Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup Debut

Colorado Avalanche’s Stanley Cup Debut

Instant Success: How the Avalanche Started on Top

In the summer of 1995, the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver to become the Colorado Avalanche. In June of 1996, the Avalanche won their first Stanley Cup, becoming the first team in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup the season after relocation and one of only two North American “big four” sports teams to accomplish the feat. How did the Avalanche manage to reach this pinnacle of success in just their first season in a new city? The answer lies in a combination of carry-over success from the team built in Quebec, smart moves by management, and some old-fashioned good luck.

Building a Winner in Quebec

WHA Origins and the 1979 Dispersal Draft

The Colorado Avalanche were not a brand-new team. As the Quebec Nordiques, the franchise began in the WHA in 1972 and was one of four teams absorbed into the NHL when the WHA folded in 1979. Like the other absorbed clubs, the Nordiques’ first few seasons in the NHL were hampered by the Expansion and Dispersal Draft of 1979, which left them with only three players from their 1978-79 roster. They turned things around quickly, though, thanks to the play of left winger Michel Goulet and the Czech-born Stastny brothers, Peter, Anton, and Marian. The Nordiques made the playoffs every season from 1980-81 to 1986-87.

A Record Turnaround Forces a Move to Colorado

Though the team cooled off at the start of the 1990s, the acquisition of key players like Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, and Peter Forsberg had the Nordiques trending upward again heading into the mid-1990s. They pulled off the most drastic single-season turnaround in NHL history to that point, jumping from 52 points in the 1991-92 season to 104 points in 1992-93 — essentially doubling their on-ice effectiveness. Despite the larger fan base these improvements brought, Quebec City remained the smallest market in the NHL. Financial problems brought on by changes to the free-agency system, compounded by a weakening Canadian dollar, ultimately forced the franchise’s relocation in 1995.

Continuity and a Blockbuster Trade

Keeping the Core Intact

The careful team-building of the Quebec Nordiques was not done in vain — the Colorado Avalanche rolled into Denver carrying that momentum with them. Unlike the Nordiques’ transition to the NHL in 1979, when the club was forced to give up most of its key players, the team kept a nearly identical roster to the successful Quebec squad it had been. They retained scoring leaders Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg, though they did trade right winger Owen Nolan to the San Jose Sharks in October of the 1995-96 season in exchange for defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh.

The Patrick Roy Blockbuster

That trade turned out to be only a prelude to the deal Colorado would make in December with the Montreal Canadiens — a large trade that moved several notable players, none bigger than goaltender Patrick Roy. Roy’s regular-season numbers in his first year with the club were arguably average, a 2.68 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage, but he caught fire in the postseason, posting an incredible 2.10 GAA and three shutouts in his first playoffs with his new team. Roy would remain with the Avalanche through 2003, proving instrumental not only in the 1996 championship but also in the franchise’s second Cup, in 2001.

The Road to the 1996 Stanley Cup

A Grueling First Three Rounds

The first three rounds of the 1996 playoffs were hard-fought victories — each went the full six games, and four of the six games in the Western Conference semifinals against the Chicago Blackhawks were decided in overtime. By the time they reached the Stanley Cup Finals, though, the Avalanche had found their groove.

Sweeping the Florida Panthers in the Final

Colorado swept the Florida Panthers in the Cup Finals, winning Game 2 by a lopsided score of 8-1. The Panthers put up more of a fight in Game 4, a scoreless tie that stretched into triple overtime, but it proved to be too little, too late — they simply could not get a puck past Patrick Roy. The Avalanche went home with the Cup.

A Legacy of Instant Success

With a championship in their very first season, the Avalanche never had to endure the lukewarm reception many relocated or expansion teams face. Their move to Denver stands as arguably the most successful relocation in NHL history, both for the team and for its new fan base. With the addition of Patrick Roy to an already star-studded roster, the 1995-96 Colorado Avalanche became as unstoppable a force as their namesake, burying the rest of the league on their way to Stanley Cup glory.