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Expansion : New Orleans is added to the mix

Given how things have been going for several years now, it’s permissible to believe that the NHL won’t be returning to Quebec.

Not for a long time, anyway.

The league’s leaders simply don’t seem interested in a project like that, and it’s not a recent development.

The proof?

A year ago, during an interview at the All-Star Game, Gary Bettman mentioned a few cities that had shown interest in getting an NHL team.

He talked about Houston, Atlanta, Kansas City, Omaha (Nebraska), Cincinnati… And he never mentioned Quebec.

It’s ironic because in Quebec, we’ve often talked about wanting to see the NHL return to the city.

Anyway.

I’m talking about Quebec because we learned today that the NHL met with a group of investors ready to create a new team through expansion.

But no… You’ll understand that it’s not about the city of Quebec.

The plan would be to bring a team to New Orleans instead:

It works well for the Saints (NFL) in New Orleans.

That being said, it’s harder for the Pelicans in the NBA.

The team is 26th in average attendance per game (16,573) and knowing this, it’s normal to wonder if a sport like hockey can work there.

But in all of this, what’s easy to realize is that the NHL has met with another group interested in bringing a team somewhere else than Quebec.

Some things won’t change, it seems… And that’s what’s frustrating for hockey fans in Quebec.

Because we know that they’re passionate about it there.

In rafale

– Indeed.

– There you go.

– Logical.

– A big challenge awaits Felix.

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Here is the proof that Sidney Crosby does not want to be traded

The future of Sidney Crosby is often discussed. The Penguins are not good enough – and they won’t be in the coming years either – to give him a chance to win another Stanley Cup, and we constantly wonder if he really wants to end his career in these circumstances. Especially when you know his competitive spirit.

The Penguins’ captain has often said he wants to stay in Pittsburgh, and Stéphane Leroux confirmed it this week on the 5 to 7 plate. This sentence says a lot: “Crosby told everyone in the locker room: ‘I won’t win with the Penguins this year. So this event (4 Nations), I want to win it.’” – Stéphane Leroux

Sidney Crosby will finish the season in Pittsburgh. This is proof that he doesn’t want to be traded… at least, for now. But the idea of him changing addresses is gaining importance when we think that staying in Pittsburgh after an exciting tournament like the 4 Nations might not be very tempting.

He’s been doing great since the start of the competition: he’s wearing the “C” on his jersey playing with Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Connor McDavid, he’s participating in his team’s successes, and he’s at the top of the tournament’s best scorers. He’s playing like the Sidney Crosby of the good old days.

It’s really with a tournament like this that we realize Crosby still has a lot to give… even if he’ll be celebrating his 38th birthday this summer. In the last Canada game, it was he who sacrificed himself at the end of the game to score the insurance goal. He’s the one who hit Mikael Granlund in the center of the ice to steal the puck, and he’s the one who closed the books.

When we say he’s a good leader… it’s no joke: “Sidney Crosby is so nails holy shit. Absolutely bodied that guy then shot the puck into the empty net like it was nothing. He’s Captain Canada for a reason. Love that effort.”

But it’s also with a tournament like this that we realize Crosby might be better off finishing his career somewhere other than Pittsburgh. We know he wants to win, after all. And we agree that it’s 193959% sure he has the desire to lift the Stanley Cup at least one more time before the end of his career.

However, the Penguins can’t offer him that opportunity, and that’s why his future will always be discussed. Because, deep down, he really deserves to have the chance to win again.

In rapid fire

– Speaking of the wolf. Evgeni Malkin on Sidney Crosby in #4Nations: “First star, first game. It’s amazing. He had three assists, I think. He’s played amazing games. It doesn’t matter how he feels, he plays 100 percent. This is what I like [about] him, you know? He plays 100 percent every game.”

– Absolutely. And he’s so underrated! Jaccob Slavin may be the best skater in the league.

– Will he try the move in a game? Michigan for the Michigan guy, #GoHabsGo.

–
– What’s the future of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.?

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Matthew Tkachuk just gave the Canadians another reason to dislike him

Matthew Tkachuk is good at adding fuel to the fire.

When asked about Brandon Hagel’s comments (who said the Canadians didn’t need to have a group discussion – via phone – regarding the fact that’s how the Americans decided to fight last Saturday), Tkachuk responded.

And he said this:

Well, maybe the guys on the team don’t like each other if they don’t have group chats. – Matthew Tkachuk

Of course, Tkachuk also wanted to respond to the quote about “Canada playing for the flag and not the cameras” since I imagine he wants to play for his flag too. The opposite would surprise me, anyway.

But that’s the kind of quote that Canadians can write on the whiteboard to motivate themselves…

Regarding tomorrow’s game, it’s interesting to note that there are several things to watch for regarding the US team’s lineup for tomorrow night’s game.

For example?

– Vincent Trocheck is ready to play for tomorrow’s game. Same for Auston Matthews, who says he’s ready… and it’s probably the same for the Tkachuk brothers. Even if Brady didn’t practice today.

– In fact, the only player who is sure not to play tomorrow is Charlie McAvoy. But since the Americans have six defensemen, Quinn Hughes is not eligible to play. Bill Guerin is still working on the defenseman’s situation.

– At Team Canada’s practice, there were no changes to note.

– Team Canada has no problem with potentially seeing Quinn Hughes potentially join the US team. Given what happened with Cale Makar, it’s logical.

in a nutshell

– What do you think?

– It’s bustling in Toronto.

– Morgan Geekie traded? [RG]

– Nick Suzuki doesn’t give up on the series.

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The PQ wants a Team Quebec: we would have a blast, but in French

Several Quebecers want to see Quebec become a country. Several Canadians want to see Quebec stay in the country. And several supporters of Donald Trump want to see Quebec become part of the famous 51st American state.

What are we, Quebecers?

Obviously, if we ask the Parti Québécois, the plan would be sovereignty. And it’s especially with this perspective that the PQ wants Quebec to have national teams (female and male) in hockey. Journalist Kevin Dubé reported on it this morning.

The PQ’s motion was blocked by the CAQ.

Pascal Bérubé, who tabled the motion on behalf of the PQ, does not understand why the CAQ proposes to make hockey the national sport without wanting Quebec to have its own team.

We are a nation, but we don’t have a national team. It shows the absurdity of the situation. – Pascal Bérubé

We understand that the fact that Quebecers are being ignored at the Four Nations Confrontation raises some indignation in this regard. Samuel Montembeault is the only guy from here among the players… and he is the third goalkeeper of the club.

But would it help the cause of hockey in Quebec?

If Quebecers could not participate in Team Canada’s activities, there would be no Team Quebec in the Four Nations. There would be no Team Quebec against the best teams in the Olympics. The level of the club could not justify it, in my opinion.

There might not be a Team Quebec in the Junior World Championships, where Quebecers have been poorly represented for years.

Would it be productive for the Quebec nation? In my opinion, it is clear that the answer is no, since the best players from here could not compete with the best players from elsewhere.

It would be fighting with unequal weapons, and I don’t see how hockey in Quebec would come out on top.

If we want to get there one day, we should perhaps first listen to Marc Denis’s recommendations on the development of hockey in Quebec. Right?

Because otherwise, right now, a Team Quebec would only lose to the best in the world. But hey: at least we would lose… in French.

in a burst

– With reason.

– Brady Tkachuk absent from the United States’ practice.

– Will Quinn Hughes show up in Boston?

– Again?

– Interesting.

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Ivan Demidov is (already) mature and serious, he is perfect for Montreal

How to talk about St. Valentine’s Day five days after St. Valentine’s Day, without seeming out of date?

My colleague Jean Trudel has the answer to this question.

This week, on the podcast Stanley25, Jean told me that Team USA had a mega St. Valentine’s Day dinner last Friday in Montreal. A nice initiative from the mean Americans…

Since it’s about love and hockey, I dared to venture onto a slippery field (with my crampons) this week; I talked about the blonde of Ivan Demidov.

The Canadian hopeful has been dating Ekaterina Yakovleva for a while now, and their relationship reminds me a lot of the one between Alexander Romanov and Sofia Krasovskaya.

I had said before Romanov’s arrival in North America that the fact that he had been in a relationship with a girl with a good head on her shoulders for a while encouraged me in his case.

And we never heard the name of the Kostitsyn brothers linked to anything related to nightlife, partying, etc. during his time in Montreal. The kid was serious from day one, which is not the case for all young people who arrive in Montreal, we must admit.

Now, I expect the same seriousness and maturity in Demidov’s case, which is excellent news in itself. Jean, on the other hand, believes that the adversity Demidov is facing this season in Russia is a good omen for his next step in Montreal.


You can follow Demidov’s girlfriend on Instagram and on YouTube if you’re interested.

The two segments integrated above were already placed for you to listen to the segments mentioned in the text, but I invite you (really) to watch this week’s episode (Stanley25) in its entirety. It’s also about Quebecor, which likely hurts the return of the Nordiques and the negotiations for the next national NHL broadcasting contract with its way of covering certain news.

Enjoy the video!

Extension

The most touching segment of this week’s podcast is probably the one where I tell the story of when Josh Anderson, in the midst of the playoffs – during the COVID-19 pandemic – met a fan who was terminally ill.

The fan’s family told me everything, but said that Josh Anderson had asked that the details of his visit not be shared. The rules imposed by our government did not necessarily allow Anderson to meet this fan that day.

In short, Anderson made a wonderful gesture that day… and he did it for the right reasons. Not to seek sympathy capital in the media or on social networks.

Anderson is a good person with good values.

It was worth sharing, four years later.

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David Reinbacher will play tonight for the Rocket

Finally.

In the last few days, it was understood that David Reinbacher’s return to the game was imminent. But now it’s official: the defender will be able to play tonight’s game.

The game will take place in Laval against the Manitoba Moose.

We knew that his absence was supposed to last, according to the Canadiens’ forecasts, between five and six months. But in the end, he will have needed less than five months to return to the game.

There are 25 games left in the Rocket’s season, so we can believe that even if he won’t have a complete season under his belt, he could still have a number of games to get back into the rhythm.

More details to come…

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Donald Trump will be in Boston for the final: that’s the rumor going around

Tensions between Canadians and Americans are growing at the moment.

The actions of Donald Trump are making Canadians angry. This is reflected during hockey games where the American national anthem is sung in Canada.

We saw it in the NHL, but also – obviously – on the sidelines of the Four Nations Confrontation.

I’m looking forward to seeing if tomorrow night, the Canadian national anthem will be booed in Boston during the final against the Americans. It will definitely be an issue to watch during the game.

But among the other elements to watch, there will also be the case of Donald Trump.

The American president, who was at the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500 recently, was expected to attend the final on Thursday in Boston. And the rumor going around right now is that he will indeed be there.

According to Darren Dreger, who talked about it this morning on the radio (TSN 690), he should be there.

Let’s recall that Justin Trudeau was present at the game on Saturday against the Americans, at the Bell Center. I’m not surprised, considering all this, that Trump wants to be seen in Boston tomorrow night.

We also know that this will please Bill Guerin, the American general manager at the tournament. He wanted to see the president encourage his team.

I wonder how much attention this will get. After all, during the Super Bowl broadcast (where Trump became the first president in office to attend the big game), he was not filmed often.

I don’t expect to see him in the middle of the crowd like Justin Trudeau did in Montreal.

In a nutshell

– Interesting.

– To follow.

– Charlie McAvoy still in the hospital.

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Caleb Desnoyers : a Bruins fan (and not a Canadiens fan)

Caleb Desnoyers is an excellent prospect for the next draft.
From what we know, the Canadiens have him in their sights – he has often been scouted by the club this season, at least – and if the Quebecer were to be available at the Canadiens’ pick, there’s a good chance he’ll be chosen.
Unless the club wins the lottery and drafts first overall, that is.
Desnoyers is having a great season in Moncton and according to the Snake, he could be the club’s first center in a few years if Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton manage to get their hands on him.
And speaking of the young man, it’s interesting to note an element about his youth.
When he was young, he didn’t have any Canadiens pajamas. In fact, the Quebecer admits that he was a bit of a rebel when he was young and had a Bruins stuffed animal instead, the Canadiens’ enemy. And it’s not because he’s from Quebec, either…
He talked about it on On jase this week.
Stéphane Leroux and Martin Lemay are realizing that they won’t be able to use the “he grew up a Habs fan” narrative with Caleb Desnoyers.
HAHAHA
— Talk_canadiens (@talk_canadiens) February 19, 2025

By the force of things, we can therefore wonder how much he would want, if the opportunity were to arise, to be drafted by the Montreal Canadiens this summer.
And that, no matter what he might say in public.
I’m not saying he wants or doesn’t want to join the team. But I simply wonder how much a young guy who wasn’t more attached to the Canadiens than he had to be would want to see a team like the CH choose him.
We know there are downsides to playing in Montreal – especially for a top Quebecer – and we have to wonder how much Desnoyers dreams of being in Montreal or somewhere else.
Note that if he is drafted by the CH, he will likely do what almost any prospect does: he will be a fan of his new team.
But anyway. Since the Canadiens’ management is attached to the city of Boston, we can say that it’s almost an advantage for Desnoyers to make a good impression. #Héhé

en rafale

– It’s starting.
Les Blue Jays devront tenter quelque chose l’hiver prochain. https://t.co/TustUfZlIz
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) February 19, 2025
– Visiblement, Jake Sanderson devrait jouer demain. [BPM Sports]
– À noter.
Le Rocket revient à domicile après 3 semaines d’absence devant ses partisans face au Moose du Manitoba ce soir. Puisque je prends la route pour Boston aujourd’hui, c’est l’ami @SebGouletTVAS qui sera à la description radio avec @VDemuy ! @BPMSportsRadio
— Anthony Marcotte (@anthonymarcotte) February 19, 2025
– À lire.
À 13 ans, Philippe Veilleux était une sensation virale sur les réseaux sociaux avec plus de 23 000 abonnés.
Maintenant un espoir sérieux de la LNH, il est tanné qu’on le néglige.
«Ça me fait capoter.» https://t.co/x0deUWRQ4P
— Nicolas Cloutier (@NCloutierTVA) February 19, 2025
– Défaite de la Victoire.
Pas notre meilleur rodéo
Not our best rodeo @PWHL_Montreal x @IntactInsurance https://t.co/VxYDxndPg7
— Victoire de Montréal (@PWHL_Montreal) February 19, 2025

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Kevin Durant, NBA star player, on critics: go watch hockey

While the NHL was delivering big thrills to North American sports fans last Saturday with a great Canada vs. United States game, the NBA was holding its All-Star Game weekend.

Let’s just say the intensity level was far from equal. And I’m being very, very polite…

Back to the NBA, which has been heavily criticized for the level of effort from its players, as well as the number of rest games its top players take during a season.

Kevin Durant, one of the league’s best players, was directly called out by a fan on the X network about this.

His response? Go watch hockey! He added that players compete with aggression and are generally loyal to their teams. He also said it would be better for the fan’s mental health.

The timing of the message is quite interesting. While the NHL just made a big splash, the NBA is losing viewers every year and the All-Star Game was not exciting. The commercials were endless.

So, with all due respect to Kevin Durant, and as a hockey fan, we’ll follow his advice with great pleasure.

It clearly shows the difference in culture between the two sports. I think each sport is beautiful in its own way, and it’s normal for fans to identify more with one than the other.

But the NHL has had great opportunities for several years. It needs to capitalize on the intensity of its games to better promote its top players and attract new fans. The market is there, and if the Four Nations tournament can serve as a springboard, that’s great. But it’s not enough. The product is excellent, the players are incredibly talented, but unfortunately, they don’t shine enough.

In rafale

– That’s what we’re hoping for.

– Quite interesting.

– Oh yeah, not great, coach!

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Martin St-Louis responds to Patrik Laine

Before the start of the 4 Nations tournament, Patrik Laine demonstrated his lack of filter in front of the media by throwing his coach, Martin St-Louis, under the bus. He had said that by playing with Finland, he would get more ice time.

He later added that he had to look in the mirror, but the damage was done.

As the Tricolore returned to training today, St-Louis was questioned about the subject, and yes, he heard what the Finnish player said to the media.

He had an answer for number 92.

«If you play 11 minutes, prove to me that you can play more. My job is to push Patty» – Martin St-Louis

It was quite clear from the CH coach. It was the right thing to say on the subject in the circumstances. However, it’s likely that a discussion will take place with his player in private in view of a crucial end of the season.

The Tricolor wants to know if Laine can be part of the future of the CH and the plan that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are trying to build, and Laine must provide answers.

The Finn was average, no more, at the tournament. He was one of the least used players at even strength and finished the tournament with three assists.

He didn’t regain his shooting accuracy, but was able to play with very good players.

We’ll see what it will bring for the rest of the season, but there’s one certainty, he’ll have to offer a lot better than before the break to deserve ice time. His game against Sweden should serve as a benchmark to propel himself towards better results. He was physically involved and also made beautiful plays for his teammates.

In a burst

– New episode available.

– All the better if it helps the sport grow.

– The start of the season is approaching, and experts don’t have the CF Montreal in high esteem.