Colorado Avalanche facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Colorado Avalanche |
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| Conference | Western |
| Division | Central |
| Founded | 1972 |
| History | Quebec Nordiques 1972–1979 (WHA) 1979–1995 (NHL) Colorado Avalanche 1995–present |
| Home arena | Ball Arena |
| City | Denver, Colorado |
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| Colors | Burgundy, blue, silver, black |
| Media | Altitude Sports and Entertainment Altitude 950 Altitude Sports 92.5 |
| Owner(s) | Kroenke Sports & Entertainment |
| General manager | Chris MacFarland |
| Head coach | Jared Bednar |
| Captain | Gabriel Landeskog |
| Minor league affiliates | Colorado Eagles (AHL) Utah Grizzlies (ECHL) |
| Stanley Cups | 3 (1995–96, 2000–01, 2021–22) |
| Conference championships | 3 (1995–96, 2000–01, 2021–22) |
| Presidents' Trophies | 3 (1996–97, 2000–01, 2020–21) |
| Division championships | 12 (1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2013–14, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23) |
The Colorado Avalanche, often called the Avs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL) as part of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Ball Arena, which they share with the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League (NLL).
The team started in 1972 as the Quebec Nordiques in a different league called the World Hockey Association (WHA). In 1979, they joined the NHL. After the 1994–95 season, the team was sold and moved to Denver, becoming the Colorado Avalanche.
In their first season in Denver, the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, which is the NHL's championship trophy! This was a big deal because they were the first Denver team in a major North American sport to win a championship. They also won the Stanley Cup in 2001 and 2022. The Avalanche are the only NHL team that has won the Stanley Cup every time they've reached the Finals.
Since moving to Denver, the Avalanche have won their division twelve times. They also made the playoffs for their first ten seasons after moving, showing how strong they were.
Contents
Team History: From Quebec to Colorado
The Quebec Nordiques (1972–1995)
The team began as the Quebec Nordiques in 1972, playing in the World Hockey Association (WHA). They won the WHA championship, called the Avco World Trophy, in 1977. In 1979, the Nordiques, along with three other WHA teams, joined the NHL.
After several good years, the Nordiques struggled in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They often finished last in their division. This allowed them to pick some amazing young players in the draft, like Mats Sundin, Owen Nolan, and Eric Lindros. Lindros didn't want to play for the Nordiques, so he was traded in 1992 for many players and draft picks, including Peter Forsberg. This trade helped the team become much stronger very quickly. By 1995, they were one of the best teams in the league.
Even with success on the ice, the team had money problems because Quebec City was a small market. In 1995, the team was sold to a company in Denver called COMSAT Entertainment Group. They already owned the Denver Nuggets basketball team. The team officially moved to Denver on July 1, 1995. Fans in Denver were very excited, buying 12,000 season tickets in just over a month!
COMSAT thought about different names for the team, like "Extreme" or "Blizzards." They finally chose "Colorado Avalanche," which was announced on August 10, 1995. The team then joined the Pacific Division in the Western Conference.
Colorado Avalanche: Early Success (1995–2001)
The Avalanche played their first game in Denver on October 6, 1995, winning against the Detroit Red Wings. This brought NHL hockey back to Denver after 13 years. The team was led by captain Joe Sakic, forward Peter Forsberg, and defenseman Adam Foote. A big change happened on December 6, 1995, when star goalie Patrick Roy joined the team from the Montreal Canadiens. This made the Avalanche even stronger.
Winning the Stanley Cup in 1996
The Avalanche had a great first season, finishing second in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, they beat the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, and the Detroit Red Wings. In the Stanley Cup Finals, they played against the Florida Panthers, who were also in their first Finals. The Avalanche won all four games, sweeping the series! In the final game, defenseman Uwe Krupp scored the winning goal in triple overtime.
This was the first major championship for a Denver sports team. Joe Sakic was the top scorer in the playoffs and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player. With this win, some players became part of the "Triple Gold Club," meaning they had won an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal, and the Stanley Cup.
In the 1996–97 season, the Avalanche won their division again and had the best record in the NHL. They made it to the Western Conference Finals but lost to the Detroit Red Wings.
In 1997, Joe Sakic signed a big contract offer from another team. The Avalanche decided to match the offer to keep him, which helped raise salaries for many NHL players.
New Arena and More Success
In the 1999–2000 season, the Avalanche moved into their new home, the Pepsi Center (now Ball Arena). They continued to be a strong team, winning their division. Before the playoffs, they added legendary defenseman Ray Bourque, who wanted to win a Stanley Cup before he retired. The Avalanche made it to the Conference Finals but lost to the Dallas Stars.
The team's ownership changed a few times around this period. Finally, in 2000, real estate businessman Stan Kroenke bought the Avalanche and the Nuggets. He promised to keep the teams in Denver until at least 2025.
Winning the Stanley Cup in 2001
The 2000–01 season was one of the best for the Avalanche. Joe Sakic had an amazing year, almost winning the league's scoring title. The Avalanche won their division and had the best record in the NHL. Before the playoffs, they traded for star defenseman Rob Blake.
In the playoffs, the Avalanche swept the Vancouver Canucks in the first round. They then beat the Los Angeles Kings in a tough seven-game series. Even though Peter Forsberg had to miss the rest of the playoffs due to an injury, the team kept going. They beat the St. Louis Blues and reached the Stanley Cup Finals to play the defending champions, the New Jersey Devils. The Avalanche won the series in seven games, coming back from being down 3–2.
After winning, captain Joe Sakic famously handed the Stanley Cup directly to Ray Bourque, who had waited 22 years to win it. Joe Sakic won the Hart Memorial Trophy (league MVP) and other awards, while Patrick Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.
Remaining Competitive (2001–2010)
In the 2001–02 season, the Avalanche continued to be strong, winning their division again. Many Avalanche players played in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Canada won the gold medal with Avalanche players Rob Blake, Adam Foote, and Joe Sakic.
The Avalanche made it to the Western Conference Finals for the fourth year in a row, playing against the Detroit Red Wings. After leading the series 3–2, they lost the last two games. Patrick Roy won the William M. Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed by his team's goalies.
The 2002–03 season saw the Avalanche set an NHL record by winning their division nine times in a row! Peter Forsberg won the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer and the Hart Memorial Trophy as the MVP. Milan Hejduk won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for scoring the most goals.
After this season, Patrick Roy retired. The team tried to replace him by signing other star players like Paul Kariya and Teemu Selänne. However, they struggled, and the team's streak of division titles ended in 2004.
In 2004, a serious incident happened during a game against the Vancouver Canucks. A Canucks player, Todd Bertuzzi, injured Avalanche player Steve Moore. Moore's career ended because of the injury. Bertuzzi was suspended for a long time.
The 2004–05 NHL season was canceled due to a lockout (a work stoppage between the league and players). Many Avalanche players went to play in European leagues during this time.
After the lockout, new rules like a "salary cap" (a limit on how much teams can spend on player salaries) meant the Avalanche had to let go of some top players like Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote. Despite this, they still made the playoffs in 2005–06, but lost in the second round.
The Avalanche missed the playoffs in 2006–07 for the first time since moving to Denver. This also ended their amazing streak of 487 consecutive home game sellouts, which was an NHL record at the time.
In 2007–08, the Avalanche signed new players and even saw Peter Forsberg return for a few games. They made the playoffs but were swept by the Detroit Red Wings in the second round.
The 2008–09 season was the worst for the Avalanche since they moved to Denver. They finished near the bottom of the league and missed the playoffs. This allowed them to pick third overall in the draft, where they chose future star Matt Duchene.
In 2009, Joe Sakic, the team's only captain since moving to Denver, retired after 21 seasons. The Avalanche named Adam Foote as the new captain. The team improved a lot in 2009–10 and made the playoffs, but lost in the first round.
Decline and Rebuilding (2010–2017)
The years after 2010 were tough for the Avalanche. They often finished near the bottom of the league and missed the playoffs for several seasons. In 2011, Peter Forsberg tried to come back but retired after only two games. Captain Adam Foote also retired.
In the 2011 draft, the Avalanche picked Gabriel Landeskog second overall. He quickly became a key player. In 2012, Landeskog was named the team's captain at just 19 years old, making him the youngest captain in NHL history at that time.
After a very disappointing 2012–13 season, the team made big changes. Former captain Joe Sakic became the Executive Vice President of hockey operations. Even bigger news, legendary goalie Patrick Roy returned to the Avalanche as head coach and Vice President of hockey operations.
Under Roy, the team had a fantastic 2013–14 season, finishing first in their division and making the playoffs. Roy won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach. However, they lost in the first round of the playoffs.
The Avalanche missed the playoffs again in 2015 and 2016. Patrick Roy then resigned as coach in August 2016.
The team hired Jared Bednar as the new head coach. The 2016–17 season was very difficult, with the Avalanche finishing with the worst record in the league. This allowed them to pick fourth overall in the 2017 draft, where they chose defenseman Cale Makar.
Return to Prominence and Third Stanley Cup (2017–Present)
In November 2017, the Avalanche traded Matt Duchene in a big three-team deal. They received several players and draft picks, including Samuel Girard. The team improved greatly in 2017–18, led by star players Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. They made the playoffs, a huge 47-point improvement from the previous season, but lost in the first round.
The Avalanche returned to the playoffs in 2019. They beat the Calgary Flames in five games, with rookie Cale Makar scoring in his first career game. They then lost in the second round.
In the 2019–20 season, the Avalanche were playing well when the COVID-19 pandemic paused the NHL season. When the season restarted, they won their first playoff series but were eliminated in the second round.
The Avalanche continued to improve in 2020–21, winning the Presidents' Trophy for the best regular season record in the NHL. They swept the St. Louis Blues in the first round of the playoffs but were surprisingly eliminated in the second round by the Vegas Golden Knights. This was their third straight second-round exit.
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In the 2021–22 season, the Avalanche had an amazing year, finishing with 119 points. They swept the Nashville Predators in the first round of the playoffs. They then beat the St. Louis Blues in six games to reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 20 years. The Avalanche then swept the Edmonton Oilers to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.
On June 26, 2022, the Avalanche won their third Stanley Cup in team history, defeating the two-time defending champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, in six games! Their playoff record was 16 wins and 4 losses, one of the best playoff runs ever. Cale Makar was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP and the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's best defenseman.
In the following season, the Avalanche won their division again but were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Seattle Kraken. In the 2023–24 season, they won their first playoff series but lost in the second round to the Dallas Stars.
Team Information
Team Logo and Jerseys
The Colorado Avalanche logo is a burgundy letter "A" with snow around it, like an avalanche. It also has a hockey puck and a blue background. The team's original alternate logo, seen on their shoulders, was the foot of a Yeti. In 2015, they changed this to a new logo that looks like the "C" from the Colorado state flag, colored to match the team.
The team colors are burgundy, steel blue, black, silver, and white. Their jerseys have changed a bit over the years. The original jerseys had zigzag lines and were mostly burgundy and steel blue. In 2003, the NHL changed rules so teams wore colors at home and white on the road.
The Avalanche have also had special third jerseys. One was mostly burgundy with "Colorado" written across the front. Later, they had a blue third jersey. They also have special jerseys for outdoor games, like the 2020 NHL Stadium Series, which were inspired by Colorado's landscape.
In 2020, they introduced "Reverse Retro" jerseys that used the old Quebec Nordiques design but with Avalanche colors. They also changed their pants and helmets to be steel blue instead of black. In 2022, they released another "Reverse Retro" jersey that used the colors of the old NHL team, the Colorado Rockies, which are found on the Colorado state flag.
Broadcasters
You can watch Avalanche games on Altitude Sports and Entertainment. Peter McNab, who was the team's TV commentator for a long time, is honored at Ball Arena.
- Marc Moser – TV play-by-play (describes the game)
- Mark Rycroft – TV color commentator (adds analysis)
- Kyle Keefe – TV studio host
- Conor McGahey – Radio play-by-play/analyst
- Alan Roach – Public address announcer (at the arena)
Season Records
Here's how the Avalanche have done in their last five seasons:
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OTL = Overtime Losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against
| Season | GP | W | L | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Finish | Playoffs |
| 2019–20 | 70 | 42 | 20 | 8 | 92 | 237 | 191 | 2nd, Central | Lost in second round, 3–4 (Stars) |
| 2020–21 | 56 | 39 | 13 | 4 | 82 | 197 | 133 | 1st, West | Lost in second round, 2–4 (Golden Knights) |
| 2021–22 | 82 | 56 | 19 | 7 | 119 | 312 | 234 | 1st, Central | Stanley Cup champions, 4–2 (Lightning) |
| 2022–23 | 82 | 51 | 24 | 7 | 109 | 289 | 226 | 1st, Central | Lost in first round, 3–4 (Kraken) |
| 2023–24 | 82 | 50 | 25 | 7 | 107 | 304 | 254 | 3rd, Central | Lost in second round, 2–4 (Stars) |
Players and Coaches
Team Captains
The captain is a leader on the ice. Here are the Avalanche captains since the team moved to Denver:
- Joe Sakic, 1995–2009
- Adam Foote, 2009–2011
- Milan Hejduk, 2011–2012
- Gabriel Landeskog, 2012–present
General Managers
The general manager is in charge of building the team, like signing players and making trades.
- Pierre Lacroix, 1995–2006
- Francois Giguere, 2006–2009
- Greg Sherman, 2009–2014
- Joe Sakic, 2014–2022
- Chris MacFarland, 2022–present
Head Coaches
The head coach leads the team during games and practices. The current head coach is Jared Bednar, who started in 2016.
Honored Members
Retired Numbers
When a player's number is retired, no other player on that team can wear it again. It's a huge honor! The NHL also retired Wayne Gretzky's No. 99 for all teams.
| No. | Player | Position | Years with Avalanche | Date Retired |
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| 19 | Joe Sakic | C | 1995–2009 | October 1, 2009 |
| 21 | Peter Forsberg | C | 1995–2004, 2008, 2011 | October 8, 2011 |
| 23 | Milan Hejduk | RW | 1998–2013 | January 6, 2018 |
| 33 | Patrick Roy | G | 1995–2003 | October 28, 2003 |
| 52 | Adam Foote | D | 1995–2004, 2008–2011 | November 2, 2013 |
| 77 | Ray Bourque | D | 2000–2001 | November 24, 2001 |
Note: The numbers retired when the team was the Quebec Nordiques are now back in use.
Hall of Famers
The Hockey Hall of Fame honors the best players and builders of the sport. Many players who played for the Avalanche are in the Hall of Fame.
- Dave Andreychuk
- Rob Blake
- Ray Bourque
- Peter Forsberg
- Jarome Iginla
- Paul Kariya
- Jari Kurri
- Patrick Roy
- Joe Sakic
- Teemu Selanne
- Pierre Turgeon
- Pierre Lacroix (as a builder/manager)
Rivalries
Detroit Red Wings
The Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings had one of the most intense rivalries in NHL history, especially from 1996 to 2002. It all started in the 1996 playoffs when Avalanche player Claude Lemieux hit Red Wings player Kris Draper in a way that caused a serious injury.
This led to a famous brawl in 1997, known as the "Brawl in Hockeytown," where players from both teams fought, including the goalies! The rivalry was fierce because both teams were very good and often met in the playoffs. Between 1996 and 2002, they played five playoff series against each other and combined to win five Stanley Cups.
The rivalry cooled down after 2002. In 2013, the Red Wings moved to a different conference, so now the teams only play each other a couple of times a year.
Team Records and Leaders
Top Scorers in Team History
These are the players who have scored the most points (goals + assists) for the franchise (including time as the Quebec Nordiques and Colorado Avalanche).
- * – current Avalanche player
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Franchise Records
These are some of the best records set by the Colorado Avalanche since moving to Denver.
Regular Season Records
- Most goals in one season: Mikko Rantanen, 55 (2022–23)
- Most assists in one season: Nathan MacKinnon, 89 (2023–24)
- Most points in one season: Nathan MacKinnon, 140 (2023–24)
- Most points in one season by a defenseman: Cale Makar, 90 (2023–24)
- Most wins by a goalie in one season: Semyon Varlamov, 41 (2013–14)
- Most shutouts by a goalie in one season: Patrick Roy, 9 (2001–02)
- Longest point streak by a rookie: Paul Stastny, 20 games (2006–07) - NHL Record
Playoff Records
- Most goals in one playoff season: Joe Sakic, 18 (1996)
- Most assists in one playoff season: Cale Makar, 21 (2022)
- Most points in one playoff season: Joe Sakic, 34 (1996)
- Most points in one playoff season by a defenseman: Cale Makar, 29 (2022)
- Most overtime game-winning goals in playoff career: Joe Sakic, 8
Team Records
- Most consecutive division titles: 9 (1994–95 to 2002–03)
- Most points in one season: 119 (2021–22)
- Most wins in one season: 56 (2021–22)
- Longest consecutive home game sellout streak: 487 (1995–2006)
Images for kids
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The main logo of the Colorado Avalanche.
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A Colorado Avalanche uniform.
