(Quebec) Finance Minister Eric Girard canceled his visit to New York, where he was scheduled to meet investors and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman.

The government’s big financier was to spend two days there, this Tuesday and Wednesday. In particular, he was to participate in a Bloomberg conference.

When announcing his subsidy of 5 to 7 million for two preparatory matches for the Los Angeles Kings in Quebec, Eric Girard confirmed that he would meet Commissioner Bettman at the same time.

The minister then recalled that there is no expansion or team move in Mr. Bettman’s plans, but that he still wanted to continue his charm operation for a return of the Nordiques.

He also intended to propose to the commissioner the holding of away matches in the capital. “Not on the river, maybe on the Plains,” he said. And “yes, we would like to have a National League team return one day.”

His office explains the cancellation of the visit to New York by saying that Mr. Girard wants to stay in Quebec in order to focus on the government’s financial framework in the context of negotiations with the 600,000 state employees.

His colleagues welcomed his decision. He is giving up his trip to New York “for the right reasons”, commented the Minister of the Economy and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon. “I think that Mr. Girard manages his agenda with his priorities, and he has good priorities,” said Jonatan Julien, Minister of Infrastructure and responsible for the National Capital.

For the PQ Pascal Bérubé, the minister should pull himself together after having made “harmful” decisions “hated by Quebecers”, an allusion to the public funds granted for the arrival of the Kings in the capital in October 2024. “To date, that don’t walk too much, maybe he should focus on his role of being Minister of Finance, and not Minister of Nostalgia,” he said.