Quebec city is very poor, so the general population will not be able to support the team. If that is the case then they need corporate support, and they have very little corporate support for over a year or two. This whole notion of another team in Quebec City is a romantic one, it is not economically feasible to put a pro sports franchise in a city that cannot support it, where players do not want to live, where taxes are much higher then any other city in North America.

I won't even go into depth about the current language issues, but that just seals the deal even further.

The notion of a pro team in QC is not realistic whatsoever.
- JLO961

What if the players are smokers?

What if the players are smokers?
- Atomic Wedgie

lol, a definite positive. QC's large population of strippers and prostitutes is a big draw also!

Why does the NHL keep trying to have hockey teams in failed markets? It didn't work before why would it now????

Case in point Atlanta.
- cuethenoise

Case in point Minnesota and Ottawa. Minnesota changed its State official sport to Hockey, while the rest of you Americans think football is interesting, these guys finally got it right. The world is changing. String Bikinis wouldn't have went over well in the 60s even though you know guys were thinking it but I'm glad someone tried the idea again.

Do away with Pheonix and Florida, drop down to 28 teams. Move Tampa to Quebec city and Columbus to Seattle.

Oh but yeah you are right, QC, Seattle and Kansas are all stupid places. They will fail in a big way. Markham On will succeed and they are building an arena.

My vote is to take a division of 6 and move it over seas. Two expansion, NYI (they can't find a place to build and they claim to not be making any money), PHO, Columbus and Florida. All the teams that whine the most about not making a profit. Let the owners move them where there is a HUGE market for hockey.

The flight from chicago to Moscow is 9 hours. The flight from Vancouver to Florida is 7 if they go non stop. What is 2 hours when we can tap into a huge television and fan market. Plus we will stop losing players to the KHL. The NHL will actually be the Best of the Best. The players are use to the travel. Why do we keep trying to shove hockey down people's throats when they only watch it after football season. Take the game to where the fans are. Where the sponsors are and where the money already is.

Man I hope not...I like having all 82 Habs games televised on normal cable..
Screw QUEBEC! let them rot

Go to Missisagua or the moon but not Quebec

sorry if this is a dumb question, but how do they create a roster if they arent moving but rather creating a new team? do they try to sign whoever is free agents and players from other leagues (KHL and euro leagues)?

Case in point Minnesota and Ottawa. Minnesota changed its State official sport to Hockey, while the rest of you Americans think football is interesting, these guys finally got it right. The world is changing. String Bikinis wouldn't have went over well in the 60s even though you know guys were thinking it but I'm glad someone tried the idea again.
- bsteinley

i went up to minnesota a few times and they actually werent too big on hockey. their "team" was the Twins

sorry if this is a dumb question, but how do they create a roster if they arent moving but rather creating a new team? do they try to sign whoever is free agents and players from other leagues (KHL and euro leagues)?
- drummer829

They have an expansion draft , every team is only allowed to protect a certain number of players , letting the new team or teams pick from the unprotected players also the expansion team usually gets the first overall pick in the draft

i went up to minnesota a few times and they actually werent too big on hockey. their "team" was the Twins
- drummer829

Regardless, it is not a team losing money. They might not be the best team but going back did work. I agree Quebec and Seattle are stupid ideas though. Seattle is building the arena to get a basket ball team. You can guess which one will have priority. Put that together in a city that has a football team and a baseball team that have decent fan bases. I have been to seattle a few times and I have never seen a canucks jersey or anything like that and they are right up the road.

Quebec may have fans but they are not a huge city compared to the US ones that are failing and they don't have the corporations to support a team. Personally I think Winnepeg is a bubble as well for the same reason. The NHL is being ignorant and arrogant by not expanding where the money is, which is Europe. Sweeden, Germany, Russia, Czech, Slovakia, Denmark... plus they already have tv contracts, arenas, sponsors and they can sell the game better than the NHL is.

Thats a big thing we can learn from the other sports and from other hockey league, is how to market this sport better. You can read about it all over the web but the NHL might be the worst professional league in the world in terms of marketing and selling its product.

Why does the NHL keep trying to have hockey teams in failed markets? It didn't work before why would it now????

Case in point Atlanta.
- cuethenoise

You could say the same thing about Winnipeg.

But wait, they sell out every game..

Do you mind if I take a screen shot of this? It's just that I don't think I've ever seen a Panthers fan on here. Or anywhere else. Kind of interesting.
- woopstash

Been here awhile. Watching moronic posts from clowns like you crying over Cindy Crosby on a daily basis.

Move: Dallas, Flordia, Tampa, Columbus, Phoenix

To:

Victora, Saskatoon, Hamilton, Quebec City, Halifax

Maybe not Saskatoon, but it could work.

Move: Dallas, Flordia, Tampa, Columbus, Phoenix

To:

Victora, Saskatoon, Hamilton, Quebec City, Halifax

Maybe not Saskatoon, but it could work.
- Oilers4Life14

In other news, NHL without major tv network support, looks to Toronto Maple Leafs jersey sales to prop up the league...

Detroit it was a fun run, but looks like you're back in the west.

In other news, NHL without major tv network support, looks to Toronto Maple Leafs jersey sales to prop up the league...
- Morris

Make more Sportnets.

Sportnet Pacific: Vancouver.
*TSN Victoria: Victoria
Sportnet West: Edmonton, Calgary
*Sportnet Central: Saskatoon
TSN Winnipeg: Winnipeg
*Sportnet Ontario: Hamilton, Toronto
Sportsnet East: Ottawa (Boo)
TSN Montreal: Montreal
*Sportnet Quebec: Quebec City
*Sportsnet Marnitems: Halifax

* New Channels

I know it won't work, but it's good to think of new teams.

You could say the same thing about Winnipeg.

But wait, they sell out every game..
- Oilers4Life14

Winnipeg is a city (and in a province) that is on the rise! The worldwide demand for Agriculture and commodities is causing that region to boom and this will continue to be the case for many many years. Quebec City has one of the highest unemployment and welfare rates in North America and there just isn't the corporate support in Quebec. Hockey fans are passionate and I apologize to loyal Nordiques fans, but to expect anything less than financial failure in QC is naïve. People are working and producing in Winnipeg, they can afford hockey tickets.

Oh but yeah you are right, QC, Seattle and Kansas are all stupid places. They will fail in a big way. Markham On will succeed and they are building an arena.

My vote is to take a division of 6 and move it over seas. Two expansion, NYI (they can't find a place to build and they claim to not be making any money), PHO, Columbus and Florida. All the teams that whine the most about not making a profit. Let the owners move them where there is a HUGE market for hockey.

The flight from chicago to Moscow is 9 hours. The flight from Vancouver to Florida is 7 if they go non stop. What is 2 hours when we can tap into a huge television and fan market. Plus we will stop losing players to the KHL. The NHL will actually be the Best of the Best. The players are use to the travel. Why do we keep trying to shove hockey down people's throats when they only watch it after football season. Take the game to where the fans are. Where the sponsors are and where the money already is.
- bsteinley

We just signed a big deal and are moving to Brooklyn. WHere have you been?

Winnipeg is a city (and in a province) that is on the rise! The worldwide demand for Agriculture and commodities is causing that region to boom and this will continue to be the case for many many years. Quebec City has one of the highest unemployment and welfare rates in North America and there just isn't the corporate support in Quebec. Hockey fans are passionate and I apologize to loyal Nordiques fans, but to expect anything less than financial failure in QC is naïve. People are working and producing in Winnipeg, they can afford hockey tickets.
- JLO961

Winnepeg is the capitol of a province full of lakes. I wouldn't be surprised if they have less farm land than Alberta and Ontario. I don't know if you have been there lately but I have. There is a huge lack of industry. People are trying to move it back in but it just isn't staying. Its not a HAVE province. The good news is that they don't have many corporate boxes to sell. The bad news is that they don't have many corporate boxes to sell. Or seats for that matter. Selling out is easy when you are 6000 seats less than most arenas.

There isn't alberta and saskatchewan money to raise ticket prices through the roof. Nor is their Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto population. I heard that the arena can be expanded and I hope that is true. Otherwise I hope their owner, one of the riches men in Canada, is not in this for a profit.

As for Quebec, the province as a whole loses money and Montreal is the only reason they aren't third world in terms of employment rate. If it weren't for the western provinces giving them money they wouldn't be able to afford their separatist advertising (oh and for the separatists reading this feel free to leave, the rest of canada will buy one way tickets where ever you want... you are costing us millions just sitting there complaining).

Keep the league the way it is Frank Quebec. Oh and Go ISLES

Keep the league the way it is Frank Quebec. Oh and Go ISLES
- mighty13duck

See the problem is they already wrecked the league with their new divisions, so now we can't keep it. Right now there are 2 more teams on the east so it is much harder to make the playoffs on the east than the west. We could have kept it but for some mysterious reason they shifted two. Meanwhile arenas are being built in Markham and Quebec. The Seattle owner still claims he is building it for an NBA team and an NHL team would be gravy. Las Vegas wants one but it would be a bust. Too many other... busts to see when you are there to pay for hockey tickets.

We could put one in Kelowna but then Vancouver would want one.

this. Seattle's not a viable hockey market, even though it's fashionable for everyone to think it is
- BestRapperAlive

You know how many people from the lower mainland in BC would drive to seattle to watch Canucks games? Or people that would become fans of the Seattle team after being sick of the Canucks. Or tired of paying high ticket prices or waiting 5-6 years to get ice pak tickets/season tickets. Not to mention hockey fans from Oregon.

I assure you.. the west coast has a lot of hockey fans. The Everett Silvertips and Spokane Chiefs do very well for attendance for WHL teams.

I would agree they are a football crazy city.. but mariners had years of good attendance and still have a decent following. And the supersonics (much like the grizzlies) left for reasons beyond lack of fan base.

Not saying Seattle is the best market available.. but much better than at least half a dozen markets that are currently apart of the NHL.

You know how many people from the lower mainland in BC would drive to seattle to watch Canucks games? Or people that would become fans of the Seattle team after being sick of the Canucks. Or tired of paying high ticket prices or waiting 5-6 years to get ice pak tickets/season tickets. Not to mention hockey fans from Oregon.

I assure you.. the west coast has a lot of hockey fans. The Everett Silvertips and Spokane Chiefs do very well for attendance for WHL teams.

I would agree they are a football crazy city.. but mariners had years of good attendance and still have a decent following. And the supersonics (much like the grizzlies) left for reasons beyond lack of fan base.

Not saying Seattle is the best market available.. but much better than at least half a dozen markets that are currently apart of the NHL.
- kneughter

Also down south a bit in Oregon, tons of Mariners fans here.

Winterhawks have great attendance, lots of fan support, etc. Seattle area has the financial backing (advertisers) needed and a big base to draw fans from.

For Christs Sakes man. At one time they had the staff down to 3 employees and they were deferring paychecks. It was a mess.

Bottom line is that it's working now, just as it is in Minneapolis and appears to be in Winnipeg.
- stormey

St. Paul, actually
Don't confuse us with the yuppy bahstahds!

i went up to minnesota a few times and they actually werent too big on hockey. their "team" was the Twins
- drummer829

When was this... 1991?