When the franchise known as the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995, nobody could predict the immediate impact they would have. Quebec had qualified for the playoffs only twice in their previous eight seasons, losing in the first round both times. While they had a good young group of players, expectations weren’t necessarily high entering their first season as the Colorado Avalanche.
That all changed on December 6, 1995 when General Manager Pierre Lacroix made a five player trade that brought Patrick Roy to the Avalanche. With Roy in net and the team having a strong first season in Denver, they entered the 1996 playoffs as the number two seed in the Western Conference with 104 points.