Heritage Sports Art

Some History

1995-96As the Stanley Cup playoffs began in April 1995 Nordiques president Marcel Aubut announced he needed financial assistance from the Provincial Government to keep the team operating in Quebec for the following season.  The financial landscape of the NHL had changed as a result of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement established by the league and its players that ended a lockout of the players. As a result of the lockout the 1994-95 season was reduced to 48 games.

The Nordiques, already playing in an outdated facility, struggled to find revenue streams that would keep the team in Quebec City. The troubles were too much for Aubut to overcome and there would be no help coming from the Provincial Government of Quebec. On May 16th 1995 the Quebec Nordiques played its final game, a 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers in Madison Square Garden that knocked them out of the playoffs. Nine days later the Nordiques ownership group reached an agreement with COMSAT Entertainment of Denver Colorado, then on July 1st it was made official. It was au revoir la belle province and hello Rocky Mountains.

Now situated in Denver the team was renamed the Colorado Avalanche. This marked the return of NHL hockey to the Mile High City since the Colorado Rockies packed up and moved to New Jersey to become the Devils in 1982.

The Avalanche had an amazing inaugural season. They were already recognized as a very strong team having won the Adams Division previous year. Their lineup boasted the best 1-2 centre combination since Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier in Edmonton, Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg. Then some clever mid-season wheeling and dealing by General Manager Pierre Lacroix made the team even more formidable. He acquired Claude Lemieux from New Jersey in a three-way deal. Then he sent power forward Owen Nolan to San Jose for defenceman Sandis Ozolinsh, but the biggest move made was the acquisition of 2-time Conn Smythe trophy winner Patrick Roy and veteran centre Mike Keane from the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs dealt Roy just four days after a public falling-out with coach Mario Tremblay. In return they received goalie Jocelyn Thibault, forwards Martin Rucinsky and Andrei Kovalenko.

After the Christmastime trade with the Habs the Avalanche really began to roll. In their first season in the Western Conference they won the Pacific Division title with a 47-25-10 record, good enough for second place overall in the NHL.

In the playoffs the Avs met the Vancouver Canucks in the opening round. The teams exchanged victories over the first four games, then a Joe Sakic scored in OT in Game 5 to give the Avalanche a 3-2 series lead. The OT goal also provided the Avs with the series momentum as they took Game 6 3-2 in Vancouver to win the series. Their second round opponents were the Chicago Blackhawks. Once again, Sakic was the hero in overtime scoring in the 3rd overtime of Game 4 as the Avalanche evened their series with the Chicago.  The dramatic win would have a snowball effect as the Avalanche won the next 2 to take the series in 6 games. In the Campbell Conference Finals the Avalanche met the Detroit Red Wings. This series might be best remembered for hostility that developed between the two clubs after Claude Lemieux crosschecked Wings forward Kris Draper from behind into the boards. Drapers face was badly injured and he would not return to play in the series.  After jumping out to a 3-1 series lead the Avalanche were able to hold on and win the series 4 games to 2. Now after all of the years of coming close while in Quebec, the Avalanche were now in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Their opponents in the Finals were the upstart Florida Panthers who, led by coach Doug McLean, shocked the Eastern Conference by knocking off the Bruins, Flyers and Penguins to get the fourth and final round of the playoffs. But the Avalanche were ready for the Panthers and won the Stanley Cup in a 4-game sweep. Game 4 was won on a dramatic goal scored by D Uwe Krupp four minutes into the third overtime period.

When the team moved to Denver they introduced brand new uniforms. The Avalanche adopted a two-tone colour scheme for their road uniform where the shoulders and waistline a blue (a similar blue to what was used in Quebec) and the torso of the jersey is burgundy red.  The logo is a burgundy A with snow on its peak with a rush of snow spiraling down its slope.  The body of the jersey is trimmed with white and black and this version has a Stanley Cup patch on the front of the left shoulder.