We have officially hit the dog days of this truncated hockey summer. The news cycle is slow. Any news related to the Colorado Avalanche is non-existent. However, since I'm new to writing about and covering the Avs I wanted to get to know the team a bit better. I've been doing some research into the history of the franchise, from its origins in Quebec to the relocation to the Rocky Mountain State.
With that said, expect some historically based blogs to fill the gap between any breaking or regular Avs-related news.
The franchise was originally founded in 1972 and played in Quebec. The Nordiques were best know for their simple, yet classic sweaters and their epic battle with the rival Montreal Canadiens. They also had some legendary alumni including Michel Goulet, Peter Stastny, Mats Sundin, Guy Lafleur, and Joe Sakic.
There was plenty of winning in the early years of the Nordiques, but towards the late '80s and into the '90s, winning was few and far between. The team didn't start to turn the corner until the lockout-shortened 1994-95 season when it went 30-13-5 and finished first in the Northeast Division before losing to the NY Rangers in the first round of the playoffs. Of course, that would become the franchise last in Canada before relocating.
Despite being located in hockey-crazy Canada, the Nordiques couldn't survive the changing NHL landscape. Revenues from advertising, TV, and ticket sales did not cover rising payroll and operating costs. As a result, the team was forced to relocate eventually settling on a move to the United States and Colorado.
Now today's date, August 10, is significant.
It was on this date in 1995 that the former Quebec Nordiques officially became known as the "Colorado Avalanche." I never knew the name's origins, and I was shocked to find out that it was not Colorado's first choice.
Initially, the club was going to be called the "Colorado Extreme." It's a horrible name and sounds more like a ball hockey team name than an NHL franchise. Especially since the previous Colorado NHL franchise had such a cool name.
To this day, the name "Rockies" is so iconic and the sweaters are among the best in NHL history. As many of you suggested in my new jersey blog, the team would be wise to somehow figure out a way to incorporate the Rockies color scheme because it is that iconic. But I digress.
The name "Extreme" was so poorly received and the backlash was so fierce that the club was forced to change the name. Per teamnameorigin.com, other names in consideration were Cougars, Rapids, Outlaws, and Bears. Ultimately the best choice won out and the Colorado Avalanche was born.
As I mentioned earlier, the team was one on the rise and it didn't take long for the newly relocated franchise to endear itself to the state of Colorado for good. In its first full season, the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, and the rest they say is history.
As a kid growing up teams like the Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques were staples of the NHL. It took some getting used to when the teams bounced and relocated. Obviously, it's been over 25 years and Colorado is now a mainstay in this league. Now I find it hard to imagine the NHL without the Avs. They are very much part of the leagues' fabric and I can argue those early years' battles with the Detroit Red Wings were huge for the NHL and generated big ratings and allowed the NHL to move on following those ugly labor disputes.
That's it for today's history lesson. Look out for more over the next month leading up to the start of training camp.
Thanks for reading, Steve
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