Los Angeles Kings begin taxpayer-subsidized NHL pre-season road trip in Quebec City

QUÉBEC — The Los Angeles Kings arrived in Quebec City on Wednesday to kick off the final stretch of their NHL training camp, in a trip that's drawn controversy over the province's decision to spend millions of dollars to subsidize the visit.

The team practised in front of a couple hundred fans at the Vidéotron Centre, before they face off in exhibition play against the Boston Bruins on Thursday and the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Saturday.

The Quebec government has been criticized for agreeing to spend an estimated $5 to $7 million on the event, partly in an effort to showcase the city as a future NHL home. A protest is planned Thursday to demonstrate against the subsidies and call for better funding of public services.

Kings president Luc Robitaille declined to say how much money the team is getting, but he told a post-practice news conference that being paid for trips is part of the team's business model and helps fund travel, hotels, meals and player pay.

"I can tell you it's helping for Phil's salary," he said, drawing laughs as he gestured to Quebec-born Kings forward Phillip Danault, sitting at his side.

He said his team was also paid for playing in other cities, including Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, although not every match involves government money. The Kings' home arena was not available this pre-season because it was undergoing renovations.

Robitaille, who started the news conference with a few words of French, said the team will also give back while it's in Quebec City by visiting a hospital, hosting hockey clinics with children and donating 400 sets of hockey equipment to local organizations.

"It's very important for players to give back their time because we're so very fortunate to do our dream," he said. "When you're a kid, you want to play hockey and so forth, and be able to come back to a city and bring a smile to a kid's face ... it's important to be a part of that," he said.

Sitting at his side, Danault said he was just excited to play and to showcase Quebec City as a hockey town.

"We're not here to create tension, we're here for the hockey market, to show we can have hockey in Quebec," he said. While he hadn't expected the criticism, the team has been "really well received" and are enjoying taking in the sights around the famous Chateau Frontenac hotel where they're staying, he said.

Finance Minister Éric Girard said last year that he wants to showcase Quebec City's taxpayer-paid arena and let the league see how badly fans in the provincial capital want a professional hockey team.

He suggested it could be a first step in bringing back the city's former NHL team, the Nordiques, which relocated to Colorado in 1995, although he acknowledged the odds are long that the city will get another team.

Girard's office said in an email that the public money will help absorb the expected deficit of the event management company, while "promoting an infrastructure of the calibre to hold major league events." The final amount of the funding won't be known until after the trip, it added.

In Wednesday's news conference, Kings' captain Anze Kopitar said he knew Quebec City had been "waiting a long time to get some NHL action," and praised the city's arena as NHL-class.

"It's obviously very modern, so to be able to come here and be on the road but still have the world-class facility, it makes it a lot easier," he said.

As of Tuesday, organizers said they had sold just under 16,000 tickets for Thursday's match and 14,000 for Saturday's, with just over 6,200 unsold.

During the Kings practice, the fans who showed up to watch -- admission was free -- were divided about whether the millions of dollars in government subsidies were worth it.

Sitting in the stands, Jacques Collet said he "didn't agree at all" with the government money being handed out.

"It’s not our people, they’re not our players," he said of the Kings. "If it had been Montreal, it would have been another story … but (the subsidy is) too expensive anyways."

Collet was also skeptical of the city's prospects of getting another NHL team, despite its relatively new arena, which is currently home to a major junior team. Like several other fans, he pointed the blame at a popular target. "It’s (NHL commissioner Gary) Bettman," he said. "He doesn’t want anything to do with it. He’s an American."

Céline Laroche, on the other hand, was pleased with what she saw at the practice. "We're getting a lot for our money," said Laroche, who posed for a photo with the Kings' Lion mascot, Bailey.

Eleven-year-old Charlie Martineau and his mother, Josée Pilote, pushed close to the glass near the Kings' bench and were rewarded with a goalie stick from one of the players. "It’s impressive, their level of play," said Charlie, who left the arena happy.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2024.

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press