The Quebec Nordiques are back -- at least in uniform form.
On Tuesday morning, the Colorado Avalanche unveiled their Nordiques specialty jerseys, a tribute to the franchise's history.
The Avalanche were founded as a WHA club in Quebec City during the league's inaugural 1972 season, eventually moving to the NHL in 1979 with the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers. In 1995, the Nordiques were purchased by then-Denver Nuggets owners COMSAT Entertainment Group, moved to Colorado and were renamed the Avalanche. The team has played in the Centennial State since.
The club's throwbacks draw inspiration from a number of Quebecois elements. The color scheme is blue, red and white, a nod to the French flag and the province's French-Canadian roots. The fleur-de-lis motif is also featured prominently, a similar honoring of French-Canadian pride and the province's own flag.
The jersey's central logo is an igloo designed to resemble the shape of the letter N and a hockey stick with a puck. The igloo motif pays homage to Quebec's northern regions -- "Nordiques" does translate to "Northerners" in English, after all.
Celebrating our roots. pic.twitter.com/4yrBn9Hext
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 21, 2025
Enhancing the throwback vibes is the fact that the Avalanche's first game in their specialty uniforms will come against another team paying homage to its former roots.
On Thursday, Colorado will debut their new threads in a matchup that could pass for a WHA tribute game. Their opponent will be the Carolina Hurricanes... who are donning their own Hartford Whalers throwbacks. The Whalers officially relocated and rebranded to the Hurricanes in 1997, two years after the Nordiques became the Avalanche.
Colorado will play seven total games in their Nordiques specialty uniforms across the 2025-26 season.
