| Founded: | 1972 | Final Game: | May 16, 1995 |
| Home Rink: | Colisée de Québec | Became: | Colorado Avalanche |
The Quebec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972–1979) and the National Hockey League (1979–1995). The franchise was relocated to Denver, Colorado, in May 1995 and renamed the Colorado Avalanche. They played their home games at the Colisée de Québec from 1972 to 1995.
The Nordiques were the only major professional sports team based in Quebec City in the modern era, and one of two ever; the other, the Quebec Bulldogs, played one season in the NHL in 1919–20.
Deeper Dive
Quebec Nordiques: A History of Beer, Brawls, and Van Halen
The Quebec Nordiques almost didn’t exist. And depending on who you ask, maybe they shouldn’t have existed at all. In fact, their story begins on the other side of the continent, under the considerably warmer skies of San Francisco, California. Read more…
The Players
More Nordiques History
Eric Lindros Trade Revisited
It’s been over 26 years since the Quebec Nordiques traded Eric Lindros — a once-in-a-generation player with outstanding offensive prowess, a bone-crunching physical presence, strong skating skills, and stupendously soft hands — to the Philadelphia Flyers. The whole package, Lindros possessed a unique skillset and had been compared to Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux Read more…
Captains
- Jean-Guy Gendron, 1972-1974
- Michael Parizeau, 1974-1976
- Marc Tardif, 1976-1981
- Robbie Florek, 1981
- Andre Dupont, 1981-1982
- Mario Marois, 1983-1985
- Peter Stastny, 1985-1990
- Steven Finn and Joe Sakic, 1990-1991
- Mike Hough, 1991-1992
- Joe Sakic, 1992-1995
Retired Numbers
- 3 – J.C. Tremblay
- 8 – Marc Tardif
- 16 – Michel Goulet
- 26 – Peter Stastny
