MONTREAL - The international scope of hockey in the 21st century may preclude us from laying legitimate claim to the sport as "our game," but the goings-on in Winnipeg are proof enough that Canadians still embrace hockey like no one else.
With NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman looking like he'd rather be bobbing for cobras, True North Sports and Entertainment announced a deal to purchase the Atlanta Thrashers and move them to Winnipeg.
The outpouring of emotion in the streets of the Manitoba capital was reminiscent of VE-Day, right down to the preponderance of uniforms and kids skipping school because they didn't want to miss the historic celebration.
Many in the crowd were barely old enough to remember the Jets, if they were even born when the city lost the team to Phoenix in 1996.
It was as clear a demonstration as you'll see that while passion for hockey in many American NHL markets ebbs and flows depending on the local team's success, it remains consistently undiminished in Canada - even in cities that don't have NHL teams.
Above and beyond their enthusiasm, Winnipeggers put their money where their mouths were by reaching a stated season ticket target of 13 thousand within 20 minutes of the tickets going on sale to the public.
The Winnipeg scenario bodes exceedingly well for Quebec City, where the public appetite for a return of NHL hockey is at least as voracious as it is in Winnipeg.
With the Phoenix Coyotes on life support for what's likely to be their final season in the Arizona desert, all the pieces are in place for Quebec, with one significant exception: a suitable arena.
And here's where the Winnipeg and Quebec stories diverge, in classic Quebec fashion.
While True North built its own arena, media baron and would-be team owner Pierre-Karl Peladeau has successfully convinced two levels of government to finance his building at taxpayer expense, setting the stage for NHL hockey to once again find a home in a place where the sport is as natural a part of the cultural fabric as state welfare for billionaires.
