Quote:
Originally Posted by graupner
Because Quebec is a much more serious candidate then Winnipeg, Quebec's economy has been litterally booming for 10 years and is still growing, and because Quebec-Montreal rivalry would be one of the best thing for the NHL to happen since Colorado won the stanley cup.
Winnipeg-Calgary? Winnipeg-Edmonton? Not even half as exciting...
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I would love to see both in the NHL because I think they are two NHL-calibre cities and that putting franchises there would not threaten the viability of other current ones. My concern with the Hamilton bid is that the team would take tons of fans away from both Buffalo and Toronto. I know Toronto won't be in trouble, but I could see Buffalo folding within the decade. I also wonder about fan support in Hamilton. Everyone keeps saying that they'll draw fans from all over the GTA, but look at the average attendance for the Marlies and the Battalion. Sometimes I wonder if Toronto is really hockey crazy or if they're just Leaf crazy. Ottawa-Gatineau, with a population of about 1.3M, regularly sells out games for the Senators, 67's, Olympique, and numerous Junior A franchises. I feel that Winnipeg and Quebec would offer the same level of support.