Sorry Hamilton

Just when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman thought he was finally getting out of the crosshairs of southern Ontarians verbal weapons, he finds himself right back in perhaps an even deeper pile of shit.

It has been made public over the past week or so that Bettman has been in discussion with Quebec City mayor Regis Lebaume about the possibility of moving the NHL back into La Vielle Capitale. It has also been reported that the talks involved former Nordiques president Marcel Aubut, and that Bettman has suggested that the Nordiques could possibly be reincarnated should a new arena be built.

The move comes shockingly close to the NHL’s refusal to allow Research in Motion billionaire Jim Balsillie purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Hamilton. As a result of this, I have decided to look at the differences both cities offer to housing a professional hockey team.

Quebec had a long-standing and good relationship with the NHL, playing in the league for sixteen years before being moved to Denver. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly also hinted at the importance of history. “We do have an interest in returning teams to Canadian cities that have supported NHL teams historically,” Daly told the Toronto Star last weekend. Hate the idea or love it, Quebec has done it all before, they know how the NHL works. And by bringing their former president on board, they won’t make mistakes similar to Balsillie, such as suggesting to move the team mid-season.

While Hamilton does have the Bulldogs, support was limited even during their 2006-07 season, which saw them win the Calder Cup. Attendance has dwindled since then, as has news coverage. In fact, when looking at the numbers of the current teams in these cities, Quebec’s Remperts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League bring in an average of about 11,000 fans per game. The Bulldogs, classified as a pro team, averaged just over 4000.

Nordiques fans can still be found all over eastern Quebec. While some have since the move began cheering for the Colorado Avalanche or the Montreal Canadiens, an NHL return to QC would definitely draw back almost all of their fans. With a population similar to Hamilton, the Nordiques would have a market of over 700,000 just in the city alone. And don’t forget also that the Nordiques are the closest pro team to the Maritime provinces, so the market could easily be estimated to grow into the millions.

Then again, there’s Hamilton. A city that finds itself in southern Ontario, surrounded by Maple Leafs fans who have been so likely since birth. A city that is expected to lure in fans from Hamilton itself, as well as the many surrounding cities such as Niagara Fals, London and even Kitchener-Waterloo. How many of these fans will jump ship to support a new team? I doubt very many would.

While I by no means doubt that nearly every game would be a sell-out, that would be more a result of fans wanting to see NHL-caliber hockey, not the “home team”. Ticket sales would be through the roof, but this would in turn cause low merchandise sales, limited TV contracts (especially so close to the Leafs and Sabres markets) and large sponsorships, all of which would continue to go to the Leafs.

While I know that I may be tying my own knot writing this story in this market, I may actually have to agree with Bettman on this one. When you really look at the two markets, Quebec City is the better choice for an NHL franchise. Don’t be too upset though Hamiltonians, we all know that should this team ever sprout up in La Belle Province, they will travel down the same long, painful road that you did.