This past January, the Ottawa Senators sent shock waves when the franchise announced the team will play two preseason games in Quebec City, Quebec, in September.
Some fans thought a potential move to Quebec City could be a possibility for the Senators with the announcement, but Quebec native Thomas Chabot made it clear the Senators aren't leaving Ottawa.
Two preseason games in Quebec City with the Senators playing in both of them may have sounded like a chance for the NHL to potentially explore the idea of an expansion team in Quebec's capital. However, new articles may have shown that might not be the case.
Games in Quebec City was one of the "losers" this preseason
Today, Bleacher Report's Lyle Richardson wrote an article titled "Winners and Losers From the 2025 NHL Preseason. Richardson wrote three winners and losers, and one of the losers was the Quebec City preseason games.
In 1995, the then Quebec Nordiques relocated from Quebec City to Denver, Colorado, and were renamed the Colorado Avalanche. Since then, some people in Quebec City have been dreaming of an NHL return. However, it may be low nowadays according to Julian McKenzie of The Athletic. McKenzie reported older fans cling onto a bygone era, but younger fans have found a team to root for.
In 2015, Videotron Centre was built and the arena's capacity is 18,259. The arena being built may have brought hope to the Quebec City citizens that the NHL could explore Quebec City as an option for an expansion team. It hasn't worked.
Since 2015, the Vegas Golden Knights and Seattle Kraken have been the two expansion teams the NHL has added. A relocation happened in 2024 when the Arizona Coyotes relocated to Salt Lake City, Utah.
New talk and rumors of NHL expansion in Houston, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, have been talked about. However, Quebec City hasn't been a thought it seems.
The Quebec Ramparts of the QMJHL play at Videotron Centre today.
If the NHL was to think about Quebec City, the Senators may not have been the team to sell for preseason. The Senators played one game against the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens at Videotron Centre.
Some fans in the stands did wear Nordique apparel at the games. However, when the Senators played the Canadiens, over half the building was filled with Canadien fans. It's clear that the Canadiens are the top team in Quebec by showing out to Quebec City, and an expansion team in Quebec City may not sell due to the amount of Canadien fans in the province.
Some fans in Quebec City and Canada may want the Nordiques back to not only have more hockey teams in the country, but also bring back the intense Battle of Quebec rivalry. However, the dreams of the NHL returning could be low three decades later after the move to Denver with the recent turnout in the preseason games in Quebec City.