Party like it’s 1995! The Colorado Avalanche and Carolina Hurricanes are renewing their 20th-century NHL rivalry when the two teams face off at Denver’s Ball Arena on Thursday. To mark the occasion, both teams will wear alternate sweaters.
The Avalanche revealed their long-teased third jerseys on Tuesday, inspired by the powder-blue home sweaters the franchise wore when they were known as the Quebec Nordiques.
The “specialty” jersey features the original igloo holding a hockey stick as the primary logo, along with white fleur-de-lis symbols at the bottom hem and shoulders, a tribute to Quebec City’s flag. The team will wear the vintage sweaters seven times total this year to honor its 30th anniversary season.
Colorado’s design will pair with the Hurricanes’ white, green, and blue Hartford Whalers throwback jerseys that Carolina announced they will wear for three games this season, Thursday included. The jerseys will be the same setup that the team debuted in 2023.
Colorado and Carolina will wear the uniforms again for a rematch on January 3 at Raleigh’s Lenovo Center.
Before relocating to Colorado and rebranding as the Avalanche in May 1995, the Nordiques had been an NHL staple since the WHA merger in 1979. The team boasted eventual Hockey Hall of Fame talents like Peter Stastny, Michel Goulet, and Joe Sakic.
The Whalers were a part of the same merger and moved to North Carolina in 1997 after 18 seasons. Ron Francis, Pat Verbeek, Kevin Dineen, and Ray Ferraro were some of the franchise’s most notable players.
Both teams were Adams Division (1979-93) and Northeast Division (1993-95) rivals until their respective relocations, combining for three division titles in that time. They met only twice in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with each team winning a series but neither reaching the finals. Both franchises have since lifted the Stanley Cup in their new cities — 1996, 2001, and 2022 for Colorado, and 2006 for Carolina.
