There have been plenty of hints this offseason for those paying close attention that a new Colorado Avalanche jersey with a crossover to their Quebec Nordiques past is coming in 2025.
The team dropped the biggest hint yet on Sunday, showing off a new blue helmet in a Nordiques shade with a red outline. On the back is also the team’s 30th anniversary logo, which will be on center ice at Ball Arena, as well as the old orange NHL shield, which represented the league for 60 years until the 2004-05 lockout.
Our helmets have an upgrade 👀 pic.twitter.com/VkJDLOroqf
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 5, 2025
As one Avs fan pointed out, the number style is identical to the Nordiques’ final jersey from 1995.
Identical number style to the Nordiques 1995 sweater, red trim and all. Signifying the connection between both franchises. It’s going to be beautiful. pic.twitter.com/HSfSkStn9J
— Avalanche Forever (@citchmook) October 5, 2025
The Avs have sported Nordiques in the past at the Winter Classic with a jersey that was a mix between the old logo and the relocated franchise’s color. They brought back similar uniforms for the NHL’s reverse retro program.
Colorado isn’t the first team to bring back its franchise’s colors and logos from before a move. The Carolina Hurricanes have worn Hartford Whalers stuff a few times. This time around for the Avs, they seem to be going all the way in like the Hurricanes, unlike a mix as they’ve done in the past.
Maybe the strangest part of this story is that the Avalanche franchise may be doing 30-year throwbacks to these uniforms had they stayed in Canada. Before moving, the Nords were about to completely change their look to something closer to the CHL in the 90s than their famous uniforms. And even when they did relocate to Denver, they almost became the Rocky Mountain Extreme, which would have looked a lot different than what we know from the team that has hoisted three cups.
Obscure Avalanche/Nordiques jerseys. The 95/96 Nordiques rebrand that never happened.
byu/RMoysters33 inColoradoAvalanche
The Avs drop the puck on their season on Tuesday, visiting the Los Angeles Kings.
