Nordic, like something from the northern hemisphere, from the polar cold. Adored by hundreds of thousands of Quebecers and hated by Montreal Canadiens fans, the Quebec Nordiques players have captivated and ignited one of the greatest rivalries in hockey history. While hockey season is in full swing and this sport is a real religion in our country, here is the story of this club that the Quebec years still miss so much after moving to the United States.
The Nordiques are best remembered from the days of the National Hockey League (NHL), but originally, in 1972, the club was a franchise of another competing league, the World Hockey Association (WHA).
To raise the level of play in their new league, WHA teams pull out their checkbooks to recruit NHL veterans.
The Nordiques are no exception to the rule and will sign defender Jean-Claude Tremblay, a former Canadian.
Tremblay quickly became the mainstay of defense for this new team from the old capital.
Slowly, our Nordiques will be taking over the hair of the beast as they seek reinforcements including Réal “Buddy” Cloutier and prolific left winger Marc Tardif.
The most spectacular moment of the young Nordiques team within this federation is undoubtedly the conquest of the Avco Cup in 1977.
Indeed, in the spring of 1977, we can say that fans in both Quebec (AMH) and Montreal (NHL) were being spoiled by these two great powers in the hockey world in their respective leagues.
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After the powder blue of the premiere season, we wear the dark blue jersey abroad. The players proudly wear the red pants in the Coliseum. In 1974 an important symbol was added, the lily. Finally, in 1975, just before René Lévesque came to power, a new uniform featuring eight beautiful lilies was proposed.
IN THE NHL
Two years later, the Nordiques participated in the merger of AMH and NHL under the leadership of Marcel Aubut.
In fact, in late March 1979, after a series of intense negotiations, the Quebec Nordiques, Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers and New England Whalers finally joined the NHL.
After a nearly 60-year absence from the prestigious league following the departure of the Quebec Bulldogs, the city’s hockey fans are clearly overjoyed.
Even if the Fleurdelisée team’s debut in the big league is difficult, players like Marc Tardif, Réal Cloutier and young Michel Goulet offer hope, but the team will need help to defeat the Canadian and earn a place in hearts of Quebecers to fight for .
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Did you know that the Rocket is linked to the history of the Nordiques? In 1972, before their first season in the WHA, the Nordiques introduced their first-ever head coach, Maurice Richard. After two games, he leaves his place to Maurice Filion.
The Nordiques are then notable for hiring talented Czechoslovak players, athletes who, at the risk of their lives, have to defect to join the Nordiques.
Thus, brothers Peter, Anton and later Marian Stastny augmented the ranks of the Quebec team and opened the door for a long line of fine hockey players to cross the Iron Curtain to play in North America.
The Nordiques draw crowds and their many supporters wear their colors proudly.
Among these admirers is the charismatic Huron-Wendat leader Max Gros-Louis, who is present at each of the local games with his tam-tam to distract the opponent at strategic moments.
After several good performances in the regular season and in the season-ending playoffs, the Nordiques finally won their first regular-season championship in 1986.
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The story takes place in The Forum during a duel between the Canadiens and the Nordiques during the 1987 season-ending playoffs. Thirty-five years later, Nordiques fans are still wondering, ‘Did you do well, Alain Côté’s goal?
RIVALRY WITH MONTREAL
The antagonism between Quebec and Montreal has its roots in the New France era, but with the arrival of the Nordic countries it’s finally an opportunity for the two great cities to compete in the truest sense of the word. .
The rivalry between the Canadiens and the Nordiques is unique and much more intense than what we see in other nearby markets like the New York Rangers and Islanders or between the cities of Calgary and Edmonton.
The Nordiques’ appearance is consistent with the Canadian’s quick elimination from the playoffs and the famous controversy surrounding the Glorieux’s more than dubious selection in the 1980 draft, when Doug Wickenheiser was chosen over Quebec’s Denis Savard.
THE FRANKOPHONE TEAM
Then the Fleur-de-Lis team surprised with their impressive performance in the 1982 playoffs.
That’s all it takes to anger the Montreal club’s supporters.
The Quebec team becomes that of the French-speaking Quebecers and that of Montreal, the club of the often English-speaking establishment.
This rivalry will culminate during two fierce general matches on Good Friday (April 20, 1984) at the Montreal Forum, matches which will result in a total of more than 250 penalty minutes for players from both teams.
Then the Nordiques picked young upstart Eric Lindros as the overall pick at the 1991 NHL Entry Draft in Buffalo.
However, the tall Lindros (6ft 4in and 230lbs) refuses to play for the Quebec team.
In Quebec, things quickly became political. After lengthy negotiations, the Nordiques ceded whatever rights they had to Lindros, trading him to the Philadelphia Flyers for six players, two draft picks, and $15 million. As a result of this trade, the Nordiques are becoming major contenders in the Atlantic section of the NHL.
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Quebec Nordique goalkeeper Sergei Mylnikov 1989-1990 season.
THE END OF AN ERA
On January 21, 1995, as the 1994-1995 season began after a long hiatus, the Nordiques players dominated on the ice.
The team even won 12 of their first 13 games. She won her section’s championship that year, but was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round.
Despite the team’s success, it seems obvious to Nordiques management that Quebec’s small market is becoming less and less financially viable to secure the franchise’s future.
By the mid-1990s, the team was playing in one of North America’s oldest amphitheaters, and the constant growth in salaries made it almost impossible to be financially successful.
On May 25, 1995, the President of the Nordiques, Marcel Aubut, announced the sale of the Nordiques to the American group Comsat Video for the sum of 75 million US dollars.
After 23 seasons in Quebec, the adventure ends abruptly, ending the beautiful love story between the city and the ice hockey team.
The club was relocated to Denver, Colorado and was renamed the Avalanche for the 1995-1996 season.
Ironically, under this new name, the team’s players finally won the playoffs and won the Stanley Cup in their first season.
Ever since that departure, the staunchest fans have dreamed of seeing a side proudly bearing the Nordiques name play in Quebec. Nothing beats reviving this legendary rivalry!