Today, January 12, the Colorado Avalanche brought back the legendary Québec Nordiques jerseys for their game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This special event marked the first time these two iconic looks have faced off in 31 years, with their last meeting dating all the way back to March 26, 1994.
The Québec Nordiques were a professional ice hockey team based in Québec City. The franchise was relocated to Denver in May 1995, and was renamed and now more known as the Colorado Avalanche.
After moving from Québec and becoming the Avalanche, the team stayed strong and won the Stanley Cup in their very first year in Denver in 1996. They won it again in 2001 and 2022. During their first eight years in Denver, they finished first in their division every single season—part of a nine-year winning streak that is one of the longest in NHL history.
The iconic Québec Nordiques jerseys were back on ice tonight, January 12, 2026, to to celebrate their 30th season in Denver and honor the team's historical French-Canadian heritage.
1. FIRST PERIOD
At Ball Arena, Easton Cowan strikes first puts the Maple Leafs first on the board with an unassisted, deflected shot at 11:15 in the first period.
Defenseman Cale Makar gets a 2 minute penalty for tripping Carlo of the Maple Leafs, giving the Leafs the first power play of the night.
Shortly after Makar exits the penalty box, he scores a goal assisted by Necas and MacKinnon, putting the Avalanche on the boards and tying the game 1-1. This goal marks his 14th of the season, staying at 3rd for defensemen in goals.
With 2:07 left in the first period, the Avalanche take the lead as Brock Nelson puts a goal onto the board, assisted by MacKinnon and Makar
2. SECOND PERIOD
Two minutes into the second period, the Leafs get the lone goal as Bobby McMann ties the game with an unassisted, wrist shot, recording his 14th goal for the season so far.
McMann stands at 3rd for the Max Skating Speed Leaders this season, with a record of 39.03 km/h, behind Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers with 39.61, and Logan Cooley of the Utah Mammoth with 39.23.
3. THIRD PERIOD
Entering the third period, Auston Matthews takes the lead for the Maple Leafs, scoring with a wrist shot 10:24 into the period, which was assisted by Nylander and Ekman-Larsson, making the boards 3-2.
3 minutes after, Martin Necas catches up, scoring an unassisted goal to make the game 3-3, tying the two teams once again.
With the remaining time left, no goals were scored, and the game goes to overtime.
4. OVERTIME
In a dramatic finish at Ball Arena, William Nylander secured the victory for the Toronto Maple Leafs by scoring the game-winning goal.
This goal did more than just win the game; it officially ended the Colorado Avalanche’s incredible17-game home winning streak, which had been one of the most dominant runs in recent NHL history.
Three stars of the game include: William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs scoring 1 goal, 1 assist and 2 points, followed by Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche with 3 assists and points, and ending with Martin Necas of the Colorado Avalanche with 1 goal, 1 assist and 2 points.
Following the game, the two goaltenders end the night with:
- Trent Miner (Avalanche): Now has a 1–1 record after 4 games, with an .871 save percentage tonight.
- Joseph Woll (Maple Leafs): Has a much more experienced 10–2 record after 17 games, with a strong .912 save percentage after tonight's game.
Despite the narrow overtime loss, the Colorado Avalanche remain the class of the NHL, ending the night with a league-best 33–4–7 record and 73 points. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs leave Denver with a hard-earned victory, bringing their season record to 23–15–7. With 51 points, the Leafs find themselves in a tight race in the standings, currently tied with the Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Avalanche and Maple Leafs battle for one more time at Scotiabank arena in Toronto on Jan. 25, Sunday night.