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Sundin, Sakic hope NHL returns to Quebec City

Mats Sundin

(Photo: Denis Brodeur/NHLI via Getty Images)

Joe Sakic and Mats Sundin might have taken different paths to the Hockey Hall of Fame, but had the same starting point.

From 1990-91 through 1993-94, Sundin and Sakic were two of the Quebec Nordiques’ best players. Then Quebec sent Sundin to the Toronto Maple Leafs and one season later, the team moved to Denver, Colorado.

Now the two are united in their desire to see Quebec City get another chance, like Winnipeg did when the Atlanta Thrashers became the second coming of the Winnipeg Jets.

“I don’t think you’re going to find anywhere where people are so passionate about the game,” said Sakic in a TSN report.

Sundin, who only played for Canadian teams during his NHL career, also sees the potential positives of an NHL return.

“In Canada, everywhere hockey has such support and Quebec City is no different,” he said. “Definitely there would be a lot of support.”

Quebec City is building a new NHL-worthy arena that is scheduled to be completed in 2015. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee that Quebec City will get a team, but they will probably be a candidate if a franchise relocates down the road.