If the NHL does indeed return to Québec City in a new arena, there will one team hurt: the Québec Remparts, who run an NHL-style operation in Le Colisée. That’s why there’s concern in QMJHL circles.
To say the Remparts are the New York Yankees of Québec Major Junior Hockey League is an understatement: the team draws 12,088 fans a game to Le Colisée, leading the circuit in attendance. And without a NHL team to suck much of the available oxygen in the region, teams like the Victoriaville Tigres can make a decent go of it.
That’s why junior-hockey officials are wary of a return of the NHL. No doubt fans would be the big winners: Québec City is a great hockey market. And there’s no doubts the Remparts and Tigres would still do OK: they offer a high-quality product at a low cost. But there’s also no doubt the NHL would skim the cream of the market when it comes to big-buck sponsors and media rightsholders. It’s not an unlimited pie in Québec City, and the Remparts would have a much smaller piece if the NHL returns.
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