Nordiques' Rise & Fall: From Sea Hawks to Avalanche

0:00NHL stores making news on March 4th. The Quebec Nordiques got their start in an unlikely place as the San Francisco Seahawks in the World Hockey Association back in 19, 72. A group of Quebec businessmen swooped in and moved the team to Quebec City, a hockey-hungry town without pro ice since the 1920s. They quickly built a fan base with their blue and white jerseys and their red igloo logo. In the WHA, the Nordiques improved fast, topping their division by 1974 and winning the lead title in 1977 behind. Stars like Real Cloudier and Sirs Bernier. When merging with the NHL in 1979, they faced pushback from the Montreal Canadians over a beer sponsorship rivalry with O'Keefe, versus Moulson. Fans boycotted Moulson products nationwide, forcing the Canadians to back down. That sparked one of hockey's fiercest rivalries, peaking in the good Friday massacre brawl of April 20th, 1984. Over 252 penalty minutes, fights everywhere, and deep ties to

1:06Quebec's separatist tensions made it legendary. The Canadians won that playoff game, but the bad blood lingered. The Nordiques hit rock bottom in the late 80s, but rebuilt through drafts, grabbing Joe Sockick and Matt Sundin. Their big break came trading holdout Eric Lindros in 1992 for a hall including Peter Forsberg and Picks, turning them into contenders. They topped the Eastern Conference in 1995. Financial woes, a week Canadian dollar, and an outdated arena-forced owner Marcella Bout to sell to Denver investors for 103 million. Dollars in 1995, reborn as the Colorado Avalanche, they won the Stanley Cup right away with the Old Nordiques Corps. Today, with a new 18,000-seat arena ready, fans hope for an NHL return. The Daily News Now is presented by our sponsor. Do not just listen to podcasts. Get lost in them comfortably. S-O-L-I-SoliPillo.com.