DAN RIEDLHUBER/Reuters
This is what it's like when the Habs suck and there's nothing much else to talk about in Quebec: all molehills instantly become Himalaya-sized.
Former coach and current radio analyst Dany Dubé, a wise and plugged-in hockey man, mentioned on Radio-Canada on Monday that a Phoenix Coyotes player of his acquaintance had been advised to "go and learn French" by someone in the organization.
That has, of course, been taken as the firmest indication yet that the Yotes are Quebec City-bound in a question of weeks.
Not so fast, said Dubé, who expands and nuances his statement here.
The gist, for those who don't read French, is that the tidbit should only be seen for what it is: people within the team's hockey staff are starting to think this could happen. That doesn't mean it will, after all the Atlanta Thrashers' players were pretty much the last to find out last year that the team was in the process of being sold and moved to Winnipeg.
Still, it's the sort of thing that gets people all a-lather, particularly in a fevered atmosphere like Quebec City's, where recent developments like city council approving renovation dough for the Colisée and this past weekend's official announcement of the new arena project (which has been a done deal for months) have contributed to people getting all hepped up.
Another way to interpret Dubé's scoopette? At least the players are getting some good advice if the team does end up moving to La Vieille Capitale.