Even in front of the Minister of Finance, Eric Girard, Gary Bettman went there with his usual refrain, today, concerning the return of an NHL team to Quebec. The League says it is not aware of “an opportunity” that could meet the government’s interest at the moment.
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File photo, Stevens LeBlanc
Finance Minister Eric Girard, nicknamed “the Minister of the Nordiques” would have liked a more conclusive interview with the authorities of the NHL today.
At the end of the virtual meeting of barely an hour, Mr. Bettman and his right-hand man, Bill Daly, said they were “flattered” by the interest shown by Quebec, which was also represented by the deputy minister of Mr. Girard, Pierre Cote.
“We had a cordial meeting with Messrs. Girard and Côté this morning, during which they once again expressed Quebec City’s passion for hockey and Quebec City’s deep interest in the return of the NHL. let the commissioner and his deputy know in a joint statement.
“We appreciate that the lines of communication between the two parties have been refreshed, they added, and we have agreed to stay in touch if circumstances change. ”
often heard
These remarks have been repeated many times by the monks of the NHL, in particular in front of the journalists, since the possibility of the return of the Nordiques began to dawn, ten years ago (see quotes below).
The cities of Las Vegas and Seattle meanwhile obtained their teams through expansion processes, while the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg.
Houston has also been added to the list of contenders for a National League club for some time.
“An important asset”
Mr. Girard today corroborated the statements of MM. Bettman and Daly. On Twitter, he declared that “the NHL greatly appreciated our approach and indicated that it is not in a position at this time to respond positively to our interest”.
He added that he demonstrated during the meeting, which was initially to be held in New York, that a team in Quebec “would be an important asset for the league”.
The Minister of Finance has been nicknamed “the Minister of the Nordiques” since François Legault announced in November that he had appointed him to lead the file for the return of an NHL concession to Quebec.
The critical opposition
This meeting held in the heart of the fifth wave of the pandemic was decried by the opposition parties in Quebec.
Liberal MP and former NHL hockey player Enrico Ciccone questioned the government’s priorities.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m hurting myself here, but… where are your @&$&@ priorities?” [propos non parlementaires]. So find a safe way to bring our young people back into sport instead, ”he denounced on Twitter.
“While load shedding is reaching critical levels and our health network is at the end of its tether, the CAQ is devoting its energy to hockey. It’s not a meeting that Minister Girard should be bragging about right now,” said Ruba Ghazal, finance spokesperson for
Solidarity Quebec.
Quebecor reacts
The Quebecor group, a player from the start in the return of the Nordiques, said for its part that it was “very happy that the Government of Quebec has taken the initiative to hold a meeting with the NHL and to contribute to the efforts already made. to bring a team back into a major hockey fan market.
“We are still interested in bringing the Nordiques back to Quebec and investing in an NHL franchise,” he reiterated. The population of Quebec deserves this team and with the Center
Videotron, a world-class amphitheater, we will be ready to welcome them. “
– With the collaboration of the Parliamentary Office, Nicolas Lachance
An often heard refrain
Over the years, Gary Bettman and Bill Daly have repeatedly stated that they have no concessions to offer Quebec, whether through a move or an expansion, while affirming that the National Hockey League remains attentive to what the City and investors had to offer.
The newspaper listed some examples.
“We have frequent contact with Quebec. They are still interested in a National Hockey League franchise. We are not in a position to promise them one at the moment, but the dialogue is certainly continuing. “
– Bill Daly, January 26, 2019
“Once the City decided to have a new arena, we kept telling them that we couldn’t promise them a team […] That said, that doesn’t mean that Quebec will never get a team. Only, we did not undertake to find one for him. I am very comfortable with our position. “
– Gary Bettman, November 18, 2017
” […] a lot of people are showing interest, whether it’s for a team in Quebec, Seattle, Las Vegas or Kansas City. We’re listening. However, we have not initiated any process regarding a potential expansion. It’s not something we’re thinking about right now, but we’re listening. “
– Gary Bettman, April 22, 2014
“Nobody has decided yet whether or not we are interested in a future expansion team. Several cities, including Quebec, dream of it. We have received interest, but no decision has been made. We listen. We have not started an official process to have a new team. When people want to talk to us, we listen. “
– Gary Bettman, December 10, 2013
“We are not talking about expansion because we are not planning any expansion. […] We received [des demandes] from Quebec, Seattle, Kansas City, Las Vegas, southern Ontario, Saskatoon and even Halifax. […] We don’t like to move a team and currently there is no team available. Maybe one day circumstances will cause there to be one, but right now there is no concession available to anyone. “
– Gary Bettman, in February 2012