It’s Gary Bettman’s turn to tackle the rumor that Geoff Molson doesn’t want a team in Quebec. The commissioner affirms that, even during private discussions with the big boss of the CH, Molson said he was in favor of the return of the Nordiques.
“I am aware of unfounded speculation and rumors about the fact that Molson would oppose a team in Quebec,” said the commissioner of the National Hockey League in front of a horde of journalists at the Bell Center on Monday, before the match between the Canadiens and the Penguins, the first to air on Amazon Prime this season. Molson has told me many times in private that this is not the case. That he would vote for Quebec at the governors’ meeting if he had the chance.
“He has no objection to a team in Quebec.”
What Quebec needs, however, is a strong group of investors who show their presence. That hasn’t happened yet, Bettman says.
“The return of hockey to Quebec depends on a host of factors that we cannot control,” he recalled for the umpteenth time. And the presence of a group, an entity or an investor who is strong enough to make a financial commitment is one of them. So far, this criterion has not been met.”
In recent months, Molson, like the owner of the Ottawa Senators, Michael Andlauer, have publicly shown their support for Quebec.
“I did not have such discussions in private with Mr. Andlauer,” the commissioner clarified when it was mentioned to him. But in the end, if someone can meet all the criteria for acquiring a dealership, I don’t see why they [les propriétaires] would oppose it.”
As a good lawyer, Bettman was kind enough to make us understand that he does not have a grudge against Quebec and that he even spent his vacations there. Even though the Los Angeles Kings’ visit there was successful, he was already very familiar with the city. The visit of Luc Robitaille and co. to the Old Capital therefore does not change the situation unduly.
“Listen, I can tell you that I went to Quebec several times, and I mean several times,” he emphasized. Even for personal vacations. I have no doubt about the passion for hockey that people have across the province.”
Reflecting on the circumstances that led to the Nordiques’ move to Colorado in 1995, Bettman recalled that “there was no long-term amphitheater worthy of the name at the time and no concrete plans for construction of such an amphitheater.
“And no one wanted to own the team anymore. It’s hard to put the genie back in the lamp (in English: put the genie back in the bottle),” he illustrated.
