NHL and structuring transport on rails: “It corroborates what is said”, underlines Mayor Bruno Marchand

By saying that the establishment of a structuring transport system on rails is one of the criteria for the granting of a professional team, the National Hockey League (NHL) “corroborates” the analysis of the municipal authorities, according to Bruno Marchand.

This is what the mayor of Quebec underlined Tuesday afternoon, during his usual impromptu of the press preceding the municipal council. The latter reacted to a declaration made to Journal By Bill Daly of the NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman.

“It corroborates what we say […] This is added to many economic leaders who say the same thing, “said Mr. Marchand.

Assuring that he is “not surprised” from the NHL outing, the mayor insisted that the future structuring transport on rails will contribute to the economic attractiveness of the city. He also admitted that the tram will have to go to the video center in a second phase of realization.

That said, Mr. Marchand added that he will not use the argument of a return of the Nordics to try to foam the tram project in public opinion. It is that such a return of a team to Quebec depends on other conditions on which he does not have control, he said.

Other reactions

On the side of the official opposition, the chief of Quebec first, Claude Villeneuve, expressed a position very similar to that of the mayor. “It’s been a long time since we said. When it comes to attracting head offices, attracting prestige to a city, holding large-scale events, it will be part of the criteria, “he said.

According to him, “it is obvious that the NHL, before bringing a hockey team, will want to know if the 20,000 people who will come and watch the game – and who will leave after – will live a great experience. When we give ourselves modern infrastructure, for example a tram, we give ourselves more likely to attract that ”.

Stevens Mélançon, interim chief of team priority Quebec (EPQ) and opponent notorious to the tram, had a very different reasoning. “I find it fascinating to make these rapprochements,” he dropped. Does that mean that if we don’t do a tram or structuring project on rails, we won’t have a team in the NHL? ”

The latter said he was “very surprised” that the NHL “could serve this sauce”. According to him, the NHL leaders “go a little strong” by advancing this “fairly large” reasoning.