from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,

Now that Tim Leiweke has his arena deal looking like a lock in Seattle, with an NHL expansion team certain to follow, the question is: What does this mean for Quebec City?

The short answer is: not a lot. It still means Quebec City and its supporters have to be patient and wait for another team to relocate. Seattle was always right there with Las Vegas among the NHL governors when it came to the favourite cities for expansion. The only thing preventing an announcement was an arena deal.

Leiweke, the former president and chief executive officer of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, has one in reach. Seattle won't be awarded a team tomorrow, or maybe even next month or next year, but it will get one.

"That means it's just a matter of time before NHL franchise 32 is awarded," one NHL governor said on Tuesday after news of the Seattle deal surfaced. "It's where we've always wanted to go."

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