The Colorado Avalanche were once the Quebec Nordiques. That’s ancient history, and it’s well-documented.
However, the organization has made a revival of the old Nordiques franchise over the last few years. The Avs, like the Carolina Hurricanes, have made a point of reviving the old Nordiques garb as a means of paying homage to the franchise’s origin.
But there’s another interesting reason behind the reason why the Avalanche have gradually become the Nordiques.
As outlined in a previous article, the “Quebec Nordiques” trademark officially belongs to the NHL. If an NHL team based in Quebec wanted to revive the Nordiques, it could happen.
And that’s why the NHL has had to make use of the Nordiques gear, logo, name, likeness, and so on. If the league just let the old franchise fade into the background, it would lose claim over the name.
The revival of the Nordiques and Whalers isn’t so much about a commercial venture. Yes, there are jersey sales and whatnot, but it’s all about “proof of use”.
In other words, if the NHL had no use for the Nordiques name, why would it hold the patent? Another individual or corporation could come in and grab the trademark as soon as it became available.
Alternatively, the NHL could face a lawsuit over the name. And if the league can’t prove it actually has a use for the name, a judge could side with the other party, granting it access to the trademark.
Would Avalanche fans embrace “new” Nordiques franchise?
So, what would happen if there was a second Nordiques franchise in the NHL? Is that something that Avalanche fans would embrace?
In all likelihood, Avalanche fans would likely warm up to a reboot of the Nordiques, should something like that ever happen.
As it stands, the likelihood is low. The NHL has explored the idea of returning to Quebec City, but the market is minuscule compared to other American cities, while a lack of solid ownership has compounded matters.
But if a second version of the Nordiques returned, it would be in name only. The new franchise would likely have to go the route the Winnipeg Jets did in their second incarnation. The name, colors, and overall image would be similar, but the logo and jerseys would have to be different from the original.
Unless the Avalanche ownership were cool with sharing the same logo, jerseys, and so on, a different motif would be necessary from a marketing perspective.
In the meantime, we’ll see the Nordiques pop up every so often as the NHL looks to capitalize on the intellectual property it currently holds.
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