Might the NHL see a return of the Nordiques to Quebec City? There is speculation that this may occur after Quebec City mayor Regis Labeaume recently met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman about the possibility of a hockey franchise returning to the city. The meeting was reported to be cordial, and while nothing was etched in stone, it did lay the foundation for Quebec City to be one of the cities in contention if a troubled existing NHL franchise was to perhaps relocate down the road. And there is even further speculation that any team calling Quebec City its home would be renamed the Nordiques, in honour of the former NHL and WHA franchise that once called played in the walled city.
Nordiques Relocate to Colorado, Win Two Stanley Cups
The Nordiques were initially a franchise with the now-defunct World Hockey Association. Once the league folded in 1979, the Nordiques were one of several teams that were absorbed into the NHL. From 1979 to 1995, the Nordiques were both a playoff team (losing to the Islanders in the Wales Conference Finals in the 1981-82 season) and among the worst teams in the league (not qualifying for the playoffs for five straight years beginning in the 1987-88 season). In 1995, the franchise was sold and relocated to Colorado. Renamed the Avalanche upon their move, the team went on to win two Stanley Cups in the Rocky Mountain state.
Quebec City Mayor Announces Interest in New $400 Million Arena
Reportedly, one holdup to Quebec City once again obtaining an NHL franchise is their lack of a new arena. Other potential relocation candidates have relatively new arenas, while Quebec City has the aging Colisee. Perhaps in response to the meeting with Bettman, Labeaume has announced the city is conducting a feasibility study with the hopes of constructing a $400 million arena to be built within the next one to three years.
Relocation, Not Expansion, More Likely for Quebec
Of course, if the 21st century version of the Nordiques were to return to Quebec City, it would most likely be the relocation of an existing team, as opposed to expansion. With the Islanders, Coyotes, Predators and most recently the Atlanta Thrashers all reportedly in financial trouble, if Quebec City were to get approved for a club it would most likely be one of those existing franchises moving to it. Quebec City now joins Kansas City, Winnipeg and perhaps Southern Ontario as the cities and regions in this, the NHL’s version of musical chairs.
Nordiques/Canadiens Rivalry Renewed?
While it would be sad to potentially see one current North American city potentially lose its hockey team to Quebec City, and ironic, one positive for diehard hockey fans would be that the rivalry between the Nordiques and the Canadiens would be renewed. The teams battled against each other in five playoff series, most of them legendary in their intensity. And for those north of the border, Canada would have one more hockey franchise in its country, albeit at the expense of an American city.
Browns Move to Baltimore; Cleveland Lands Expansion NFL Team in 1999
And there is a precedent for a departed team to return, at least in expansion form, to its previous city. In 1995, Cleveland Browns’ owner Art Modell announced the team would move to Baltimore the following season and become the Ravens. Which was also somewhat ironic, since the Baltimore Colts once loaded up their Mayflower trucks in the middle of the night after the 1983 season and relocated to Indianapolis. For three seasons, football fans in Cleveland had no home team to cheer for. But in 1999, the NFL awarded an expansion franchise to Cleveland and the new franchise was named the Browns, continuing somewhat the football legacy that was started in the city in 1946. Quebec City officials are no doubt looking for a similar rebirth for its former hockey team.
Quebec City a Francophone, Small-Market Town
And while having a team in Quebec has already proven to be a challenge, what with being a Francophone city and being among the smaller sports markets in North America to boot, it cannot be any worse of a situation than what some existing NHL franchises are already facing, especially some of those in “non-traditional” hockey markets. And the inquiry into building a new arena shows that the city is serious about bringing back NHL hockey and would support that team, despite always playing in the shadows of the legendary Canadiens.
Quebec City officials seem genuinely excited about the possibly of perhaps being in the running for an NHL franchise. So while the city is a long ways away from landing an NHL team, it has taken positive steps to be a front-runner for a franchise. And while any 21st century version of the Nordiques would be a long ways away from the days of the Stastny brothers and Michel Goulet, for Labeaume and others in Quebec City, having an NHL team down the road, in a new arena, would be better than their current situation of having no team at all.
