Federal government still hasn’t said whether it will pledge $180 million for rink
An estimated 50,000 people gathered on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City in a rally to support the return of the Nordiques. The province and the city have so far agreed to fund an NHL arena in the Quebec capital—something the NHL considers a prerequisite for the Nordiques’ return—but the the federal government has yet to indicate whether it will pony up the remaining $180 million needed for the rink. Among the former Nordiques who attended the rally were Marc Tardif, Michel Goulet, Stéphane Fiset, Steven Finn, André Savard, André Dupont, former coach Michel Bergeron and the Stastny brothers – Peter, Anton and Marian. A handful of politicians were also on hand, including Bloc Québécois leader Gilles Duceppe, Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois, assorted Conservative MPs from Quebec and Liberal MP Denis Coderre, who wore a red Montreal Canadiens jersey to the event.