Quebec's premier to meet with Gary Bettman about the return of the Nordiques
Quebec is pushing to bring the Nordiques back. The Premier of Quebec announced on RDS on Thursday evening that the province's government will meet with Gary Bettman in the coming months regarding a potential NHL's return to Quebec City.
"I spoke with Mr. Bettman and we have meetings with him in the coming months" Legault said. "You have to look at who is ready to invest. We have an amphitheater in Quebec that has already been built. We are in the process of making contact with Mr. Bettman. We are looking at what we need to bring back the Nordiques. I think we are capable of having a second team in Quebec."
The Nordiques entered the NHL as part of the four-team WHA merger back in 1979 with the Hartford Whaler, Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers.
In 1995, because of how weak the Canadian dollar was at the time, the Nordiques moved out of Quebec City to Colorado and became the Avalanche. The Avalanche went on the win the Stanley cup in their first season in Colorado.
Quebec is expected to ask the commissioner to relocate the struggling Arizona Coyotes, who are without a home for the upcoming 2022-23 season after the city of Glendale opted out of the joint lease agreement for Gila River Arena.
The league is not expected to expand, especially after just introducing the 32nd team the Seattle Kraken this season. The best chance the Nordiques would have at acquiring a team would be to convince Bettman to relocate one of the leagues small market teams.
I think the return of the Nordiques would be great for the sport of hockey. Arizona is no doubt struggling to fill seats and has been performing poorly on the ice for the past few seasons apart from making the Western Conference Finals in 2011-12.
The support is definitely alive and well for the Nordiques.
Canada needs another NHL team, lets make it happen. The battle of Quebec will be a great one.
