Prime Minister François Legault hopes that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will attend the Los Angeles Kings’ games in Quebec and believes that “it is time” for the latter to agree to the return of the Nordiques.
• Also read: A $5 million to $7 million grant for the Los Angeles Kings’ visit to Quebec
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“It’s time for the National League to agree to a franchise [à Québec]so the return of the Nordiques,” explained the Prime Minister, answering questions from journalists on the sidelines of a tour in Gaspésie.
“I don’t know if you know, but the people of Quebec would like to have a hockey team, they would like to have the Quebec Nordiques return,” underlined Mr. Legault, defending his government’s decision to grant a subsidy of 5 to 7 to the promoter Gestev million dollars to bring the Los Angeles Kings to the Videotron Center for a week in October 2024.
“We hope that Mr Bettman will visit us during these games,” the Prime Minister added.
The goal
“The aim” of investing public money in this event, explained Mr. Legault, is to show the teams that will come to Quebec for the occasion, namely the Los Angeles Kings, the Boston Bruins and the Florida Panthers, but also Laut According to Gary Bettman, Quebec has “a first-class amphitheater […] World,” ready to welcome an NHL team.
Last Tuesday, during a press conference with the president of the Kings, Luc Robitaille, and the promoter Gestev, Finance Minister Eric Girard nevertheless declared that there was “no signal for the national league” between this “hockey week” offered to the people of Quebec and the possible return the Nordiques.
“Right now there is no expansion, there is no team that can be sold, but we are a hockey town and we want to have events,” concluded Mr. Girard when asked if the Kings’ visit was another test of Quebec’s market against the NHL.
“petty politics”
François Legault took the opportunity on Friday to criticize the unions and opposition parties who strongly criticize the subsidy granted for the visit of the Los Angeles Kings to Quebec.
“There are some who play small-minded politics and say: ‘Why don’t you put that into salary increases?'” “We’re not talking about the same amounts,” lamented the CAQ leader.
According to him, if his government accepted the union demands, it would cost “three billion seven hundred million more.”
“Quebec taxpayers’ ability to pay is limited. There is no talk of tax increases,” he emphasized.
As for the subsidies for the Kings, “it is also important to invest in leisure, be it sport or culture,” stressed Mr Legault.
However, several CAQ elected officials have acknowledged since Tuesday that the timing chosen for the announcement may not have been ideal given the current difficult economic situation. This applies in particular to ministers Bernard Drainville and Andrée Laforest, as well as deputies Yannick Gagnon and Kariane Bourassa.
What they said:
“The people of Quebec want to have a hockey team, they want the Quebec Nordiques to come back. […] It’s time for the National League to agree to a franchise [à Québec]thus the return of the Nordic countries.
– François Legault, Prime Minister of Quebec
“Did François Legault give $7 million of Quebec money to the Los Angeles Kings to force Gary Bettman to act? Really? Is this his strategy to bring the Nordiques back? An untenable decision by an unconnected government.”
– Marc Tanguay, interim leader of the Quebec Liberal Party
“We can always rely on François Legault’s solidarity with millionaires.”
– Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, parliamentary leader of Quebec Solidaire