Quebec's Exhibition

Not to be outdone by Winnipeg – once an opponent in the NHL and now an opponent to get back into the league – Quebec City will also be playing host to pre-season hockey in the fall. Whereas Winnipeg will see the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks take on the financially unstable Tampa Bay Lightning on September 22, Quebec City will get to see another financially unstable franchise – the New York Islanders – go up against the Montreal Canadiens on October 2. Just as I made the case that the Lightning’s pre-season journey to Winnipeg could be testing the waters for the team’s potential relocation to the Manitoba capital, the same could be speculated about the New York Islanders getting a lay of the land for a possible move to Quebec.

Since the Nordiques left town in 1995, Quebec City has been the site of two pre-season tilts. In 2002, it saw the return of its Nordiques – reincarnated as the Colorado Avalanche – battle the province’s beloved Canadiens. And last year, the Canadiens paid another visit to Quebec City, this time against the rival Boston Bruins. But there is no obvious connection with this year’s opponent – the New York Islanders – unless, of course, you throw possible relocation into the mix. Just like the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Islanders are one of the weaker sisters in the NHL when it comes to finances, and rumours of the team’s relocation have been in the works for years (albeit, usually to another U.S. location).

Look for the Quebec City matchup to be on French-language RDS, whereas the Winnipeg game may get shutout from Canadian television. After all, neither the Blackhawks nor Lightning regional broadcasts are available in the Winnipeg area – at least for now, pending relocation of course!