Quebec City gets a new arena

[The Green Barbarian]

Looks like the first step to Quebec bringing back the Nordiques starts today with the announcement of a new arena. Hopefully they don't let the guys that built the "Big O" build this arena, or it will have be rebuilt in five years...

http://www.castanet.net/edition/news-st ... .htm#72939

Good to see that we may have 8 Canadian NHL teams again!

[GordonH]

So which team is most likely to be moving north.

Logically choices are either Florida teams and those with attendants issues. Now a team from the western conference would cause their to be 15 & 15 again.

Any idea hockey fans.

[The Green Barbarian]

So which team is most likely to be moving north.

Logically choices are either Florida teams and those with attendants issues. Now a team from the western conference would cause their to be 15 & 15 again.

Any idea hockey fans.

Take your pick - there are several US franchises in markets that don't deserve to have them. The Islanders need a new facility, and a decent owner. Since neither is looming on the horizon, they could be moving. Then you have the Panthers, the Coyotes, the Stars, the Blue Jackets, the St. Louis Blues - they all are floundering and could use a change of scenery. I'd personally like to see the NHL contract by at least 5 teams, in order to get the talent level back up a notch or two. During the regular season it is tough to get interested in games where 1-0 and 2-1 are the most common scores.

[GordonH]

New York Islanders have a new one coming http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=562517 (ownership well that's just weird there who in their right mind has Garth Snow has a GM)

Panthers, Stars & Blue Jackets have issues that would be helped by a move to a market that would attend games.

St. Louis Blues were purchase in 2006 by http://www.scpworldwide.net/blues.asp they may not be moving

Phoenix rumours point in the direction of Seattle (with a new area on the way) http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlesports ... s-in-sodo/

I agree GB that a 24 team league would be good thing if no other reason talent pool would not be stretched as it is now.

[French Castanut]

We'll get the coliseum at the cost of only 450,000,000$

LOL We're still paying for the olympic stadium built in 1976 which is now falling apart.

But it's Quebec.. we'll count on the feds to back us up when we need it.

Edit to add:

Officially, yes, it's been paid off for about 10 years now. BUT

According to the page 35 of their annual report available here:
http://www.parcolympique.qc.ca/wp-conte ... ra2010.pdf

The olympic installation dept have revenues of 35,586,000$ (which 18,951,000$ comes from govt aid).. but spends 40,414,000$.

So.. the stadiums costs us, tax payer, about 25,000,000$ annually to keep it running and maintained.

Edit again to add:

That's not including the extra 300,000,000$ added for a new roof on it back in 2010:
http://lapresseaffaires.cyberpresse.ca/ ... -stade.php

Also, the initial cost for the stadium was 178,000,000$ in 1972. But finally , it costed over 1,500,000,000$.

[French Castanut]

I take back what I said... it won't be 450,000,000$ like I said (initial project was 400M$ + they found the ground was contaminated so an extra 50M$ to get it cleaned).

CBC Reports:

La superficie de l'amphithéâtre a été revue à la baisse, de 70 000 à 64 000 mètres carrés, a expliqué le maire, ce qui permettra des économies de 30 millions de dollars. Un stationnement souterrain de 750 places a aussi été amputé à 625 espaces, ce qui enlèvera 21 millions sur la facture finale.

"The arena will go down from 70,000 to 64,000m3, saving 30M$ and the underground parking will shrink from 750 to 625 places, saving 21m$".. keeping the project to 400M$

http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/Queb ... nche.shtml

Still, the Province of Quebec will sink 200,000,000$ in that project, and the city of Quebec the same amount.

400,000,000$ of public money, from a province that runs deficits every years and that collect 7,500,000,000$ of equalization from the Federal governement every year.

http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.qc.ca/ ... -02-10.asp

On top of that, we, Quebekers, got a 2% PST increase to 15%, a 200$ extra annual health tax that every single citizen has to pay on top of the medicare card fee, no matter if you earn 10,000 or 100,000$ per year. Gas sells for about 1.35$/L, roads are falling apart, where I live available rents are at 0.1% to 0.0% with no project of building more. (Normal should be 3%).

IMO, the NHL is a private business making billions every year, they should support their own infrastructures!

Sometimes I feel like we live in ancien rome... leasures over a population well being.

[The Green Barbarian]

In 2011-12, the Government of Quebec received $17.3 billion in major transfers – an increase of $5.3 billion since 2005-06. These transfers were estimated to account for about 26 per cent of its revenues in that year.

http://www.fin.gc.ca/fedprov/mtp-eng.asp#Quebec

[French Castanut]

In 2011-12, the Government of Quebec received $17.3 billion in major transfers – an increase of $5.3 billion since 2005-06. These transfers were estimated to account for about 26 per cent of its revenues in that year.

It's a shame.

Canada's economy would be way much better should they kick quebec out of the confederation.

Quebec is like a bad wife spending it's husben's credit card. You give the card, you pay the bill.

[bob vernon]

And while we're at it, let's kick out the Maritimes, too. Remember, they have a culture of defeat. At least Steve said they did. And Ontario goes, too. Electing Liberals and racking up deficits by giving money to big business and banks. Who do they think they are? The Feds? Only Steve can run up the tab and preach to others not to do it.

So let's see..... with Quebec gone, and the Maritimes along with Ontario out the door, that leaves the West. But Manitoba has this thing with electing NDP governments. What's up with that? They'll have to go, too. I just about forgot the Territories. They don't even collect their own taxes. The territories get all their money from Ottawa, and that's not a good thing. That money could be used to raise the incentives to the oil companies even further. So goodby Nunavut. Talk to Greenland about joining up with them. And goodby Yukon. But we should keep the part of the NWT up the Mackenzie valley, because there's oil and gas up that way. Wouldn't want to get rid of that.

What should we call the remaining three provinces in the new Canada? Maybe name it after somebody?

[EdCase]

Take your pick - there are several US franchises in markets that don't deserve to have them. The Islanders need a new facility, and a decent owner. Since neither is looming on the horizon, they could be moving. Then you have the Panthers, the Coyotes, the Stars, the Blue Jackets, the St. Louis Blues - they all are floundering and could use a change of scenery. I'd personally like to see the NHL contract by at least 5 teams, in order to get the talent level back up a notch or two. During the regular season it is tough to get interested in games where 1-0 and 2-1 are the most common scores.

I agree - as long as Quebec pays for it, I'd love to see another team back in Canada.

Also agree we need to contract the NHL - there are teams in US cities where they can't spell 'hockey', let alone understand and support it. Maybe the US could have a league based on 'UFC-on-ice'; they'd love that.

And while we're at it, let's get the regular season back to 70 games with 3pts for a win, 2pts for a 10min OT win and 1pt each if a tie after this - no shoot out. First round of playoffs a best of 3, next two rounds as best of 5 and only the final as best of 7. Let's get the focus back on speed and skill and make this thing less of a war of attrition.

[guicho]

I'd like to go back to the days when for the playoffs the 1st in the east played 8th in the west, etc. That way, it would be possible to see 2 teams in the east or west play in the final. All too often, the semi final matchups are more exciting to watch than the final. I don't like playing Calgary every other week but only playing Buffalo once or twice. Just because Calgary could hypothetically learn how to beat the Canucks doesn't mean they will be able to beat a strong east coast contender that they rarely play against. We need fewer teams and those teams should play each other an equal amount of times during the regular season. Then let the cream rise to the top in the playoffs.

[Queen K]

All Tats, umm, you're from Quebec. What the? Sure, and ruin all those transfer payment benefits?