Québec City is not in line for an NHL expansion franchise.
The National Hockey League’s pre-season schedule includes stops in non-NHL cities such as Ontario, California, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Hershey, Pennsylvania, Bakersfield, California, Orlando, Florida, Boise, Idaho and Québec City, Québec. It is another opportunity for politicians and the business community in Québec to show off the city as a place that would work for either an expansion or relocated franchise. The NHL is not expanding in the near very future. What Québec City is getting is two Ottawa Senators’ pre-season games on September 28th against New Jersey and a visit on September 30th by the Montréal Canadiens to play the Senators. The Senators owner Michael Andlauer, who grew up in Montréal and owns a franchise that straddles the Ontario-Québec border, wants to extend his fanbase and thinks playing two pre-season games in Québec City will help increase interest in his team. The Montréal game will do well with people coming out to see the once hated Montréal rival. But that rivalry between Montréal and Québec City ended 30 years ago.
The reason the Nordiques ownership led by Marcel Aubut decided to sell the franchise to Colorado interests in 1995 was Le Colisée. The arena was antiquated and Aubut was lobbying Québec politicians to spend money to help fund a modern venue. The Québec political leadership said no and the franchise moved to Denver. A modern arena opened in 2015 and there was some hope in the province that Québec City would be able to land an NHL expansion franchise. But NHL owners declined a 2015 Québec bid but took Las Vegas in that expansion cycle. Québec City is a small market with limited corporate and television money. If the NHL does expand in the future, Québec City is behind the Atlanta market and maybe Houston and Phoenix in the expansion sweepstakes. The city may have fans but money is a problem.
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