32 NHL Cities in 32 Days: Colorado Avalanche

Alexis Bazydola
May 8, 2020
5 min read

The Location: Denver, Colorado

The Colorado Avalanche call the Pepsi Center home along with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets and the NLL’s Colorado Mammoth. Opening in 1999 with a sold-out Celine Dion concert, this venue hosts over 250 events per year. This five-level 675,000 square foot facility seats just over 18,000 fans for a hockey game.

Team History

Like the Carolina Hurricanes, the Colorado Avalanche did not begin their tenure in Colorado. In 1972 as part of the World Hockey Association, the Quebec Nordiques were formed. While they found some success winning the championship trophy once during their tenure in the WHA, they were absorbed in to the NHL in 1979. Although they remained competitive from 1981-1987 making the postseason each year, they began to decline. With this decline came top draft picks in the hopes to pique the team’s success. One of these players, Eric Lindros, made it very clear he did not want to be part of the team resulting in his trade to the Philadelphia Flyers which helped the team acquire Peter Forsberg.

For the first time in six years, the team reached the playoffs the year following this trade. Although they continued to find some on ice success, financially the team was struggling. In 1995 the team was sold and would move to Denver, Colorado. Originally, new ownership wanted to name the team the Rocky Mountain Extreme, but after a leak in the press fans were not pleased. “Colorado Avalanche” was announced as the name on August 10, 1995.

The first year in Denver, the team played at the McNichols Sports Arena (sharing it with the Denver Nuggets). The team was stacked with franchise favorite players like Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and eventually via trade from the Montreal Canadiens, Patrick Roy. They would go on to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals edging out the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings to face the Florida Panthers in the finals. Winning the cup, this was the first time in the NHL that a new (expansion or brand new) team would win the Stanley Cup after a relocation.

They did not find the same success the next year and Joe Sakic would go on to sign a $21 million offer sheet with the New York Rangers during the 1997 free agency period. Colorado matched the offer and kept Sakic. The addition of the Nashville Predators to the league in 1998 realigned the NHL and the Avalanche were dealt to the new Northwest Division. They saw great success that year, but following the Columbine school shooting, they postponed their first two playoff games. They advanced to the Western Conference Finals that year, but ultimately fell to the Dallas Stars in seven games.

In 1999, the Avalanche moved to their new home at the Pepsi Center. At the end of this season in a trade with the Boston Bruins, the Avs acquired Ray Bourque and David Andreychuk. While Bourque requested a trade in order to contend for a Cup, Colorado lost in the Conference Finals yet again to the Dallas Stars in seven games. The next year proved even better as Sakic played one of his best seasons yet. They would make the playoffs again and advance to the Western Conference finals. Peter Forsberg had surgery to remove a ruptured spleen and would be out for the remainder of the playoffs. This proved to inspire the team as they went on to beat the St. Louis Blues in the Conference Finals and eventually win the Stanley Cup again after defeating the New Jersey Devils in seven games. This marked the only championship for Bourque in his 22-year career.

While the next seasons they remained competitive, they were not able to hoist another Cup. After Patrick Roy retired following the 2002-03 season, the Avs went on to sign Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne. Both did not live up to expectations as Kariya fell to injury and Selanne only scored 32 points in 78 games that season. In 2004, the team brought in Joel Quenneville as the head coach. Following the lockout and the implementation of a salary cap, the team was forced to release some of their top players. Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote were both lost in free agency in order to save room for Joe Sakic and Rob Blake.

The 2006-07 season saw the Avalanche miss the playoffs for the first time since 93-94 and for the first time since moving to Colorado. Although they would see some playoff success, the team would not be able to put together another winning squad for years to come.

In the 2009 offseason, Sakic retired. Although the next season was filled with ups and downs, the team was able to clinch a playoff spot, but fell in the Western Conference quarter-finals. The next three years were also lackluster for the Avalanche, but this resulted in top draft picks. In 2011, Colorado selected Gabriel Landeskog and Duncan Siemens. This offseason was also filled with lots of trades and free agency singings in the hopes to rebuild the team.

Despite the rebuilding efforts, Colorado would go on to miss the playoffs for the next three years. In 2012, Landeskog was named captain and was the youngest captain in league history. Joe Sakic was named Executive VP of Hockey Operations in 2013 as well as Patrick Roy returning as head coach and Vice President of Hockey Operations. The 2013 NHL Draft saw Colorado select Nathan MacKinnon first overall who would go on to improve the Av’s offense dramatically. The Avalanche returned to the playoffs that year but lost in the first round to the Minnesota Wild. Roy was honored with the Jack Adams Award that year.

Prior to the start of the 2014-15 season, Sakic was officially named general manager. The team did not qualify for the playoffs the next two years. Roy resigned in August 2016. Jared Bednar was hired to replace him. Not being able to make many changes so close to training camp, the team performed poorly yet again and missed the playoffs. Although they were able to make the playoffs the next season, they were defeated by the Nashville Predators in the first round. Currently at the season’s pause, the Avalanche are third in the league with 92 points.

Fanbase & Traditions

While the Avalanche does not have a specified goal song, their mascot Bernie helps to boost the crowd during games. Debuting in 2009, Bernie, short for Bernard, is a St. Bernard that loves to cheer on the team. Howler the Yeti was the first official mascot of the Avalanche who was retired. The team does blare a horn to celebrate every time the team scores a goal.