“Do everything” to bring NHL back to Quebec, insists municipal councilor

We “must do everything” to ensure the return of an NHL franchise to Quebec, as it is the “only solution,” allowing the city to avoid repaying the rent of the Videotron Center annually to QMI Spectacles.

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City Councilor Melissa Coulombe-Leduc, part of Mayor Marchand’s political party, launched it during City Council Tuesday afternoon.

“We have to do everything to ensure that a National League franchise settles down at the Videotron Center. This is the only solution I see to end this situation,” she argued.

Open the deal, claims Melancon

Again this year, Quebec City was forced to repay QMI Spectacles $2.75 million as a “contribution to the operating deficit” for 2022.

Despite the opposition of two elected members of the Equipe Priorité Québec (EPQ), the decisive summary providing for this reimbursement was overwhelmingly voted by the Quebec City Council.

EPQ consultant Stevens Mélancon asked for the 25-year “opening of the agreement” signed in 2011 and through which Quebecor became manager of the amphitheater, which opened in 2015.

“Despite the demonstrations and events, we do not have details as to why QMI is in deficit despite the reports. It’s not normal,” lamented Mr. Melancon.

For his part, Claude Villeneuve, the first head of Quebec, did not claim to reopen the 2011 agreement. From the beginning, the business model was planned for two scenarios: one with NHL and one without NHL. Mr. Villeneuve stressed that the latter scenario, without the NHL, would be “difficult to do profitably”.