latest discussions. However, he did not reveal the amount the league is asking from the host cities.
It has happened in the past that Montreal has withdrawn its application to hold a sporting event due to the excessive costs requested by an organization. This is, for example, what happened with the Laver Cup in 2023, which finally took place in Vancouver.
With the NHL, we are not there at all, assures Yves Lalumière. Unsurprisingly, Tourisme Montréal is particularly motivated to host an international event in February, at a time of year when there are fewer visitors to the metropolis.
“We want it to happen,” he adds. This is important for our residents and for our reputation as a hockey town, a temple of international hockey. […] Our desire is that[une entente] is coming, and soon. It’s a question of negotiations. We are on the right track. »
In the City, we abound. “We have mobilized the entire Montreal ecosystem and everyone is doing their best to ensure that Montreal is one of the selected destinations” for the tournament, writes Catherine Cadote, press secretary in the mayor’s office.
However, she adds, “it remains a decision of the NHL.”