For 14 seasons, the Quebec Nordiques and Hartford Whalers were division rivals, meeting in the playoffs for two straight years. Two relocations later, the old rivalry is reduced to meeting twice a season.
The Nordiques are now the Colorado Avalanche and Hartford headed south to become the Carolina Hurricanes. When Colorado hosts Carolina on Thursday night, it will be with a nod to the history between the franchises when they don the jerseys of their roots.
For the first time since May 3, 1995, the teams will face each other while wearing their old uniforms. The Avalanche will be in dark Nordiques jerseys and the Hurricanes will sport Whalers gear.
Colorado is celebrating its 30th season in Denver and will wear Nordiques gear seven times, including Jan. 3 at Carolina.
Both teams are off to strong starts. The Hurricanes won their first five games before losing in Vegas on Monday night, and the Avalanche’s only two losses in their seven games have come after regulation, including Tuesday’s 4-3 overtime setback at Utah.
Carolina played Monday without defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who was sent back to Raleigh with a lower-body injury suffered Saturday in Los Angeles. In his absence, Charles-Alexis Legault made his NHL debut against the Golden Knights.
Gostisbehere, who was tied with Colorado’s Cale Makar for the lead among defensemen with seven points at the time of his injury, will also miss Saturday’s game at Dallas when the Hurricanes wrap up their six-game road trip.
“I was hoping that we’d maybe see him in the next game, because I didn’t think it was going to be that bad,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said on FanDuel Sports Network South. “Hopefully, we’ll give him a couple of days, and we’ll see him in that not-too-distant future.”
Makar scored his third goal of the season on Tuesday night and has eight points, third on the team behind Martin Necas (five goals, six assists) and Nathan MacKinnon (six goals, four assists).
Necas scored a highlight-reel goal late in the third period to send it to overtime, but he was on the ice when the Mammoth scored the winning goal in overtime.
Necas now faces the team that traded him and Jack Drury — who also scored Tuesday night — to Colorado in the Mikko Rantanen deal last season. Necas is playing on Colorado’s top line and is off to a hot start, which was clear from his goal Tuesday night.
“It was an unreal play,” Makar said. “He picks it up and just rips it. That’s a goal scorer’s goal. We’re lucky to have him.”
The Avalanche have benefited from a strong start from goaltender Scott Wedgewood, who has played in every game while top netminder Mackenzie Blackwood works his way back from offseason surgery. Blackwood is on track to return in late October.
Colorado also hopes to soon have third-line winger Logan O’Connor back. O’Connor had hip surgery in June and could be activated in early November, which would help fill in for Joel Kiviranta, who is expected to be out for an extended period of time with a lower-body injury suffered last week.
