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troutman · 02-13-2012, 09:56 AM

Passion for hockey glows

But is Quebec City ready for NHL?
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL.../19364536.html

One source believes the patience among some owners with the league's involvement in Glendale has run out.

"When you've got 20 teams losing money, another three breaking even and just six that are making money, what do you think they want to do? Keep writing cheques for another team that's losing money? Most of them have got their own problems.

"I can't see a business plan that works in Glendale unless the city is willing to underwrite the club's losses -- and the appetitie for that is diminishing after giving the NHL $50 million over the last two years -- or you find a billionaire who doesn't care about losing $30 million a year. Given the way the economy is here (in the U.S.), there aren't too many of those guys left."

J'ai Ma Place is a consortium of local interests in Quebec City that has contracted with Quebecor -- the media giant which, among other things, owns the new all-sports network TVA Sports in Quebec and publishes the Le Journal de Montreal, Le Journal de Quebec and all the Sun Media newspapers -- to sell luxury suites and seats in the proposed new rink in Quebec City. Quebecor has a deal with the city and province to manage the new rink and put its name on the $400 million building.

J'ai Ma Place has 8,000 of the approximately 20,000 seats to sell -- the buyer owns the seat for all events in the building -- and have sold half of them. They are allowed to sell 74 of the 86 corporate suites in the building and have sold all 74 with a deposit of $25,000 each.

"People are afraid there aren't enough businesses in Quebec," said J'ai Ma Place chairman of the board Mario Bedard, "but (the suites) are the first thing we sold out."

Quebec's excitable mayor, Regis Lebeaume, has said there will be a shovel in the ground this summer and the building is scheduled to open in the fall of 2015.

Pierre Karl Peladeau, the president and CEO of Quebecor, is poised to become the owner of the franchise. Owning an NHL franchise like the Nordiques would create a nice synergy with his new all-sports network and put TVA Sports in a position to challenge the Montreal Canadiens and RDS, an arm of TSN and Bell Media, for the hearts, minds and wallets of Quebeckers.

A spokesman for Quebecor declined comment on the company's potential NHL involvement. "We want to maintain a low profile," he said. "We don't discuss our business plans."

02-13-2012, 09:56 AM	#86
troutman Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Crowsnest Pass Exp:	Passion for hockey glows But is Quebec City ready for NHL? http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Hockey/NHL.../19364536.html One source believes the patience among some owners with the league's involvement in Glendale has run out. "When you've got 20 teams losing money, another three breaking even and just six that are making money, what do you think they want to do? Keep writing cheques for another team that's losing money? Most of them have got their own problems. "I can't see a business plan that works in Glendale unless the city is willing to underwrite the club's losses -- and the appetitie for that is diminishing after giving the NHL $50 million over the last two years -- or you find a billionaire who doesn't care about losing $30 million a year. Given the way the economy is here (in the U.S.), there aren't too many of those guys left." J'ai Ma Place is a consortium of local interests in Quebec City that has contracted with Quebecor -- the media giant which, among other things, owns the new all-sports network TVA Sports in Quebec and publishes the Le Journal de Montreal, Le Journal de Quebec and all the Sun Media newspapers -- to sell luxury suites and seats in the proposed new rink in Quebec City. Quebecor has a deal with the city and province to manage the new rink and put its name on the $400 million building. J'ai Ma Place has 8,000 of the approximately 20,000 seats to sell -- the buyer owns the seat for all events in the building -- and have sold half of them. They are allowed to sell 74 of the 86 corporate suites in the building and have sold all 74 with a deposit of $25,000 each. "People are afraid there aren't enough businesses in Quebec," said J'ai Ma Place chairman of the board Mario Bedard, "but (the suites) are the first thing we sold out." Quebec's excitable mayor, Regis Lebeaume, has said there will be a shovel in the ground this summer* and the building is scheduled to open in the fall of 2015.* Pierre Karl Peladeau, the president and CEO of Quebecor, is poised to become the owner of the franchise. Owning an NHL franchise like the Nordiques would create a nice synergy with his new all-sports network and put TVA Sports in a position to challenge the Montreal Canadiens and RDS, an arm of TSN and Bell Media, for the hearts, minds and wallets of Quebeckers. A spokesman for Quebecor declined comment on the company's potential NHL involvement. "We want to maintain a low profile," he said. "We don't discuss our business plans."