SPOTLIGHT ON:
Nordiques’ return could affect Avs’ stats
During Denver’s first stint in the NHL, I made the trip to Quebec City several times for Rockies road games after the absorption of the Nordiques and three other World Hockey Association franchises for the 1979-80 season.
It was a blast.
The city, the provincial capital, has a European feel, and not only because the primary language is French, far more so than in Montreal. Le Colisee, the Nordiques’ home, was an enjoyable venue to attend a game. One night, I ate about 20 of the famous toasted-bun hot dogs and then wondered if the antacid was called Alka-Seltzer in French too.
Years later, I had mixed feelings about the news that, primarily because the taxpayers wouldn’t fund construction of a new arena, the Nordiques were being sold to Comsat and moved to Denver.
I was glad the NHL was returning, but sad that it was at Quebec City’s expense. I’ve made the trip back to Quebec City twice since, once to cover the Avalanche’s 2002 exhibition game against Montreal, then to visit with Patrick Roy in the early months of his retirement.
The news last week that Quebec City Mayor Regis Lebeaume has commissioned a feasibility study as the first step toward building a new arena caught my attention. I’m both rooting for it to become reality and for the NHL to return to Quebec City.
All the talk seems to concede that, a la the Cleveland Browns, the new franchise would revive the Nordiques nickname. The only reason that would be significant here is that the Avalanche recognizes the franchise’s seasons in Quebec in its records, while not its retired numbers. So if the Nordiques name is revived, the Avalanche would have to decide whether to “return” those franchise records to Quebec too.
At this point, it’s a longshot.
But longshots can come in.
