5 NHL cities that lost teams and then got them back later

There are a few cities that lost an NHL team only to get one back a little while later. With news the NHL could replace the current Arizona Coyotes with an expansion franchise, let's take a look back at these examples.

Mar 27, 2011; Atlanta, GA, USA;   Atlanta Thrashers left wing Andrew Ladd (16) ends up in the net on
Mar 27, 2011; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Thrashers left wing Andrew Ladd (16) ends up in the net on | Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
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Denver

Denver previously had the Colorado Rockies (the hockey team, not the baseball team) from 1976-1982 when the Kansas City Scouts relocated.

The team would make one playoff appearance in their six seasons but never finished with a record of NHL .500 or better. For all their problems the Rockies had decent attendance for an NHL team at the time.

The Rockies' greatest memory might be having Don Cherry as their head coach for their final three seasons.

Cherry famously said “Come to the fights and watch a Rockies game break out” which the team used as a marketing slogan. The team would move to New Jersey for the 1982-1983 NHL season to become the New Jersey Devils.

The NHL returned to Denver in 1995-1996 when the Quebec Nordiques relocated to become the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avalanche had instant success, winning the Stanley Cup in their first season in Colorado, with Colorado hockey fans reaping the benefits of the team the Nordiques had been building.

Colorado has had the most success out of the “cities the NHL has left and returned’ examples. The Avalanche have won three Stanley Cups, three President's Trophies, and 19 playoff appearances in 28 seasons since moving from Quebec.

The 2001 Stanley Cup final featured the Avalanche going against Denver’s former NHL team the Devils. Both teams used Colorado Rockies colors for versions of the Revers Retro jerseys.

The Colorado Rockies baseball team has made a few jokes about the name similarities between themselves and Colorado’s former NHL team.