The Los Angeles Kings will showcase a part of their coaching camp and play two pre-season video games on the Videotron Centre in Quebec Metropolis subsequent yr.
The workforce will keep in Outdated Quebec from Oct. 2 to Oct. 6, and this, due to a provincial authorities subsidy price between $5 and $7 million.
Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard introduced the plan throughout a information convention Tuesday, arguing the federal government typically backs comparable occasions such because the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal or Mosaïcultures, a horticulture exhibit that has cropped up in several cities.
Girard mentioned the hockey occasion will value as much as $10 million complete, however it’ll generate income.
“I get pleasure from seeing all of the subsidies that the federal government grants to sports activities and cultural occasions, and I can verify that we’re in the suitable order of magnitude,” he mentioned.
Gestev, the organizer of the occasion and the recipient of the subsidy, is a property of Quebecor.
Martin Tremblay, head of Gestev and chief working officer of Quebecor’s sports activities and leisure division, mentioned it was the Quebec authorities that launched the initiative.
Tremblay mentioned it’s a privilege to host a corporation just like the Kings for the final week of coaching camp.
The province’s opposition events had been fast to name a penalty.
“The CAQ is passing the puck to the NHL quite than to the people who find themselves struggling. Sure, I like hockey. However not at this value,” mentioned Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, spokesperson for Québec Solidaire, on X, previously often known as Twitter.
The CAQ says it lacks cash for public sector employees, nevertheless it provides as much as $7 million to NHL millionaires, he added.
“Quebecers actually like hockey, however they’d additionally prefer to have a authorities with a way of priorities,” he mentioned.
Joël Arseneau, a member of the Parti Québécois, mentioned Quebec is chopping essential bills like important regional air service assist whereas spending thousands and thousands of {dollars} on bringing a hockey workforce to Quebec Metropolis for a couple of days.
Liberal member Gregory Kelley mentioned meals banks are asking for $8 million whereas the federal government is able to give $7 million to the NHL.
“Hundreds of Quebecers are hungry,” Kelly wrote on X. “That is extra essential than two hockey video games.”
However Kings president Luc Robitaille mentioned, “we can be very proud to play right here subsequent fall. Followers will have the ability to see our star gamers up shut and watch our younger prospects combat for a spot on our workforce in 2024-2025.”
Phillip Danault from Victoriaville, Que., and Pierre-Luc Dubois from Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, Que., each play for the Kings.
The Kings will face the Boston Bruins within the first pre-season sport on Oct. 3, earlier than taking over the 2023 Stanley Cup finalists, the Florida Panthers, two days later.
The NHL has not introduced a pre-season sport at Videotron Centre since 2018, when the Montreal Canadiens confronted the Washington Capitals.
The world opened its doorways in 2015 with the purpose of attracting an NHL franchise. For now, this constructing is the house of the Quebec Remparts within the Quebec Main Junior Hockey League.
The 18,000-seat enviornment was constructed for $370 million, collectively paid for by Quebec Metropolis and the provincial authorities.
The Quebec Nordiques, town’s former NHL workforce, moved to Denver in 1995 and have become the Colorado Avalanche, successful the Stanley Cup in its inaugural season.
