In June of 1995, the people of Quebec bid farewell to their beloved Quebec Nordiques, and just two short years later, Hartford, Connecticut sent similar well-wishes to their Hartford Whalers. With the relocation of the Nordiques to Denver, CO, the National Hockey League lost a renowned divisional rivalry between Quebec and Hartford, and the eventual relocation of the Whalers to Raleigh, NC, any hope of its return was squashed. The Nordiques became the Colorado Avalanche, the Whalers transitioned into the Carolina Hurricanes, and professional hockey has ceased to see the two iconic logos hit the ice since.
For the first time in 30 years, the old foes dawned their old colors and will face-off not just once, but twice this NHL season.
Earlier this season, the Colorado Avalanche announced new alternate jerseys for the 2025-26 in a drawn out reveal on social media that teased their old Nordiques logo. Along with the alternate jerseys recreating the organization's original colors and logo from their days in Canada, the team has released a schedule of when these jerseys will be worn. Amongst that schedule are two special games that bring back a matchup the league hasn't seen in decades: Nordiques vs Whalers, one of which has already taken place.
Carolina has brought back their iconic blue and green Whalers sweaters to go alongside the Nordiques for two games this season, one which was played in Denver on October 23rd and featured a late-game comeback for the Nordiques that took them all to the way to a shootout, where the Whalers took the 5-4 win. The next matchup will take place in Carolina on January 3rd, Colorado's first game of 2026.
The History
The Quebec Nordiques and Hartford Whalers have a long intertwined history. The two teams joined the NHL in 1979 where they battled in the Adams division together until 1993, when they were regrouped into the Northeast Division of the league.
Over their 16 year rivalry, the two teams met 112 times, with two consecutive matchups in the Stanley Cup playoffs. In those years, the Nordiques racked up 55 wins, 39 losses, and 18 ties against the Whalers. The two teams met in the 1986 semi-finals of the playoffs where the Whalers swept Quebec in three games. A year later, the Nordiques avenged the elimination in the 1987 semi-finals where they defeated the Whalers in six. Neither year, however, resulted in a Stanley Cup championship for either team, but the rivalry remained heated until the Nordiques’ relocation in 1995.
The Final Game
The Nordiques and Whalers met for the last time on May 3, 1995, where the Nordiques defeated Hartford with a 4-1 win at Quebec. In their final season in Canada, the Nordiques went 3-1 in the season series against the Whalers, and left their divisional foes behind with a winning record in match-ups against each other.
Today, the two organizations reside in opposite conferences and only meet twice a season. Any rivalry that existed before has since faded with distance and time, and while they’ve yet to meet in the Stanley Cup Finals, they’re both getting closer and closer every year. For now, their rivalry will be revamped with throwback jerseys and colors, but it seems inevitable that they’ll eventually fight for the ultimate prize of Lord Stanley.