Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Report: Edmonton Oilers to discuss possible relocation to Quebec City

2010 NHL Draft - Round One

during the 2010 NHL Entry Draft at Staples Center on June 25, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

Bruce Bennett

Could Taylor Hall end up being the face of the Quebec City Oilers at some point in the future?

It’s a reasonable question to ask, as the Toronto Sun passes along another report about the behind the scenes situation of a Canadian team (click here to read about the possible sale of the Toronto Maple Leafs). This story could be both more reliable and based more on deception than the Leafs sale rumors, though.

The Sun reports that Edmonton Oilers brass (including President of Hockey Operations Kevin Lowe) will meet with Quebec City Mayor Regis Labeaume to discuss the possibility of relocating the Oilers.

On one hand, this story is more reliable because Lowe actually acknowledged the rumors in the media. He spoke to the Toronto Sun about today’s possible discussions.

“We don’t know what to expect from this meeting,” Lowe, a former captain of Quebec City’s junior hockey team, told QMI.

“Just the fact that we’re meeting Mayor Labeaume to discuss possibilities, the sky is the limit. Exchanging ideas is the main goal of the meeting.”

A source close to the Oilers says team officials decided to explore relocation options amid opposition in Edmonton to a $1-billion arena that would be partially funded by taxpayers. The Katz Group proposes that the city borrow $400 million to build the facility, with the money being paid back through tax revenue generated from surrounding developments.


On the other hand, this could also be a clever use of leverage to help the Oilers acquire an arena in Edmonton. Mario Lemieux used such a technique when he flirted with Kansas City officials eager to fill their new arena before ultimately putting the wheels in motion to build the Consol Energy Center.

Of course, the Penguins held other bargaining chips named Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury.

That being said, Lowe could be dead serious and so might be the Quebec City officials. Stay tuned for more on this subject as time goes on.