Phillip Danault asked Bettman why there’s no team in Quebec City right now

The Kings have arrived in Quebec City for their preparatory games at the Centre Vidéotron.

Phillip Danault spoke to reporters on hand for the team’s arrival today, and was asked about the potential return of a team to Quebec City.

That’s when the Habs veteran said he’d been talking to Gary Bettman about the idea.

The Québécois claims he asked the commissioner why there isn’t a team in Quebec right now, and Bettman gave him an answer that “isn’t very clear”.

Bettman wasn’t going to tell him the NHL’s plan, but still :

The only question I asked him was why there’s no team in Quebec City, and his answer wasn’t very clear anyway.

These are things we can’t control. – Phillip Danault

Kevin Dubé (Journal de Québec) wrote an article on the subject:

When Phillip Danault questions Gary Bettman about the Nordiques’ return(@KDubeJDQ )https://t.co/gieKCf0tbC

– Le Journal de Québec (@JdeQuebec) October 2, 2024

Phillip Danault is from Quebec, and he’s the first to want a club back in Quebec City.

That said, knowing that he’s taken the bull by the horns by asking Bettman himself what the league’s intentions are takes some guts.

But the player is in a good position because he’s an NHL employee and because Bettman knows how popular he is in the province.

It would have been cool to see Danault get some answers out of Bettman…

Speaking of the Kings coming to Quebec City, we know that the subsidy offered by the Legault government wasn’t to everyone’s liking.

Which is normal, if you want to put it that way.

On the other hand (and it’s normal too), Luc Robitaille wouldn’t comment on the amount the California organization pocketed for its short stay in Quebec.

The Kings president told Guillaume Piedboeuf(Radio-Canada) that this information is private, but that the Kings aren’t going anywhere for free:

I’m not going to share that information, just as I didn’t share it when we went to play in Utah or elsewhere.

It’s part of running a business. – Luc Robitaille

The Kings took to the ice at the Centre Vidéotron with a smile on their faces, but the details of the financial agreement bringing them to Quebec City remain secret. A first-day report from Luc Robitaille, Phillip Danault, Anze Kopitar and Jim Hillerhttps://t.co/QHjHKwsX2t

– Guillaume Piedboeuf (@GPiedboeuf) October 2, 2024

Tomorrow is the Kings’ first preparatory game in Quebec City. They’ll face the Boston Bruins for the occasion.

Will the Centre Vidéotron be packed?

The question arises because, as of last week, many tickets were still available…

Overtime

– That’s right, go to Costco… Hehe.

The Costco chronicles of Jack McBain and Dylan Guenther continue.

“We were running low on water. We went in for some sparkling water and we came out with a hot tub,” McBain said.

– Belle Fraser (@bellefraser1) October 2, 2024

– Whoa !