Since the time the Quebec Nordiques were relocated to Colorado in 1995, there has been a demand to bring NHL hockey back to the capital of La Belle Province.
On Tuesday, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman answered questions from members of the media in Montreal. Unsurprisingly, the topic came up once again.
“I know there has been constant speculation about this,” Bettman said. “We are not in expansion mode,” he explained. Although the commissioner denied rumors that anything would happen in the near future, he did not completely close the door on the idea, saying: “If we decide to participate or if we have a possibility of expansion, we will let the people of Quebec know. »
According to Bettman, Canadiens owner Geoff Molson also made it very clear that if the league wanted to expand, “he would welcome a team to Quebec.”
Over the years, debates have arisen as to whether the Quebec population could support an NHL franchise. THE passion for junior hockey is a strong indication that it is possible.
Last June, more than 14,000 fans attended a QMJHL semi-final game between the Shawinigan Cataractes and the Quebec Remparts at the Videotron Center, an NHL-sized arena. For context, this is higher than the average attendance for NHL teams like New Jersey, Anaheim, San Jose, Buffalo and Arizona.
