Quebec Government Finance Minister Met With Gary Bettman

Éric Girard, the Finance Minister for the Government of Quebec, was given a colossal task this past November. Premier François Legault gave Girard a specific mandate – to convince Gary Bettman that Quebec City deserves a new NHL franchise. The politician had his first meeting with Bettman in December.

Former mayor of Quebec City, Regis Labeaume, had met with both Gary Bettman and Bill Daly in the past to discuss their motivation towards bringing back the Nordiques. Along with head of Québecor Pierre-Karl Péladeau, the city built a state of the art NHL ready arena in the Centre Vidéotron which opened its doors in 2015.

The arena has since been the home of the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL as the city still awaits their new NHL tenants. The Nordiques moved to Colorado to become the Avalanche in 1995 and won the Stanley Cup in their first year in Mile High City.

Éric Girard has already met with Bettman and Daly this past January. The meeting was scheduled to take place at the NHL offices in New York but due to the pandemic, the meeting was held virtually.

In March, Denis Lessard, a political journalist for La Presse, dropped a bombshell a mere few hours after the announced death of Eugene Melnyk, that the government of Quebec and the NHL were in talks of having the Ottawa Senators play five regular season games in Quebec during the 2022-23 season. The news was confirmed by Bill Daly.

Melnyk’s daughters, who have inherited the Senators from their father, haven’t made any public statement on whether or not they are going to sell the team. It is said there are at least four groups, with one that includes former Senators Daniel Alfredsson and Chris Phillips, that are interested in purchasing the team and build a new arena in downtown Ottawa.

Former Cirque Du Soleil owner Guy Laliberté as well as the Desmarais Family are rumored to be some of the interested groups.

The nature of Éric Girard’s meeting with the NHL is unknown, although it’s obvious what the topic will be about. Girard is also scheduled to have several meetings with American bank investors as well.

It’s pure speculation if these meetings will lead to anything. While Quebec City would be an excellent destination for an NHL franchise, there are many hurdles to face. The idea of the Senators moving to Quebec likely won’t happen, while the Arizona Coyotes have more lives than cats and will likely move to Houston before Quebec is even considered.

A group led by Québecor owner Pierre-Karl Péladeau had approached the NHL after news that the league was expanding. Twice they made an application and paid the fees but ultimately, Las Vegas and Seattle were chosen as the NHL’s 31st and 32nd franchises. This wasn’t Péladeau’s first attempt at buying an NHL franchise as he was part of one of the groups who made an offer to purchase the Canadiens from George Gillette in 2009.

Despite an automatic rivalry and a marketing department’s dream, current Canadiens owner Geoff Molson’s group, comprised of himself and his brothers, not only purchased the team but the territorial rights of the entire province of Quebec. Therefore any plans to include a new team in the province of Quebec has to be approved by Molson and a deal must be in place to either pay a territorial tax or outright buy these rights. The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly nixed opportunities to have a second team in the Greater Toronto Area more than once.

As much as i’d love to see the Nordiques return, I remain as skeptical of their return as much as the Expos. It seems to be a habit for the major North-American sports leagues to use Montreal or Quebec as a way to influence the league’s decision to land in a different city.

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