BOSTON — Few places in North America are more passionate about hockey than Quebec City.
As someone who grew up in that area, Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron understands that passion first hand. He was a fan of the old Quebec Nordiques, a team that, for a variety of reasons, relocated to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche after the 1994-95 season. They won the Stanley Cup in their first season as the Avalanche.
Quebec City could have another team if the NHL expands in the near future. Media giant Quebecor was one of two ownership groups, along with one in Las Vegas, to submit formal expansion bids to the NHL in August. Bergeron said during Thursday’s media day at TD Garden that Quebec City is hoping to soon have another NHL team to support.
“It’s exciting. It being my hometown, you can tell the excitement is really there right now,” Bergeron said. “They’re hoping and pushing hard to get one. I think the fanbase and corporate side of it is definitely there for that, and to sustain a team. But time will tell if they’re going to get one.”
A common problem with cities who want to submit a real bid for an expansion team is the lack of an NHL-caliber arena. It’s one of the issues in Seattle right now, for both the NBA and NHL.
In Quebec City, however, it’s not a problem. The Videotron Centre, an 18,259-seat masterpiece, opened in September and played host to a preseason game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens earlier this week.
“I’ve seen it from the outside,” Bergeron said of Quebec City’s new arena. “I didn’t get the chance to walk through it and see it. It looks beautiful.”
One of the most exciting parts of an expansion franchise’s entrance into the league is naming the team. But if Quebec City does get an expansion team at some point, there won’t be any mystery as to what the fans will expect the team to be called.
“It’s got to be the Nordiques,” Bergeron said. “Just like the (Winnipeg) Jets, you have to go back with them.”
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
