The Nordiques’ famous fleur-de-lis sweater is making a notable return this season with the Avalanche, who have chosen to wear it eight times, including on January 29 in Montreal. A match that will be out of the ordinary… without ever rivaling the time when the Canadian and the Nordiques faced each other 22 times during the holiday season. A look back at these classics that captivated all of Quebec.
Like any coach and player who experienced the Canadian-Nordiques rivalry, Guy Carbonneau will never forget.
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“The more it went, the worse it got,” said the man whose mission was to monitor Peter Stastny.
“The tension was palpable even in the media. Small stories became big stories. Spectators were yelling at us during the warm-up sessions. In addition, we played each other eight times in the regular season.
Different divisions at the beginning
When the Nordiques arrived in the NHL in 1979-1980, the wearers of the beautiful fleurdelysé were not part of the same division as the Canadian. They were found in the Adams division, but with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Boston Bruins, the Buffalo Sabers and the Minnesota North Stars.
The Canadian was a member of the Norris Division with the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings and Hartford Whalers.
You have to believe that someone at the NHL office had screwed up his geography exam.
After two seasons in this format, the Canadian and the Nordiques found themselves in the Adams division with the Bruins, the Sabers and the Whalers.
It was better!
December 18, 1985: Guy Carbonneau scored the Canadian’s first goal in a 3-2 Canadian victory at the Forum. The next day, the Nordiques won 5 to 4, in overtime, in front of their supporters. – Archives, The Journal
Up to 17 duels in one season
During the 1984-1985 and 1986-1987 campaigns, the two Quebec teams faced each other up to 17 times, twice in preparatory matches, eight times in the regular schedule and seven times in the playoffs.
Each amphitheater had its particularities.
“Today, arenas all look the same,” laments Carbonneau.
“At the time, there were differences between the amphitheaters. The corners of the rinks were more rounded in Quebec. The areas were smaller in Buffalo and Chicago.
“In Philadelphia, the inside of the building was orange and black everywhere. The buildings were more intimidating for opposing teams who set foot there.”
Beer flowed freely in Boston and Chicago and, rather than drinking it down to the last drop, some people liked to shoot it on ice everywhere.
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