Colorado Avalanche

Founded:	1972	GM:	Chris MacFarland
Owned By:	Kroenke Family	Coach:	Jared Bednar
Home Rink:	Ball Arena	Captain:	Gabriel Landeskog
AHL Affiliate:	Colorado Eagles	ECHL Affiliate:	Utah Grizzlies

The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) were founded in 1972 as the Quebec Nordiques and were one of the charter franchises of the World Hockey Association. The franchise joined the NHL in 1979 as a result of the NHL–WHA merger. Following the 1994–95 season, they were sold to the COMSAT Entertainment Group and relocated to Denver.

In the club’s first season in Denver, the Avalanche went on to sweep the Florida Panthers in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final, becoming the first NHL team to win the Stanley Cup in the season following a relocation. In the 2001 Stanley Cup Final, the Avalanche defeated the New Jersey Devils 4–3 to win their second Cup. Then, 21 years later, in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, they won their third after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. As a result, they are the only active NHL team that has won all of its Stanley Cup Final appearances.

Deeper Dive

• Latest Avalanche News at The Hockey Writers
• Current Players, Salaries, and Cap Info
• Avalanche Have Long History of NHL Award Winners
• Top 5 All-Time Avalanche Trades

2023-24 Season Roster

Colorado Avalanche Jersey History

In 1995-96, the Quebec Nordiques were relocated to Colorado. Since Colorado didn’t fit the bill as a “northern” city, the team was forced to adopt a new nickname, and with it, new jerseys. Known for its mountainous regions and rugged terrain, the Avalanche were born, and so too were new uniforms. Find out more about the history of the Avalanche jerseys.

The Players

• Ray Bourque – A Long Way to the Stanley Cup
• Joe Sakic is the Colorado Avalanche’s All-Time Best Gift
• Milan Hejduk Belongs On List of Colorado Avalanche Superstars
• Peter Forsberg: A Look Back at a Storied Career

More Avalanche History

• Top 3 All-Time Avalanche Goalies
• Avalanche/Nordiques Top 10 Goal Scorers
• Avalanche All-Time Starting Lineup

Avalanche Cup Runs Built By Timely Trades From Lacroix

The Colorado Avalanche notoriously won a Stanley Cup in their first year after shifting to Denver from the Quebec Nordiques. The Avalanche won their second championship just five seasons later. While Colorado was tremendously fortunate to inherit a team on the cusp of something great, there were a lot of strings that had to be tugged in the correct sequence to make both of those title runs possible. Pierre Lacroix, who passed away near the end of 2020, was the one pulling those strings as general manager of those early clubs. Read more…

Sources

• Wikipedia
• NHL Records