The Montreal Canadiens, one of the NHL’s most emblematic franchises, has taken pride in its homegrown talent. For generations, the game’s best came from the province of Quebec. Take a look at the list of Hall of Famers. The French-Canadian influence on hockey is undeniable.
But that influence has steadily waned. As a new report by RG media points out, Quebec’s influence as a major supplier of NHL talent could be coming to an end. The report published on December 29 offers this insight into why Quebec could be falling off the NHL radar by the 2030s:
“Quebec has fallen from Canada’s second-largest NHL talent supplier to near the bottom on a per-capita basis. The province currently has no players among the league’s top 100 scorers and just one active goaltender, making it a key contributor to Canada’s shrinking share.”
That’s not hyperbole. French-Canadian goalies once dominated the NHL landscape. After all, the Vezina Trophy was named after Montreal Canadiens legendary netminder Georges Vezina, born in Chicoutimi in 1887. Or how about Maurice Richard? The Montreal native’s prowess prompted the NHL to name the Rocket Richard Trophy in his honor.
But that’s something gradually changing. And it’s something that threatens the Montreal Canadiens’ ability to procure homegrown talent. If the report is correct, the Habs may find it increasingly difficult to find true “Montreal” players to grace the team’s proud logo.
NHL Expansion the Main Culprit Behind Quebec’s Influence
As the report rightly indicated, NHL expansion has been the driving force behind the gradual decline of Quebec’s influence.
The league made its first aggressive foray into expansion in 1967. At that time, the NHL doubled in size, from six teams (the Canadiens are an Original Six franchise) to twelve. The addition of new teams could continue throughout the 1970s. Consequently, that aggressive expansion meant more jobs for professional hockey players. But it also opened the door to the coveted US market.
That floodgates opened in the US with expansion into non-traditional hockey markets like South Florida, Atlanta, San Jose, Anaheim, Dallas, and even Arizona.
Meanwhile, the NHL lost its second Quebec-based franchise, the Nordiques, to relocation. The move was a good one, as it brought the Colorado Avalanche to life. That move left the Canadiens as the only Quebec-based team in the NHL.
Plus, the influx of European players has upped the competition for NHL jobs drastically. Now, there is a fierce competition as ever for limited NHL roles. Sadly, that’s put Quebec at a crisis point.
Canadiens Thriving Despite Lack of Hometown Players
The Canadiens have thrived even without an abundance of homegrown players. Captain Nick Suzuki, a Canadian of Asian descent, proudly represents the franchise. Ivan Demidov, a Russian, is the team’s most promising prospect. Also, Lane Hutson, a dual American-Canadian citizen, is emerging as the next great Canadiens blueliner.
Nevertheless, the Habs look set even without a true Montreal-born star to lead the team. While Quebec-native players aren’t going away anytime soon, they’ll be harder to come by for the Canadiens.
Who knows, it might only be a question of time before the next great homegrown Canadiens legend emerges.
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