The Fourth Interval: (youtube video) Dennis Bernstein and David Pagnotta from Quebec Metropolis on the weekend, discussing the thought of NHL enlargement sooner or later, and which cities could possibly be of curiosity.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Pagnotta: “… Los Angeles Kings now internet hosting the Florida Panthers in a market that effectively, it loves its hockey.”
Bernstein: “It does.”
Pagnotta: “It loves its hockey, and it’s been itching to get professional hockey on the NHL degree again in Quebec Metropolis. I nonetheless consider we’re a methods away.”
Bernstein: “Agreed.”
Pagnotta: “However the response from plenty of the gamers, particularly on the Kings, during the last couple of days, has been very constructive.”
Bernstein: “Yeah, it’s a very nice market. We had been at observe . There was applause through the drills they had been going by way of. I’ve by no means seen applause at a observe.
So it’s an amazing market. They love hockey. It’s simply, it’s nonetheless a small market. There are different cities which might be actually manner forward of the curve with respect to enlargement. So whereas Quebec could possibly be an amazing place to play or convey again a staff, it’s going to be a minute since that, if that’s going to occur.”
Pagnotta: “Yeah, you’re nonetheless taking a look at from, from all the discuss of, of enlargement. And you understand, they, the league did tackle this, and Gary Bettman and Invoice Daly did tackle it earlier this week on the Board of Governors conferences, that it’s not on the docket.
Nicely, the enlargement course of isn’t but it surely doesn’t imply they’re not speaking to prepared contributors and events from Atlanta. We all know there are two teams. Houston, there’s a gaggle they’re making an attempt to construct up on. Arizona with the brand new, with the Solar’s proprietor now into the combination and expressing curiosity in bringing a staff again to Phoenix/Scottsdale.
And there are different markets exterior of Quebec Metropolis which might be additionally expressing steady curiosity. Now we have teams in Omaha, in Oklahoma Metropolis, in San Diego, in Portland, and so forth and so forth and so forth.
So we’ll see sort of how this goes. However actually from the setting right here, and we talked to numerous the gamers after the sport the opposite night time, that the environment right here in Quebec Metropolis by way of the roof.”
Bernstein: “Yeah, it felt like an NHL recreation, despite the fact that it was a preseason recreation. And also you talked about the markets, Dave. You’re speaking about two prime 10 media markets within the US and Atlanta and Houston. That’s going to trump no matter goes down right here in Quebec Metropolis.
So it’s unlucky, and there’s a legacy and historical past of hockey on this market. However once more, it’s going to be additional down the trail than the opposite cities you talked about.”
Pagnotta: “Yeah, I feel we’re going to begin to see or hear some noise because the season progresses, with respect to attending to 34 groups.”
Bernstein: “Proper. I feel once we get to that 36 dialogue, that’s when Quebec Metropolis will, will realistically re-enter the combination, as a result of their company help has been a difficulty, however plenty of it has been coming again to the market. So we’ll see sort of how that, how that strikes alongside. However that’s the enlargement course of. That’s the enlargement discuss. I need to get that out of the way in which.”
