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The New Nords? "It's done, well I should say, 'It's all but certain' but.. |
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This is really exciting.
Last week, when Quebec announced a new $400M arena was being proposed a mere days after news leaked that Quebec City Mayor Régis Labeaume had come to NY to meet with Gary Bettman, the buzz in Quebec was off the charts. While the meeting was said to go well "off the record" Labeaume gave 400 Million reasons to believe that were very on the record.
Of course politics are politics and there are opponents of Lebeaume who are calling this showboating for political gain...Of course there is always an element of this, but this situation has been going on since last December behind closed doors.
There are always groups that fly to NY to discuss becoming NHL owners. The NHL is very good about keeping these meetings quiet, quite often meeting away from the NHL offices to avoid any leakage of the possibilities. While they did meet and sign NDAs, this meeting wasn't nearly as secret as it should have been.
Talking to NHL sources and two current NHL owners yesterday, late last night, and this morning, I am extremely confident that where there is smoke there isn't just fire: The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire.
The timing couldn't be better for this.
Following the whole make it seven court fiasco in Phoenix the NHL was very ready to show that what happened had nothing to do with their leanings as to whether or not to put another team in Canada.
Quebec left Quebec and Winnipeg left Winnipeg because no one could be found to keep them there. Phoenix may end up leaving the same way, but the NHL wasn't going to let them just be taken.
One owner was extremely confident. "Oh, it's done, well I should say it's 'All But Certain' but, you know, it is done. The Nordiques will be resurrected. The only question is if it is in the next 2 years by relocating a current team or through expansion. The NHL wants to get back into Canada in the worst way and Quebec offers the most for a dozen reasons."
It is no secret that 32 teams is a magic number of sorts. The NHL would get 4-eight team divisions and the return of divisional playoffs that are a win/win for the league.
A league source, "We liked what we heard from the meeting. We like dealing with people who are professional and understanding."
That not-so-passive-aggressive statement sent a definite not-so-veiled message.
"The Nordiques/Canadiens rivalry was worth the price of admission in and of itself," another source added. "It would be great for the whole region."
If the NHL were to expand to 32 teams I also got the impression that the other team would come down to Vegas, Winnipeg, or Portland, Oregon.
I asked a source if a second team in Toronto or Hamilton was possible. "Yes, but only if a current team moved out West to Vegas or Oregon...And then the owners could get a king's ransome for an expansion fee in Ontario. Easily 500-700 million.
Another source:
"Yes, but I don't see it in Hamilton however. I would say a second team in Toronto, likely in a new building near Mississauga, or even a Balsillie team in Kitchener/Waterloo after some big reconciliation is more likely then Hamilton. Hamilton is too dangerous to Buffalo and Buffalo is an important market for the US TV Ratings."
So could we see 5 Eastern Canadian teams? Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Kitchener and Quebec?
"Yes, but only with two expansion teams. There is no doubt the region can support it...Easily. It would take a team from the East now to be sold and relocated to the West."
Needless to say we are entering intriguing times.
more to come..
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