On October 2, 1991, first round NHL draft pick, Eric Lindros absolutely refused to sign with the Quebec Nordiques because they were an awful team. This was unprecedented and the NHL really didn’t know what to do. It took a year, but finally a deal was stuck trading Lindros to the Philadelphia Flyers for more than 8 players.
This trade led to biggest single-season turnaround in NHL history.
That year, the Nordiques had the franchise's first 100-point season as an NHL team. This success caught the eye of owners from bigger markets and in 1995 the Nordiques moved to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche. Maintaining their momentum from their successful last season as the Nordiques, the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in their first season after the move.
![Garden of the gods Park, Colorado Springs. Day one of US Southwest Road Trip April 2026 [ENG/POL].](/assets/noimage.svg)
