Editing Colorado Avalanche (section)

===Quebec Nordiques (1972–1995)===
{{main|Quebec Nordiques}}
The Quebec Nordiques were one of the [[World Hockey Association]]'s (WHA) original teams when the league began play in [[1972–73 WHA season|1972]]. Though first awarded to a group in [[San Francisco]], the team was subsequently sold and moved to [[Quebec City]] prior to the start of the league's opening.<ref name="whanordiques">{{cite web|title =Quebec Nordiques|url =http://www.whahockey.com/nordiques.html|publisher =WHA Hockey|access-date =March 25, 2007}}</ref> During their seven WHA seasons, the Nordiques won the [[Avco World Trophy]] once, in [[1976–77 WHA season|1977]], and lost the finals once, in [[1974–75 WHA season|1975]].<ref>{{cite web|title =WHA Yearly Standings|url =http://www.whahockey.com/whayearlystandings.html|publisher =WHA Hockey|access-date =March 25, 2007}}</ref> In [[1979–80 NHL season|1979]], the franchise entered the NHL, along with the WHA's [[Edmonton Oilers]], [[Hartford Whalers]], and [[Winnipeg Jets (1972–96)|Winnipeg Jets]].<ref>{{cite web|title=From the WHA to the NHL |url=http://www.nhl.com/history/062279.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110521152726/http://www.nhl.com/history/062279.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 21, 2011 |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=March 25, 2007}}</ref>

[[File:Nordiques réchauffement 1987-1987.jpg|thumb|left|[[Quebec Nordiques]] warm up for a game in the {{NHL Year|1986}} season. The Avalanche played as the Nordiques from 1972 to 1995.]]
After making the postseason for seven consecutive years, from [[1980–81 NHL season|1981]] to [[1986–87 NHL season|1987]], the Nordiques started to decline. From [[1987–88 NHL season|1987–88]] to [[1991–92 NHL season|1991–92]], the team finished last in their division every season, with three of those finishes landing them last in the league. This included a dreadful 12-win season in [[1989–90 Quebec Nordiques season|1989–90]] that is still the worst in franchise history.<ref>{{cite web|title =National Hockey League seasons|url =http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/nhl1927.html|publisher =The Internet Hockey Database|access-date =July 11, 2007|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20081003022451/http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/nhl1927.html|archive-date =October 3, 2008}}</ref> As a result, the team earned three consecutive first overall draft picks, used to select [[Mats Sundin]] ([[1989 NHL entry draft|1989]]), [[Owen Nolan]] ([[1990 NHL entry draft|1990]]), and [[Eric Lindros]] ([[1991 NHL entry draft|1991]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=NHL Entry Draft First Round Selections 1980–89 |url=http://www.nhl.com/futures/firstround80_89.html#89 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010127185200/http://www.nhl.com/futures/firstround80_89.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 27, 2001 |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=March 25, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=NHL Entry Draft First Round Selections 1990–99 |url=http://www.nhl.com/futures/firstround90_99.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010124080100/http://www.nhl.com/futures/firstround90_99.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 24, 2001 |publisher=National Hockey League |access-date=March 25, 2007}}</ref> Lindros made it clear he did not wish to play for the Nordiques,<ref>{{cite web |title=Lindros: Refusal to play for Nordiques 'was about an owner,' not a city |url=https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1050860-lindros-refusal-to-play-for-nordiques-was-about-an-owner-not-a-city |website=theScore.com |date=June 27, 2016 |access-date=November 15, 2018}}</ref> to the extent he did not wear the team's jersey for the press photographs, only holding it when it was presented to him.<ref name="lindrosnhl">{{Cite news|title =As expected, Quebec selects Lindros No.1|url =http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=NewsLibrary&p_multi=DSNB&d_place=DSNB&p_theme=newslibrary2&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0F360039496DAD62&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|agency =Associated Press|date =June 23, 1991|access-date =March 25, 2007}}</ref> On advice from his mother, he refused to sign a contract and began a holdout that lasted over a year. On June 30, 1992, he was traded to the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] in exchange for five players, the rights to Swedish prospect [[Peter Forsberg]], two first-round draft picks, and US$15&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|title =Eric Lindros notes|url =http://www.nhl.com/ice/player.htm?id=8458515&view=notes|publisher =National Hockey League|access-date =February 22, 2010}}</ref> The [[Eric Lindros trade]] turned the moribund Nordiques into a Stanley Cup contender almost overnight, and is seen in hindsight as one of the most one-sided deals in sports history.<ref>{{Cite news|title =The List: Readers Pick Most Lopsided Trades|url =http://static.espn.go.com/page2/s/readers/worstdeals.html|publisher =[[ESPN]]|access-date =July 11, 2007}}</ref> In the first season after the trade, [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]], the Nordiques reached the playoffs for the first time in six years.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Burfiend |first1=Dustin |title=An Interesting Parallel: '92–'93 Quebec Nordiques |url=https://www.milehighhockey.com/2010/6/3/1498884/an-interesting-parallel-92-93 |website=Mile High Hockey |access-date=December 24, 2018 |date=June 3, 2010}}</ref> [[1994–95 NHL season|Two years later]], they won the [[Northeast Division (NHL)|Northeast Division]] and had the second best regular season record during the [[1994–95 NHL lockout|lockout-shortened season]].<ref>{{cite web |title=1994–95 Quebec Nordiques Roster and Statistics |url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/QUE/1995.html |website=Hockey-Reference.com |access-date=December 24, 2018}}</ref>

While the team experienced on-ice success, it spent most of its first 23 years struggling financially. Quebec City was by far the smallest market in the NHL,<ref name="canadianencyc">{{Cite news|title=Nordiques Move to Colorado |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nordiques-move-to-colorado/ |author=Deacon, James |work=[[Maclean's]] |date=May 6, 1995 |access-date=May 11, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930064119/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1ARTM0010425 |archive-date=September 30, 2007}}</ref> and the changing financial environment in the NHL made things even more difficult. In 1995, team owner [[Marcel Aubut]] asked for a bailout from Quebec's provincial government<ref>{{Cite news|title =Quebec's Government Plans Bailout to keep Nordiques from moving|url =http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=PD&s_site=twincities&p_multi=SP&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB5DDC4964DA9E0&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|agency =Associated Press|date =April 9, 1994|access-date =March 25, 2007}}</ref> as well as a new publicly funded arena.<ref name="canadianencyc" /> The bailout fell through, and Aubut subsequently began talks with [[COMSAT]] Entertainment Group in [[Denver]], which already owned the [[Denver Nuggets]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Elliott |first1=Helene |title=These Towns Aren’t Big Enough for NHL : Nordiques Sold, Moved to Denver as Small-Market Struggle Intensifie |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-05-26-sp-6182-story.html |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=March 10, 2025 |date=May 26, 1995}}</ref>In May 1995, COMSAT announced an agreement in principle to purchase the team.<ref name="mediaguidemisc">{{cite web|title =Miscellaneous/Community/Altitude|url =http://downloads.avalanche.nhl.com/other/pdf/321134_CA_MG_325-336.pdf|publisher =Colorado Avalanche|access-date =June 17, 2007|archive-date =July 10, 2007|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070710054013/http://downloads.avalanche.nhl.com/other/pdf/321134_CA_MG_325-336.pdf|url-status =dead}}</ref> The deal became official on July 1, 1995, and 12,000 season tickets were sold in the 37 days after the announcement of the move.<ref name="mediaguidemisc" />

COMSAT considered several names for the team, including "Extreme," "Blizzards," and "Black Bears." It also debated whether to brand the team as a Denver team or as a regional franchise representing either Colorado or the entire Rocky Mountain region. Initially, COMSAT filed for copyright protection for "Black Bears",<ref>{{cite book |title=The Name Game: Football, Baseball, Hockey & Basketball How Your Favorite Sports Teams Were Named |last=Donovan |first=Michael Leo |year=1997 |publisher=Warwick Publishing |location=[[Toronto]] |isbn=978-1-895629-74-3}}</ref> but reportedly decided to name the team '''Rocky Mountain Extreme'''. When ''[[The Denver Post]]'' leaked the intended name, fan reaction was so negative that COMSAT reconsidered and chose the name '''Colorado Avalanche'''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2014/07/21/rocky-mountain-extreme-supposed-avalanches-original-team-name/18930/ |title=Rocky Mountain Extreme: what was supposed to be the Avalanche's original team name |work=[[The Denver Post]] |date=July 21, 2014}}</ref> The new name was revealed on August 10, 1995.<ref name="mediaguidemisc" /> With the move, the newly relocated team transferred to the Pacific Division of the Western Conference.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1995/06/22/nordiques-move-to-denver-finalized/ |title=Nordiques' Move To Denver Finalized |work=Chicago Tribune |date=June 22, 1995 |access-date=March 5, 2018 |quote=Lyons said the hockey team, which will play in the Pacific Division, already has sold 7,500 season tickets.}}</ref>