NHL Relocation: Quebec Unveils Plans for New Arena Expected to Be Ready by 2015

The city of Quebec announced on Sunday that it will begin the construction of an 18,000-seat arena fit for an NHL franchise in September, according to TSN.

The project is expected to be ready by September of 2015 and will cost $400 million.

This is great news for the hockey world because Quebec City is the most deserving city in North America for an NHL team.

Ever since the Quebec Nordiques left Canada to become the Colorado Avalanche after the 1994-95 season, fans have waited for an NHL franchise to come back to the city.

Even though the construction of an arena capable of housing a professional team does not guarantee that Quebec will get an NHL team soon after the project is completed, having a stadium ready will certainly increase their chances of getting a team in the future.

Not having an arena/stadium that can sustain a pro franchise is one of the major hurdles cities face when hoping to receive a team through relocation or expansion in any sport. Now that Quebec will have an NHL-caliber arena in the near future, they will become one of the top candidates to receive a team if there are relocation or expansion opportunities.

There are certainly some challenges to having an NHL team come to Quebec, however.

Major advertisers and sponsors may be hesitant about pouring money into a region that has a predominantly French-speaking population, especially when markets like Toronto and Ottawa are large and are predominantly English-speaking.

When Eric Lindros, a non-French-Canadian star, refused to play for the Nordiques after the team made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 1991 NHL draft, concerns arose over players not wanting to learn French and immerse themselves in the city because of the limited marketing opportunities.

In terms of size, Quebec was the smallest NHL market when the Nordiques were in the league up until 1995, and the city was also one of the smallest among those that have an NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL franchise.

While these problems might not be as big of an issue today, the NHL will certainly do its homework before awarding Quebec another team. The league cannot afford to fail twice in the same city.

Quebec has taken a step in the right direction in their quest to land another NHL franchise, but there are still challenges that remain before Nordiques fans have another team to cheer for.

Nicholas Goss is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization's on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston. Follow him on Twitter @NicholasGoss35.