Quebec Nordiques
The Nordiques de Québec ( Quebec Nordiques engl. ) were an ice hockey team from Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972-1979) and in the National Hockey League ( 1979-1995 ). In 1995, the team moved to Denver, Colorado and changed his name to Colorado Avalanche.
- 2.1 World Hockey Association
- 2.2 National Hockey League
- 5.1 team captains
- 5.2 Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame
- 5.3 Locked jersey numbers
- 5.4 Top 10 voting rights in the NHL Entry Draft
History
The time in the WHA
The Quebec Nordiques were in 1972 of the founding members of the World Hockey Association, a league that was on par with the National Hockey League players from the potential. The franchise was originally awarded to a group from California, but in the end did not materialize the deal. The Nordiques got their name because they were relatively far settled in the north.
The first coach of the Nordiques became the legendary Maurice Richard, but only one game behind the gang and then explained that was not the right job for him. The first star of the Nordiques was JC Tremblay, a defender of the list of best Assist donors led in the first season and in the first four years of the WHA has always been one of the Allstars. 1974/75 could for the first time to reach the playoffs, thanks to the help of leading scorer Marc Tardif. It came up before the final, but was defeated there cited by hockey legend Gordie Howe Houston Aeros smooth in four games.
In the 1976/77 season the team the Avco World Trophy, which was awarded to the winner of the play-offs won, win, as the team the New England Whalers, Indianapolis Racers, and in the final the decisive seventh game, the Winnipeg Jets defeated.
1978 began the uncertainties in the WHA. The Nordiques were not able to defend her title and subject in the play- offs the New England Whalers. In 1979, the WHA at the end and you played last season.
In the summer of 1979 the team joined together with the WHA rival Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and New England Whalers in the NHL.
The years in the NHL
The 1980s
Since many players also had contracts with NHL teams in addition to their WHA contracts, almost all players left the team the Nordiques and you had to build a new team, which meant that it fell into the basement of the NHL table. One of the few positive moments they had when Real Cloutier the first player in the history of the league was, who managed a hat-trick in his first game.
The Nordiques finished the season 1979/80 as the last of the league, despite the good play of the talented rookie Michel Goulet. 1980 wrote Peter Šťastný at the Nordiques and his brothers Anton and Marián soon followed also by Québec. Peter Šťastný reached in the season 1980 / 81 109 points and he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the best Neuprofi. The Nordiques reached for the first time the NHL playoffs, but were subject already in the first round to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Peter Šťastný and Michel Goulet formed a strong team for the next few years that led Nordiques. 1981-82 she continued the performance of the previous year, switched to local rivals Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins. Lost but then the Conference finals against the eventual Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders.
The rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens and the Nordiques worsened in 1983/84 when it came in the playoffs to the famous " Vendredi Saint " brawl. The Canadiens won the series. In season, the Nordiques were the first team in the NHL that a mascot was that kept the audience entertained during the breaks. A dressed as a strange blue creature man full of funny dances led to the spectators.
The following season, the Canadiens and the Nordiques fought for 1st place in the Adams Division, the team from Montreal could get three points clear. The Nordiques got their revenge in the playoffs and won the decisive seventh game in overtime. 1985/86 brought you the first division title, but was thrown out against the Hartford Whalers in the playoffs.
In the next season, it came to a battle lasting more than seven games in the playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens, but this time the Canadiens were successful. The defeat heralded one of the worst periods in the history of the Quebec Nordiques. The next season they missed the playoffs and were last in their division. 1988/89 it was the last of the NHL and the top stars Peter Šťastný and Michel Goulet decided to leave the team. The Nordiques committed in the summer of 1989, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame Guy Lafleur, however, who had his best years behind him. Only a young center named Joe Sakic was the Nordiques return some luster.
The 1990s
Prior to the 1989/90 season secured the franchise in the NHL Entry Draft in 1989 the rights to the Swede Mats Sundin, who thus became the first European "first overall " draft pick in the NHL. The following year we had the first choice in the draft again and chose Owen Nolan.
1991, I was due to poor placement season again the "first overall " draft pick. Although considered one of the greatest talents in force in Hockey Eric Lindros said that he would never play for Quebec, you chose him anyway. Lindros was presented on the day of the Draft in the jersey of the Nordiques but refused to sign a contract. The Nordiques missed the playoffs again and in the summer of 1992, agreement was reached with Lindros. He was transferred to the Philadelphia Flyers for which the Nordiques in exchange for forward Mike Ricci, Ron Hextall goalkeeper, defenders Steve Duchesne and Kerry Huffman, two first-round draft pick and 15 million U.S. dollars. In addition, the trade still belonged to the rights to a Swedish youth players with the name Peter Forsberg. The one draft pick is transferred in an exchange transaction and with the other caught you look in the NHL Entry Draft in 1993 the rights to Jocelyn Thibault. This transfer business between the Flyers and the Nordiques is probably the most important of the decade and made a weak team from Québec a potential Stanley Cup candidates.
1992/93 reached the team led by Joe Sakic, who was now a regular guest at the NHL All Star Game, along with the young star Mats Sundin and Owen Nolan the play-offs after a great season performance. But in the play- offs was already after the first round against local rivals from Montreal circuit. 1993/94 missed the team a place in the play-offs, because you had to fight through the entire season with injury problems.
The transfer of Eric Lindros became a godsend for the Nordiques. Peter Forsberg was honored after his first season in 1994/95 with the Calder Memorial Trophy as the best rookie and now - what we could not know in 1995 - would hardly give a team Peter Forsberg for Eric Lindros. Forsberg was over a decade the star of the franchise. Ron Hextall was transferred Islanders after just one season to the New York and you got it two draft picks, with identifying the rights to Alex Tanguay and Adam Dead Marsh secured, the major players were later than the team after moving to Colorado to Stanley Cup won. Jocelyn Thibault was given a few months after arriving in Denver at the Montréal Canadiens, what you Goalie legend Patrick Roy got.
Departure from Quebec City
1994/95 should first play Peter Forsberg in the NHL, but first there was the lockout. The shortened season ended the Nordiques # 1 in the Conference, but in the first round had to admit defeat defending champion New York Rangers.
The financial problems of the team during the season moved into the center and finally sold Marcel Aubut, the Nordiques owner to a group of investors in Denver, Colorado. The franchise then moved to Colorado and was also renamed the Colorado Avalanche. Many fans from Quebec continued to hold the team and congratulated, as the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 1996.
There was even talk that they organized a second Stanley Cup parade in Quebec City, after the team was only one year in Colorado. But the city rejected that and wanted to draw a line.
The fact that once again a team in the NHL in Quebec City will settle, is not excluded. There were always rumors that investors want to buy up a strauchelndes team to leave then drag it to Quebec City.
Season statistics
World Hockey Association
Note: GP = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Losses after Overtime, SOL = Shootout Losses by, Pts = Points, GF = Goals Scored, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalty minutes
National Hockey League
Note: GP = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals Scored, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalty minutes
Coach
As the first head coach of the franchise history Maurice Richard took over the position of the band and led the team to its first game of the World Hockey Association. Then he was replaced by Maurice Filion, who was entrusted with the leadership of the Nordiques. After the play-offs were missed in the first season, followed by the 1973/74 season with Jacques Plante another experienced NHL player. After it was granted him also to bring about a place in the finals, he returned as an active player back on the ice. His successor, Jean -Guy Gendron led the team in its third season for the first time in the play-offs. After victories over the Phoenix Roadrunners and Minnesota Fighting Saints, the team faced in the finals at the Avco World Trophy the Houston Aeros, but lost the series in four games. In the 1975/76 season the Nordiques presented with 104 points in the regular season, a new franchise record and was eliminated in the second round against the Calgary Cowboys of the competition.
Abbreviations: GC = Matches, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Losses after overtime, Pts = Points, Win % win rate =
* Change during the current season
For the 1976/77 season Marc Boileau was assigned to lead the team. Boileau, who had previously been dismissed at the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team led to their greatest success of the franchise history. After victories against the New England Whalers and Indianapolis Racers for the second time succeeded in moving into the finals. In seven games against the Winnipeg Jets Avco World Trophy team which won and secured the first time the championship of the WHA. After Boileau had failed in the following year with the team in the second playoff round, took over shortly Maurice Filion, the position of the gang. This was replaced by Jacques Demers, who led the team through their last season in the WHA and in the premiere season of the National Hockey League. The team finished with 61 points the last place in the Adams Division. After Maurice Filion had the Nordiques once again taken over for a few games, Michel Bergeron was installed as the new head coach.
Michel Bergeron led more than six consecutive years from the post of head coach with the Nordiques. In the 1981/82 season after brief successes against the Canadiens de Montréal and Boston Bruins succeeded in gaining in the Conference Finals, where the team in four matches against the eventual Stanley Cup winners, the New York Islanders defeated. In the following five years in which Bergeron was active as a head coach at the Nordiques, the team qualified for the final round always. In the season 1984/85 the team met once before in the Conference Finals, losing in six games against the Philadelphia Flyers. After two years as head coach Michel Bergeron was incorporated in 1987 to the New York Rangers. As the successor to André Savard was presented, which had accrued during his playing career for the team from Quebec. In his only season behind the band the play-offs were not achieved. Finally, Ron Lapointe was entrusted with the management of the team, but was released after a few months. His successor, Jean Perron could not meet the expectations, his engagement ended after the 1988/89 season. As a result, Michel Bergeron was presented as his successor.
Bergeron, however, failed at its previous successes with the team to tie and the play-offs took place without the Nordiques for the third time in a row. He was succeeded by Dave Chambers already eleventh head coach in franchise history. After the season 1990/91, which was the low point in the history of the Nordiques with only 16 wins and 46 points, Chambers is also held to start the season the following season in office. As resulted in only three wins from their first 18 games, followed by the sacking him. Pierre Pagé, which the team could not bring on playoff course in the same season, led the team in the 1992/93 season for the first time in six years, in the final round. After the first round it was clear in six games against the Canadiens de Montréal from leaving and in the following year again remained the team through the missed qualifying for the play-offs behind expectations, Pagé was replaced for season 1994/95 by Marc Crawford. In the last season of existence of the Nordiques once again succeeded in gaining the final round, again followed in six games against the New York Rangers from elimination in the first round.
General Manager
Player
Team captains
- Jean -Guy Gendron 1972-1974
- Michel Parizeau 1974-1976
- Marc Tardif 1976-1981
- Robbie Ftorek and Andre Dupont 1981-1982
- Mario Marois 1982-1985
- Mario Marois and Peter Šťastný 1985-1986
- Peter Šťastný 1986-1990
- Steven Finn and Joe Sakic 1990-1991
- Mike Hough 1991-1992
- Joe Sakic 1992-1995
Members of the Hockey Hall of Fame
Locked jersey numbers
- 3 J. C. Tremblay
- 8 Marc Tardif
- 16 Michel Goulet
- 26 Peter Šťastný
After moving to Colorado, the numbers are available again
Top 10 voting rights in the NHL Entry Draft
Swell
- Sportsecyclopedia.com, History of the Nordiques de Québec (English )