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Politician accuses ‘separatist’ Peladeau of turning NHL off Quebec City

quebec

Some of the tens of thousands of fans hold up signs and fingers during the “Blue March,” as fans asked for an NHL hockey team, 15 years after the Quebec Nordiques left town, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010, in Quebec City. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Jacques Boissinot)

AP

Pierre Karl Peladeau, one of the richest men in Canada, has made it no secret that he wants to bring an NHL team to Quebec City.

But as the leader of the Parti Québécois, he also wants Quebec to separate from Canada, and that’s led some to wonder if his political views may hurt his chances of landing said NHL franchise.

Today, a rival politician -- Coalition Avenir Québec leader (and former separatist) Francois Legault -- outright accused Peladeau of keeping the NHL away.

“The fact that Mr. Peladeau is a separatist...we know very well whether it’s the owners of the team in Toronto or the owners of the Canadiens, they’re not separatists and they don’t want Quebec to separate,” Legault said, per CBC.ca.

Peladeau, not surprisingly, disagreed, citing the broadcast deal his Quebecor company (TVA Sports) struck with the NHL in 2013.

“That demonstrates the relationship is more solid than it was before, and I have strong hopes there will be a professional hockey team in Quebec,” he said.