NHL doesn't like anyone but English Canadians?

[The_Admiral]

Like I said, the No Nordiques problem and the No Quebecois problem are separate and unrelated, but a new Quebec City team could do well to capitalize on provincial pride by picking up where the Canadiens left off as a primarily French Canadian team, provided their French Canadians are really good at hockey.

[OMMF]

If you say so.

Why else wouldn't you scout Quebec? Hell, even if your perception of players from Quebec was based only on broad stereotypes you would think you would scout the province if only for the goalies.

If you can think of another viable reason why 1/3 of the league wouldn't scout Quebec outside of bias then I'll consider it. Right now bias is the most likely candidate for why teams won't even look at players from Quebec.

Maybe because the players aren't any good? Even in the QMJHL, the number of Quebec-born players is going down. Just in the past couple of weeks, 2 QMJHL teams signed goalies from the WHL. Goaltenders are dropping off in Quebec if 2 teams in the Q took what 20 teams in the Dub didn't want.

Edit to clarify: The two teams in question are in the QMJHL but are not from Quebec. Having said that, they have territorial rights over Quebec so if any goalie in that province wanted to play Major Junior, he'd have to play in the Q.

[IceCap]

If you say so.

Why else wouldn't you scout Quebec? Hell, even if your perception of players from Quebec was based only on broad stereotypes you would think you would scout the province if only for the goalies.

If you can think of another viable reason why 1/3 of the league wouldn't scout Quebec outside of bias then I'll consider it. Right now bias is the most likely candidate for why teams won't even look at players from Quebec.

Maybe because the players aren't any good? Even in the QMJHL, the number of Quebec-born players is going down. Just in the past couple of weeks, 2 QMJHL teams signed goalies from the WHL. Goaltenders are dropping off in Quebec if 2 teams in the Q took what 20 teams in the Dub didn't want.

See, that's another viable reason. Had ya said that from the start it would have been better.

I'm willing to consider it. Neither of us are hockey scouts, so I doubt we're qualified to speak as to the current skill level of French Canadian players, but the province has historically been a hotbed for talent. It's certainly possible a shift has occurred but, and don't take this the wrong way, I'll need more then your opinion to convert me to that train of thought.

I feel like Brian Burke and the Sutters have gotten a lot of slack with their respective teams because despite being poorly constructed, they're Canadian teams with mostly Canadian (or at least North American) rosters. Obviously, people are gritting their teeth over how much the Leafs and Flames have disappointed, but at least they haven't been disappointing with Detroitian menageries of Swedes and Slavs. It's good, honest Canadian sucking, hardworking sucking that gets to the rink early and leaves late and knows how to suck together as a team.

Good honest Canadian sucking? Gold medals not counted I suppose.

Look, every Stanley Cup championship team has had a majority of Canadian players. The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Anaheim Ducks had more Canadiens on their roster then the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators. While I agree that there are legitimate points to Mr. Sirois' argument that English Canadians are over-represented in the NHL at the expense of French Canadians and foreigners I do think you're really stretching with this Brian Burke and the Sutters stuff.

BTW the Leafs have seven points on the year so far. Playoffs? Probably not. The team's improving though.

Just to add to this. Leafs fans want a Cup. Badly. If management did that by signing an eastern European/Scandinavian all-star team it wouldn't matter. I don't know what the mood is like out in Calgary, but in terms of Leafs Nation you're dead wrong.

Also, one more thought on the idea of a Quebec national team;

My desire to not see my country fall apart at every level far outweighs my curiosity about how well a Quebec team would fair in IIHF tournaments.

[OMMF]

Had ya said that from the start it would have been better.

And what fun would that have been?

[IceCap]

Had ya said that from the start it would have been better.

And what fun would that have been?

Touche.

[sparkychewbarky]

Good debate, guys.

Don't sweat the "slippery-slope" thing though.

Quebec could have their own international teams; they could have their own seats at the U.N., NATO, and in public washrooms; Don Cherry could wear a fleur-de-lis sport jacket and sing Frere Jacques on HNIC...it doesn't matter.

As long as more Canadian tax money pours into Quebec than is being taken out, the separatists are going nowhere.

They're annoying but not stupid.