OTTAWA ON - JANUARY 14: A Quebec Nordiques fan shows his support for their return to the NHL at a game between the Calgary Flames and the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place on January 14 2011 in Ottawa Canada. (Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)
Quebec City is planning on building an "NHL-style" arena with a ground breaking planned for September, but there aren't any current indications that the arena will house an NHL franchise.
Quebec City hasn't had an NHL franchise since the Quebec Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche in 1995, but some hope that changes relatively soon. There aren't any sort of firm rumblings indicating an NHL expansion team is headed to Canada, but the city is planning an "NHL-style arena" anyway.
Regis Lebeaume, the city's mayor, announced on Sunday that he's green-lit an arena expected to break ground in September. The building will reportedly cost around $400 million with a capacity of around 18,000 people -- roughly the same parameters of the facility the Pittsburgh Penguins finished building last year.
The new arena isn't any indication of the NHL agreeing to put a team in Quebec City, though, according to the report published by TSN on Monday morning.
Labeaume refused to speculate on whether his city was in line for a team. On Sunday, he was quick to shut down a reporter's question on the subject, perhaps trying to take a cautious approach with the league.
It'll be interesting to see where this goes, but $400 million is quite a bit for an arena without a professional sports franchise.
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