Obviously, it's controversial because the government of Quebec has committed to paying the Kings to come to Quebec, while the Canadiens would have done it for free. We're talking about 5 to 7 million dollars that will be drawn from taxpayers' pockets.
Quebec has proven itself, and an NHL team would be viable. Even if there were only 10,000 people per game, it would be better than many NHL arenas. But I doubt that. In my opinion, it would be more crowded.
At this point, we can practically say that the chances are close to zero of seeing an NHL team in Quebec, at least in the era of Gary Bettman.
It's difficult to understand his reasoning when several teams he insists on keeping in their weak markets are struggling, and yet he absolutely wants to keep them alive in these same non-viable markets.