The Quebec Nordiques - Canada's Fallen Franchise

[@SgtCommodore73]

I would love to see the Nordiques and Habs rivalry to be recreated.

[@thomastuohy829]

@10:30 you say quebec lost to the rangers on their way to winning it all. WTF year was that?

[@TheEDFLegacy]

It WAS - how can you possibly forget the Infamous trade after the Canadiens coach pissed off their star goalie, and moved to the Avalanche? And then proceeded to win the Stanley Cup. 😉

[@TripleAlfafa]

It would only really happen if a team goes bust and the NHL management decides they want to play it safe to get a very reliable market, instead of plonking teams to random big cities in the hopes they are relevant.

[@jonathancote9372]

@@thomastuohy829 94-95 the Nordiques had the second best record in the lockout season, Forsberg had 50 pts in 45 games as a Rookie and Thibault slowly became the starter but it all went down to the Rangers for god's sake

[@aarutuno]

Legend has it that the Flyers are still sending players to the Avs in that trade.

[@aegisvancouver3711]

Eric Lindros's assholery is the gift that keeps on giving!

[@stevenhickey326]

I used to love when my team , the Blackhawks , would play at Le Colisee. It looked like such a cool , cozy arena. I also thought that the blue Nordique jerseys w/ blue pants was the nicest uniform in the league. Just loved it.

[@Esterhazy1973]

The league is just not the same without Nordiques. Bring them back s'il vous plait..

[@southernpacific7200]

The Quebec Nordiques unveiled a new logo along with new uniforms that would never be worn. The logo and uniforms depicted a husky along with new colours that were unveiled in late 1994, but couldn't be worn until the 1996-97 NHL season because of a deadline.

[@aegisvancouver3711]

And thank the Lords of Kobol that never happened. I think that design would have eventually been scrapped, like the new Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres logos were. Sometimes perfection is created on the first attempt. The Coyotes figured that out. The Nordiques would have too. In fact, classic Nordiques merch is all you can buy at the Avalanche's Ball Arena in Denver.

[@JaredtheRabbit]

It was '94 when the Rangers won the Cup. New Jersey won the cup in '95.

[@doaftheloaf]

and the nords got jobbed by the refs in 95.

[@doctorx3]

I started paying attention to ice hockey in the late 1980s. I was never a fan of them (I grew up in Detroit), but I have immense respect for some of their players. I also remember thinking it was funny how Jacques Demers came to Detroit from the Nordiques coaching staff, and brought a couple of Nordiques players in with him. Lee Norwood and Gilbert Delorme helped quite a bit to shore up Detroit's previously porous defense.

[@jamesschulziii9098]

Yeah, I do remember both teams at that time as I am from Detroit. Demers went on to coach the Habs after his tenure with Detroit. I liked him a lot as a coach. 😎

[@SteveWKk]

Back in the day I used to go to their farm teams games.....The Halifax Citadels :)

[@timlogan8603]

I remember the citadels...I also remember when the halifax Voyager's were a farm team for Montreal Canadiens

[@aegisvancouver3711]

I was a Nordiques fan since their WHA days, and have followed the team since their relocation to Denver. Your video was the best short-form documentary I've ever seen on the team. Now that the Vidéotron Centre exists in Québec City, everyone who loved the original Nordiques has to continue to fight for their revival. We know the NHL loves their sweet, sweet expansion fee revenue. Vegas paid $500M, Seattle paid $650M for their teams. Imagine a 4-team expansion: Portland (OR), Houston, Québec and Hartford. All four cities would be excellent NHL markets (again). Hartford could use a new or remodelled arena, but the other three cities have arenas that are ready to go. The Houston Rockets arena is NHL capable, as is the Rose Garden in Portland, OR.

[@psynque]

Whenever I watch a video about the Nordiques I can't help but to think how huge of a star Alexander Barkov would be had he played for the most passionate hockey crowd in the world in Quebec City instead of Florida where no one gives a shit about hockey.

[@aegisvancouver3711]

Florida's got a playing in the suburbs problem. Remember the Year of the Rat Stanley Cup final in 1996? Miami was literally insane for the Panthers, and deservedly so. Moving the Cats out of downtown Miami was among the worst NHL decisions ever.

[@AJJ28]

Loved Quebec. Disgusting what Bentman has done to the NHL.

[@chad_b]

Imagine if another WHA tried to start up again

[@bluebear1985]

They actually attempted to do so in 2003, but it never got off the ground, despite a few years of trying to get players for the revived league. They even went do far as to name Bobby Hull, the first big star to sign in the original league, as commissioner. It officially folded in 2009.

[@marcpower4167]

​@bluebear1985 it was supposed to start with teams in Toronto, Quebec, Hamilton, Dallas, Miami, Detroit, Halifax & Vancouver. They even drafted Sidney Crosby first overall but he turned it down. One by one the team owners pulled out, They then tried to hold a "Bobby Hull invitational tournament" but that was quietly called off so they sold the rights to some guy who ran a handful of minor leagues that didn't last long, one folded without warning and led to a lawsuit.

[@keeperofthebonessean2872]

I know this is an older video but still relevant. Of course Quebec should have an NHL Franchise. Why not? Look at the success of the returning Winnipeg Jets. Canada should be in first consideration for a new Nords team. Canada should be represented as strongly as possible and it would be great for the game. Old rivalries rekindled and news ones formed. The market is there for sure!

[@pomerlain8924]

And 8 Canadian teams would be symmetric and there would be 3 provincial rivalries. People say Houston would be next in line if a team is moved because of its big market and the NHL wants to grow the game. But as we saw in Atlanta, a big market isn't everything. And the Jets small market in Winnipeg is running laps around supposed big markets. And you can't grow the game in cities where there are tons of empty seats at the arena, even when the team is competitive.

[@keeperofthebonessean2872]

@@pomerlain8924 Exactly! Great points. Its sure to grow the game having another team in Quebec and exciting another inter provincial rivalry like Calgary and Edmonton. Im a Calgary boy born and raised and remember them coming to Calgary. I was a season ticket holder for several years and will always love the Flames. But now as Seattle has an interesting team I am making a fresh start with them. At least my dissapointments will be within reason and I look forward to their development as a franchise. Go Krakens! Oh ya and , Go Flames Go............at least past the second round of the playoffs.

[@aldp3268]

Nope denied las vegas much more profitable us dollars

[@AweShiyte]

I'm sorry if I sound like some sort of idiot, but how can someone trade a player to two different teams?

[@bluebear1985]

There was some miscommunication that resulted in this happening. The initial agreements were just verbal. The one with the Rangers was the GM forgetting he had made one with the Flyers already. The Rangers potential trade package included Tony Amonte, Sergei Nemchinov, James Patrick, Alexei Kovalev, John Vanbiesbrouck, multiple first-round picks, and $20 million. That would have been a great trade as well.

[@jonathancote9372]

like we used to say in Québec : Allez les Bleus! still have my jersey and my favorite player was Alexei Gusarov! (yeah not sakic nor Nolan .... Gusarov!)

[@OrThatsIt]

Jonathan Côté « How do you say dump the puck in Russian!? » used to say Pierre Pagé! 😂

[@jonathancote9372]

@@OrThatsIt Crawford à faite toute une différence meme si Sundin était pus là

[@harrisonturner7443]

10:15 Stanley Cup champions were NJ Devils that year, but Rangers won year before

[@OddManRush]

Harrison Turner You are absolutely right! How did I mess that up as a Rangers fan? Goddammit! 😂😂😂

[@harrisonturner7443]

No problem. I once mispronounced Jagr’s name as Jagger 😂

[@11DNA11]

@@OddManRush Tour Rangers fan pass has been revoked. - A Ranger Fan

[@OlivierLavoie]

Please bring the Nordiques

[@0512tommy]

The major reason why they moved was because according to the NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, they needed a brand new building

[@pomerlain8924]

But yet, he keeps fighting to keep the Yotes around even when the city of Glendale stated they would not renew their lease. And the Yotes have never made money.

[@aegisvancouver3711]

@@pomerlain8924 I have a solution for the Coyotes that is outside Phoenix. More soon. The awful thing for Phoenix hockey fans (and they do exist) is that the Coyotes ownership is treating them (and the team) like shit for being willing to play in a 4800 seat college basketball arena. There are three other Phoenix-based solutions I came up with in about 30 minutes. The fourth solution was to stay at Gila River Arena. It's far from downtown Phoenix, but it is right next to the Cardinals' NFL stadium. Gila River is a fine arena and would work until a more permanent downtown arena solution could be found. But, oh no, Coyote ownership have to be a bunch of assholes. If the Coyotes do leave Phoenix, I would consider it a situation like how the Rockies (now Devils) left Denver. It didn't make Denver a bad hockey town (see the Avalanche), and the Coyotes leaving Phoenix wouldn't make Phoenix a bad hockey town either. The Coyotes' problem has always been bad ownership.

[@YaoboyProd2K15]

If the Québec Nordiques return in 2022, there might have a match with Colorado Avalanche firstly.

[@jonathancote9372]

by the way Québec had the Bulldogs up to 1920-1921 or 1921-1922 i think so the Nordiques was Québec second team

[@sabertheglaceon256]

odd man rush have you ever heard of the Quebec Bulldogs in 1917-1920?

[@aegisvancouver3711]

If I could influence the future, the new Québec Nordiques would have an AHL development team called the Québec Bulldogs. The Canadiens have the Laval Rocket. I think Québec City could also support both NHL and AHL teams.

[@joemorgan6675]

The Nordiques were my favourite team... 😢

[@timrizzo3941]

You didn't mention how Lindros refused to play for them, and the eventual trade brought talent to the team that helped them win thw Cup as soon as they moved to Colorado. That was a bitter year for fans.

[@richardlorith8256]

I would say the Hartford Whalers are beloved than the Nordiques for Former-WHA franchises, but it was a good video,I knew this franchise briefly when I got into the game in the '90s, FWIW the Rangers were Stanley Cup Champions in 1994 and the Devils in 1995

[@psynque]

Hartford lost their team because nobody cared, Quebec City lost their team because the owner wasn't ready to spend money. If you look at the attendence numbers for Nordiques they drew better than some teams, including the Canes, do today.

[@aegisvancouver3711]

@@psynque It wasn't that no one cared in Hartford. The problem was Peter Karmanos believed incorrectly that Raleigh, NC would be a more lucrative market than Hartford, CT. Hartford served as a second team for both Bruins and Rangers fans as well as being CT's NHL team.

[@psynque]

@@aegisvancouver3711 Whalers played in a mall dude. No one cared, at least compared to Quebec that was sold out and their fans still go to games.

[@derricklafrance9724]

Waiting for the announcer to say "and now for something completely different. "

[@blurrymurray9095]

Lindros didnt want to play for Marcel Aubut.

[@Ryukasan1]

Keep believing in fairy tales. Ask anyone in the world of hockey that followed this story back in the days and they will all tell you "The Lindros family hated the market of Québec because it was too small and french cultured centered with a mentality of losers". Marcel Aubut sexual scandal in recent years was only used as a scapegoat by Lindros and his family. There was an Eric Lindros documentary on this whole affair. While the documentary stated that Lindros and his family only reason for not playing in Québec, was the behaviour of Marcel Aubut, lots of journalists came out and said "yeah no that's bullshit, we heard you and your family say terrible things about the city of Québec and it's inhabitans"

[@aegisvancouver3711]

Perhaps, but he definitely didn't want to play in Francophone Canada. Eric Lindros was a whiny little anti-Canadian baby who ended up having an injury-shortened career. Props to the Nordiques for turning that trash into absolute pirate booty treasure.

[@jessesmith-garcia5313]

Las Vegas gets a team, SEATTLE gets a team, Hell they even brought back the FUCKIN' Winnipeg Jets, but they can't even bring back the Quebec Nordiques!.........That's the NHL for you, completely and utterly CLUELESS!!!

[@ricklepick8789]

Jesse Smith-Garcia don’t forget The Hartford Whalers

[@allsystemsgo8678]

I'd like the Nordiques to come home, but you just don't see any new Canadian teams. The money just isn't there

[@Team-fj5xg]

Your the clueless one Seattle gets a team because they have a strong economy unlike Quebec so yes, while Quebec may have a ton of fans and loyalty they don’t have the strong economy like Vegas and Seattle. The main reason Quebec doesn’t have a team is also the Canadian dollar

[@aegisvancouver3711]

I think the NHL will get there in the end. Vegas paid $500M to get in. Seattle paid $650M to get in. NHL owners love that sweet, sweet expansion fee cash. I foresee a 4 team expansion coming: Portland, OR, Houston, Québec and Hartford. The first 3 have NHL ready arenas. Hartford could finally build their proposed new arena after 25 years. All four teams would be successful at the box office, unlike other certain other current NHL teams (Carolina and Florida, anyone?). NHL teams have so many potential revenue streams now, that the proposed new 4 will also do fine financially.

[@frankagnello3205]

💙⚜️💙

[@0512tommy]

Just correcting you on that. The nordiques never lost money. The Colisée was always extraordinary full even then the team was horrible, the arena was filled at 98% of its capacity

[@aegisvancouver3711]

I'm not disputing the fact the Nordiques should have stayed in Québec. Since NHL contracts are written in US dollars, and the Nordiques revenue was in Canadian dollars, every Canadian NHL team was at a disadvantage. The NHL finally figured out a solution (an exchange rate compensation fund), but it was too late for the Nordiques. You can bet a second Nordiques would be in a much stronger financial position.

[@0512tommy]

@@aegisvancouver3711 they didn’t move because they struggled financially, they moved for a variety of shitty reasons including the fear that player’s contracts would be way bigger than they actually are today. They feared that if they stayed in the old Colisée they wouldn’t be able to pay the players because the building was becoming too small.

[@marcpower4167]

That and owner Marcel Aubut made a sizeable amount off the sale to COMSAT Entertainment group. The exchange rate was the big problem though, Winnipeg moved the next year, the Edmonton Oilers almost moved in 1998 to Houston, even before that they nearly moved to Minnesota.

[@marcpower4167]

​@@aegisvancouver3711Hard to say if a 2nd Nordiques would be better off, Expansion fees would be somewhere around $1 billion. Not many corporations in the area with that kind of money. Let's be honest, they'd be more likely to do business in Montreal. Speaking of which, if it happened I could see the Montreal Canadiens either try to block it or ask for compensation. Now relocation might save them a few bucks, but I don't see a team moving there any time soon. Obviously, the Arizona Coyotes are on thin ice, but they'll likely stay out west (Houston seems to be the favorite)

[@paulmendrina1449]

There was an error in this they said the Nords lost to the eventual Stanley cup champions the Rangers but they lost to the Rangers in the 95 first round the Rangers were then swept by Philadelphia

[@chaosgreyblood]

You just missed one HUGE glaring detail on this video about the Nordiques. The other silver lining besides the huge haul Quebec got from the Flyers is that they also got their face of the franchise in Joe Sakic, who called out Lindros for his holdout. How did you miss THAT?

[@wanderer34]

Don't forget having Mats Sundin playing the second line.

[@aegisvancouver3711]

If I had to criticize the video, I'd say there wasn't enough Joe Sakic. And you're absolutely right about Joe Sakic. He's from greater Vancouver, and knew of the importance to all of Canada of learning its other official language and not being concerned about playing in Québec City. Joe Sakic is what we Jews in Yiddish call a mensch (a really good, special person). Joe Sakic is the emperor of the Avalanche now because he was great at his former general manager job and understands how a steady hand means a steady franchise. The Avalanche are lucky to have such an extraordinary person in their employ.

[@Habebandebardown]

One day

[@crosstatt7441]

I wonder if the Colorado Avalanche wear Quebec Nordique jerseys as throwbacks.

[@mh1110]

rip nordiques i miss you

[@andrewmccloskey2421]

I knew about the I think all Canadian knew about the Quebec Nordiques

[@adamenglish1154]

You mean defending Stanley cup champion rangers

[@allsystemsgo8678]

Entertaining video, although you butchered the pronunciation of Mike Ricci and Thibault. I hope the Nords come back.

[@11DNA11]

10:21 Wrong. Rangers won the cup in 93_94

[@babu981]

At 5:46, you said the Canadiens won most to their playoffs agains the Nordiques. That is wrong. At the end of the 80’s, both Nordiques and Canadiens won 2 playoffs against each other. It’s a tie.

[@OrThatsIt]

At the end of the 80´s yes. But in the end, Habs won 3 series against 2: 82- Nords, 84- Habs, 85- Nords, 87- Habs, 93- Habs.

[@keeperofthebonessean2872]

Still have Eric Lindros draft card.

[@torquetrain8963]

Whalers and Nordiques WILL return. Panthers, Hurricanes. Islanders, Coyotes prepare to move.

[@richardlorith8256]

Hurricanes and Islanders are not anywhere( no Former Stanley Cup franchise has ever been relocated ) , but Coyotes heard they may be going Houston within the next couple of seasons, I believe the NHL wants to keep the South Florida market even though it is very crowded

[@allsystemsgo8678]

The islanders are building a new arena in New York. So try again

[@Esterhazy1973]

Islanders to stay. Get rid of bloody Rangers!

[@stevelamonica2297]

The 1989-90 season was my favorite. I detested the Nordiques like no other team, and they couldn't fail enough. 11 wins. Laughable and wonderful.

[@OlivierLavoie]

Move the Florida Panthers to Quebec

[@wanderer34]

Everybody from the players, the executives, the owners, and even certain fans will be against moving the Panthers from South Florida. Miami's too much of a boutique city and too lucrative of a market for it to not have an NHL. Everything worked fine when the Panthers played in Miami even reaching the Stanley Cup in 1995-96 against the Avalanche and ever since they moved to Sunrise, it hasn't been the same. The Panthers need to move back to Miami, as that's it's own saving grace.

[@user-oi9to7ux7k]

Move any of the imposter teams in the south which have no business having an NHL team.

[@user-oi9to7ux7k]

I didn't like the flippant style of this video. Such a pity about the delivery because the content is excellent.

[@mareksmith1005]

BRING BACK THE NORDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Habebandebardown]

Yeeeeeeeeee

[@balzenhazelnut]

The Rangers didn't win The cup in 94/95. It was my Devils!

[@luke.pancake]

Jacob Eagle HELL YEAH