Huge rumor circulating in the NHL: a journalist points to the Quebec Nordiques and he has arguments

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Julien Trekker
March 8, 2023 (8:48 PM)

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A few days ago, the renowned hockey insider Kevin Weekes intrigued many people. On his Twitter account, he retweeted a post that suggests the NHL will have a new expansion process in the coming years. It even seems that the two teams that will join the league have already been chosen.

This news has greatly disappointed fans of the defunct Quebec Nordiques. For too long, they have been waiting for their team to return and have seen several other cities pass them by. If the latest rumors are true, Quebec would once again be left out.

Huge rumor circulating in the NHL: a new expansion team?

It could even be two.

Anyway, the excellent magazine Hockey News launched a plea for the city of Quebec this Wednesday. Under the pen of Adam Proteau, the magazine proves why the cities of Houston and Quebec should be in the league, well before Atlanta.

Proteau argues that Quebec should have a chance to regain an NHL team. He points out that Atlanta, despite being in the important Georgia market, has had two failures (Flames in 1980 and Trashers in 2011) with its teams. Quebec also deserves a chance, according to the journalist, because of its hockey-loving fans.

"Quebec is a smaller market, but just like the Winnipeg Jets, there is a fan base that would undoubtedly give a better total attendance than many NHL cities. The city of Quebec should get a new opportunity before Atlanta." - Adam Proteau

In 2018, Boston Bruins owner (and Bettman's good friend) Jeremy Jacobs stated that the provincial capital would have to stand out in a way other than economic to attract the NHL's attention. The fact that it has a local population of approximately 550,000 would greatly hurt the league's profits.

Hockey News is aware of this issue, but rejects it by talking about the Arizona Coyotes. Currently, they have to settle for about 5,000 people. Even if it's temporary, Proteau says Quebec would not do worse.

Another fact that is dismissed by the magazine is the French language. Many people think it could be a problem for players and the league...

"Firstly, the union would be very happy to add 23 new jobs in the NHL, no matter where they are. Secondly, Montreal does well with a bilingual fan base. And for a long time, Quebec functioned adequately within the league. A combination of economic factors led to the Nordiques' move, and let's not forget that Denver needed two chances to succeed." - Adam Proteau