Bill Daly has put Quebec City back in the conversation.
The NHL deputy commissioner, Gary Bettman’s top lieutenant, said the league is still watching Quebec City, even if the dream of a Nordiques return has faded for plenty of people in the market. Daly made the comments in a recent interview with The Hockey News, where expansion was a central topic.
He was blunt about how the league views the Canadian side of the expansion market.
"I would say the interest in obtaining a franchise and operating it is less significant in Canada than it is in certain U.S. markets."
- Bill Daly
Daly also pointed to Quebec City’s strong pitch from 2017, when the city was part of the same expansion process that ultimately brought the Vegas Golden Knights into the league. He said the building and other facilities are first-class. The problem, as it has been for years, is money.
Still, Daly left the door open if that changes.
"If and when that were to happen, that's something that obviously we would evaluate at the time, because we think there are a lot of positives about Quebec City and potentially adding a franchise there.
But right now, I'm not sure our vision is necessarily shared by anybody else, so we'll see."
- Bill Daly
That’s the clearest sign yet that the NHL hasn’t closed the book on Quebec City, even if the bigger issue remains finding serious investors. The price tag for an NHL franchise has climbed past $2 billion, a massive jump from the $500 million Vegas paid in 2017.
For now, the league’s attention appears to be tilting more toward the United States, with Houston and Austin reportedly on the radar for possible expansion in 2029-30.
So while Quebec City is still in the picture, the path back for the Nordiques remains tied to one thing: someone willing to write the check.
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