According to tsn.ca, Quebec City mayor Regis Labeaume met with Gary Bettman and former Nordiques owner Marcel Aubut about the possibility of the NHL returning to the city.

A lot would hinge on the decision to build a new arena, which could be announced next week.

Earlier this month, Bettman said the league would consider returning to the city if they built a new arena and a team happened to be up for sale. Teams that come immediately to mind are the Phoenix Coyotes and the New York Islanders. While the Islanders probably wouldn’t be for sale, current owner Charles Wang has stressed interest in moving the team should a new arena not be built on Long Island.

This is a smart play by Bettman. After all the bad blood between himself and Jim Balsillie in regards to moving the Coyotes to Hamilton, making the case for a team to return to Canada helps his image somewhat with Canadian fans, although when the time comes for it to happen we’ll see if he keeps his word.

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