NHL hockey returns to Quebec City with a visit from L.A. Kings. For some, the payoff is debatable

Bernard Dion is hoping for a "fantastic show" after he scored last-minute tickets to catch the first of two Los Angeles Kings exhibition games being held in Quebec City on Thursday.

As the games draw criticism from organizations and politicians across Quebec for being funded by a government subsidy, Dion said the investment is worthwhile.

"If you consider people are going to come today, some [are] going to take a hotel, they eat at restaurants. I don't think they're losing money," said Dion.

He said the province needs to invest in cultural events like hockey. Buying the tickets Wednesday night and travelling up from Montreal, he said the game gives him a chance to watch the team close to home with his 21-year-old son, who's a long-time fan.

"I think it's in our blood. Hockey is the most important thing," said Dion.

"What is important is passion and for people here, they want to have that passion back,"

In 2023, Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard announced Quebec would agree to spend between $5 million and $7 million for the games — arguing the government often backs comparable events such as the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal or Mosaïcultures, a horticulture exhibit that has cropped up in different cities.

Girard defended the subsidy saying the goal is to highlight a venue designed to host NHL games in the hopes of getting back a team.

But on Thursday, hundreds of people took to the streets to march to the stadium to protest the use of public funds.

"It is outrageous that the government is spending this money," said Félix Marois with a tenants' rights group in Quebec City.

He said even if the millions of dollars is a relatively small amount for the provincial government, it's a lot for smaller non-profits, like his