I just came across this group called "Nordiques Nation" - nordiquesnation.com - that is traveling in Nords gear to 5 different NHL games this year to show their love of hockey. Earlier this season, they managed to bring 1600 fans to a game in New Jersey, and will hit games in Florida, Ottawa, Boston, and Detroit before the year is over. Here's a short video from their site showing their recent trip. About half of it is in French, but it's still easy to follow:
I've not seen so many people in Sakic jerseys... well, since the last time I went to an Avs game. But these ones are all blue and the fans wearing them seem pretty jazzed about it.
It's pretty clear Quebec wants a team again. There are obviously still fans in the area, and with the proposed new arena that many are hoping will somehow be ready by 2015, there could potentially be a venue to house them. Add in the fact that the Coyotes, Devils, Islanders, Stars, and others are in various forms of financial trouble, and Quebec is starting to look like a pretty good relocation city.
But what will that mean for the Avs? Is there destined to be another Coyotes/Jets dispute with the guys in burgundy and blue smackdab in the middle? When the Nords moved to Colorado, the new team chose not to keep the retired numbers - would the Nordiques 2.0 (if Quebec decides to cave into fans wishes and go with the old name) have the choice of lifting 26, 3, 8, and 16 to the rafters? And what about 19, 21, and 52? Joe Sakic was extremely well loved in both cities - could he be the first player to only play for one franchise but to have his number retired by two?
I wish Quebec the best and I hope they do get a team at some point. But given the recent Jets issues and the apparent love the Quebecois still have for the team and the name, I wonder what it could mean for the Avs if the Nordiques do come back to the NHL.