(Quebec) It was a great hockey evening. Well, the atmosphere was a little subdued at times. It’s normal, it’s always like that without the presence of a local club. And then, halfway through the match, it was still 0-0. But three quick goals lit up the crowd, and the party finally lifted in this 4-1 victory for the Los Angeles Kings against the Boston Bruins, in Quebec.
The highlight of the evening? The tribute to Patrice Bergeron before the meeting. The hockey player from the capital received a frank ovation from the spectators, more fans of his former team, the Bruins, than of the Kings. The yellow and black sweater of the Oursons was also the most popular at the Videotron Center, far ahead of that of the Nordiques. In a good proportion, too. The ratio was to be 20 to 1.
Were the stands full? No, but almost. 17,334 tickets were announced sold. So 95% of maximum capacity. Most of the free seats were concentrated in the back rows, behind the nets.
This large crowd should surprise no one. First, there is a large base of Bruins fans here. But above all, Quebec is a very good sports city.
Games of the Rouge et Or football team from Laval University attract up to 20,000 people. The Capitals played their last two months to a sold-out crowd. Last winter, the Remparts maintained an average of almost 10,000 spectators per game – in full reconstruction. No junior team in the country has done better.
Laval University rugby players hold the Quebec crowd record for a women’s university match (all sports), and the Rouge et Or volleyball players played in front of 3,000 spectators last year.
PHOTO JACQUES BOISSINOT, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Anze Kopitar congratulates Adrian Kempe, who scored the third goal for the Los Angeles Kings in a 4-1 victory against the Boston Bruins, at the Videotron Center.
So why did the Quebec government insist on paying a subsidy of 5 to 7 million to facilitate the presentation of two Kings preparatory games this week? To send the message to the NHL that the capital is such a good hockey city that it even fills its arena for the visit of two foreign clubs?
I fear that the message the government intended for the NHL will not be the one that will be heard. Being Commissioner Gary Bettman, absent on Thursday, I would rather wonder if a team can make a profit in Quebec without tickets being subsidized by the state. If the answer is yes, then why hasn’t the private sector assumed all the risks associated with organizing both parties? Was it too risky? Or, worse, too expensive?
I am for the return of NHL hockey to Quebec. The fans here deserve it. Then, at what price? Where does the role of the private sector begin and, above all, where does that of government end?
The Quebec state has already contributed significantly, paying half of the 370 million bill for the Videotron Center. An arena which, I remind you, does not host any professional teams, nine years after its opening.
I’m not anti-everything. I am not systematically opposed to public investment in professional sport. Except that it takes tags. Even more so when the beneficiaries are billionaire companies, some of whose employees are paid millions of dollars. Do you think that a subsidy of 5 million is a drop in the bucket in the government budget? Tell yourself that it is just as much for the owners of the Los Angeles Kings, whose combined fortune was estimated last year at 17 billion US…
Before subsidizing professional sport, the government must ensure that the promoter is prepared to assume the vast majority of the risk.
That wasn’t the case with the Kings, Bruins and Florida Panthers visiting here. Also, we must be able to demonstrate that the potential income exceeds the investment, or that the event is an exceptional showcase for the city, as is the case for the F1 Grand Prix or the World Cycling Championships, competitions that are watched by millions of viewers. Which, once again, was not the case with this exhibition game.
I insist: it was a great evening of hockey. I’m sure everyone who witnessed Quinton Byfield’s hat trick enjoyed their outing. But will this week’s two games move the needle in favor of Quebec’s candidacy for a hypothetical expansion of the NHL in the next decade? I highly doubt it.
With the financing of the Videotron Center and this subsidy, the government has made two big moves on the private sector. It’s now up to the promoters to take the puck back and convince the NHL of Quebec’s strengths.