NHL schedules game at neutral Canadian city that may hint at expansion plans

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Ryan Hall
August 31, 2024 (8:07 PM)

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Over the years, the NHL has used neutral site locations to play NHL games whether it was preseason or even regular season, many have felt that this was away the league could test for future expansion.

Several locations have had games including Salt Lake City which now is the home of the defunct Arizona Coyotes franchise. The city has the facilities to host games and house an NHL team which leads to the possibility of another franchise opening in Quebec City.

The capital of Quebec held the Quebec Nordiques for many years and built a rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins. After the team left in 1995 there was an outcry from local fans that the city should have kept their team, and it has remained teamless ever since.

This season, Quebec City will host an NHL preseason game on October 6th, featuring the Boston Bruins and the Los Angeles Kings.

In 2015 the city opened the Videotron Center which is more than adequate and state-of-the-art to have an NHL team as a tenant. There's also an appetite for the company Quebecor to become the majority owner as they had tried several years ago to apply for NHL expansion with the Seattle Kraken.

Most fans in the NHL know that the Quebec City area would be more than happy to support another Quebec Nordiques team as many people continue to have their jerseys ready to be used once again.

If the NHL sees a market in Quebec that could sustain a team long term while having strong corporate partners, there is a possibility that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and Bill Daly may look at Quebec City as a potential place for the 33rd NHL franchise.

Source: The Hockey News

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