gary lawless        ✔ @garylawless

Two more NHL teams, every fringe player in the league can now comfortably buy that new boat. Water in summer, watered down in winter.

 

randy turner        ✔ @randyturner15

LRT: Only two weeks after Gary Bettman HNIC interview saying expansion not on NHL "radar", Bettman will announce plans for NHL expansion.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Noeller said:

They need Quebec around as an option to bail out a failed southern market. QC will get their team but it might be like Wpg did. 

Yup. This is way more likely. 

9 hours ago, Goalie said:

Yup. This is way more likely. 

Yeah true.  But Quebec has serious deep pockets and could afford the half a billion expansion fee.  This would make me wonder about Florida or Carolina though...if the NHL feels like they need to keep a Plan B option available.

Carolina's that bad off? Wonder if its the Panthers success hurting them.

3 hours ago, The Unknown Poster said:

Yeah true.  But Quebec has serious deep pockets and could afford the half a billion expansion fee.  This would make me wonder about Florida or Carolina though...if the NHL feels like they need to keep a Plan B option available.

Well, now they do, thanks to the Liberals being back in power. 

There is some talk that the corporate support in Quebec City isn't there actually. 

It wouldnt surprise me if the expansion fee scared them off.  And if corporate support is lacking, that could give them some pause.  its one thing to pay a huge expansion fee if you know you'll eventually recoup it over many years but if there is any risk involved at all, then its crazy. 

Look how close the Jets operate to the profit/loss line (not including all their other businesses).

The Canadian dollar has to hurt Quebec as well. 

Any expansion fee or purchase will be in US dollars. 

The Jets were bought at the right time. 

I guess that the expansion fee is in USD , so the weak dollar is gonna kill them, picking up a team in trouble wont be cheap when you consider a relocation fee on top of the purchase price. Eventually they will be in Quebec but it's not there first choice probably not even second.