Quebec Nordiques Return Hinges on Finding Owner Willing to Meet Price Tag
NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly has revealed that the main obstacle blocking the return of the Quebec Nordiques to the league is not the Canadian dollar, but rather a lack of an owner willing to pay the price tag and operate the franchise long-term.
In an interview on The Eye Test Podcast with Pierre McGuire and Jimmy Murphy, Daly stated that despite exploring Quebec City for over 10 years, the league has yet to find someone who is willing to meet the financial requirements.
Daly downplayed the impact of the Canadian dollar's exchange rate, which had previously been cited as a reason for deferring Quebecor's expansion application in 2016. The loonie is currently trading near 71 cents US, essentially back at the level the league once called disqualifying.
The math that blocked Quebec has flipped since then, with the conference count now being 16-16 and potentially shifting further with the introduction of a new team in Houston or Austin. However, Daly emphasized that the state of the game in Canada and each Canadian city is strong.