1980 NHL Entry Draft

JUNE 11th 1980

The NHL draft is held at the Forum in Montreal for the first time and the Chicago Blackhawks have the #3 overall pick.  The Blackhawks got the pick from the Quebec Nordiques from a trade on June 9th 1979 in which the BlackHawks promised not to take Real Cloutier in the 1979 draft. 

With their pick the 'Hawks drafted Montreal Juniors center Denis Savard, the 1980 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) MVP with 63 goals, 118 assist (181 points) in 72 games.  

1972 Quebec Nordiques: WHA Documentary - Just Another Job

The Quebec Nordiques (in Canadian English, meaning "Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972--79) and the National Hockey League (1979--95). The franchise was relocated to Denver, Colorado, in 1995, and renamed the Colorado Avalanche.

The Nordiques hold the distinction of being the only major professional sports team to have been based in Quebec City in the modern era, and one of only two ever; the other, the Quebec Bulldogs, played one season in the NHL in 1919--20.

WE LOVE HOCKEY!

MAD Magazine 1991

Quebec Edition 

1981 NHL Rookie of the Year

Peter Stastny - 1981 Calder Memorial Trophy 

(NHL Rookie of the the Year)

39 Goals, 70 assists = 109 points

The first NHL rookie to reach 100 points 

We Love Hockey

Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur stands with future Hall of Famers Mats Sundin and Joe Sakic in 1990

Vintage NHL Classics April 20th 1984 Game 6 Adams Div Final

1996 Stanley Cup Finals

June of 1996 saw the first Stanley Cup in the "Modern Era" of the Finals (since 1927 when the NHL gained full control over the Cup) in which 2 franchises were in their first Stanley Cup finals appearance.
The Colorado Avalanche faced off against the Florida Panthers in a 4 games finals that saw the Avalanche sweep but game 4 quickly became a classic as it went 3 overtime periods before being decided.


The Avalanche were in their first season in Colorado after moving from Quebec the previous off season, while the  Florida Panthers in their 3rd season had knocked the heavy favorite Mario Lemieux led Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Finals.  The Panthers had beaten the #1 seeded Philadelphia Flyers in the conference semi finals.
Colorado beat the regular season champion Detroit Red Wings in the wicked and rough Western Conference finals to make their first Stanley Cup finals appearance.


The first 2 games of the Finals weren't even close as Colorado took both games at home by 3-1 and 8-1 scores.  Patrick Roy early making a case for the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP.  He was challenging teammate and team captain Joe Sakic.
Sakic would win the MVP award with 18 goals, 16 assist and 34 points.


Defenseman Uwe Krupp would become a hero for the Avalanche fans as he scored the Cup winning goal.