Several news outlets reported yesterday that an executive management team from the Edmonton Oilers paid a visit to Quebec City to meet with Mayor Regis Labeaume to share ideas with regard to constructing new facilities in their respective cities. The ownership group is prepared to invest $200 million dollars into a new arena in Edmonton for the Oilers to call home upon the condition that the public foots the difference. Several members of the Oilers’ ownership and front office vehemently denied that the topic of relocation was discussed during their meeting, despite the fact that the Oilers’ ownership group has had their $250 million dollar taxpayer funded proposal rejected the by the City of Edmonton, and on the heels of the September announcement that the Jean Charest government of Quebec has promised to invest up to 45% towards the construction of a new arena in Quebec City to lure an NHL franchise.
Something is rotten in Edmonton, and the smell has drifted far enough to turn up the noses of patient hockey fans in Quebec City.
What do you think? Is this more relocation rhetoric coming from another desperate hockey market or are the Oilers truly interested in sharing ideas with the municipal government of Quebec City?
It will never happen but then again the commissioner does some pretty dumb things so it really wouldn’t surprise me.
leave the oilers where they’re at, I am sure they can make another expansion team in no time. The Edmonton Oilers are 5 time Stanley Cup Champions and that’s where the Great one started his career and I still enjoy watching the Oilers when they are televised, even though I’m a QUEBECER.
Come on. Why would they move the Oilers when there is at least 5 troubled franchises in the US. This article is pointless.
well if they want to go, let them, a billiare man, should buy his own building, and stop wanting the public tax money to do it for him. that is what we call a real edmonton man born and i will never move from here.
I would rathet see Edmonton go somewhere else i Canada and let Quebec have a franchise all there own.
Darryl Katz now runs a Entertainment facility contruction company under his “Katz Group” business…this has nothing to do with the Oiler much like him ppurchasing Copps Coliseum had nothing to do with the Oilers..its simply a business expansion move..why would he go thru a 1.5yr battle with the City of Edmonton to finally get a new rink built in downtown only to move the team once they start construction? Katz is the owner of the Oilers but was also a fan growing up cheering for this team, he would never MOVE it out of his HOMETOWN.
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