The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Hockey League (NHL).

Facts

Founded: 1972 in the World Hockey Association (WHA) as the Québec Nordiques; joined the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1979

Nicknames: Avs

Arena: Pepsi Center

Former Arena: McNichols Sports Arena (1995-1999)

Uniform colors: Burgundy, Air Force blue, silver, white.

Logo design: A burgundy letter "A", with a white swoosh extending from the left side ending in a hockey puck, simulating an avalanche.

Rivals: Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars

Division Championships: 8 - 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03

Conference Championships: 2 - 1995-96, 2000-01

Stanley Cup Finals appearances: 2 - 1995-96 (defeated Florida, 4-0), 2000-01 (defeated New Jersey, 4-3)

Stanley Cup Championships: 2 - 1995-96, 2000-01

Presidents' Trophies: 2 - 1996-97, 2000-01

Franchise History

The team started in 1972 as the San Fransisco Seahawks of the World Hockey Association, but moved because of financial and arena problems so the team moved to Quebec City, Quebec and began play as the Quebec Nordiques. During the seven WHA seasons, the Nordiques won the Avco Cup Championship once, in 1977. Two years later, they entered the NHL, along with the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers (now the Carolina Hurricanes) and the Winnipeg Jets (now the Phoenix Coyotes). When they've found themselves experiencing on-ice success but off-ice financial failure during the lockout shortened 1994-95 NHL season team owner Marcel Aubut asked for a bailout from Quebec's provincial government. The bailout fell through and Aubut subsequently sold the team to a group of investors in Denver. The franchise moved to Colorado and was renamed the Colorado Avalanche.

Colorado entered their first season in Denver with a very strong lineup that included such excellent players as captain Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and defensive stalwart Adam Foote. The most important day for the franchise came in the trade of first round pick Eric Lindros. Lindros refused to play for the Nords citing the small town and the uncompetitive team. His trade brought in Peter Forsberg and eventual deals brought in such stars as Ray Bourque, Alex Tanguay, Patrick Roy, and Rob Blake among other great players. The original trade brought a first round pick, Steve Duchesne, Mike Ricci, Jocelyn Thibault, Chris Simon, Kerry Huffman, Ron Hextall, and $15 million to the Nords.

Few could anticipate the midseason trade that would make them a true powerhouse. On the 2nd of December, 1995 Patrick Roy was in net for the Montreal Canadiens when they lost to the Detroit Red Wings in their worst defeat in franchise history, 11-1. In the past Roy had made up for the mediocre play of his team, but this night was too much for even "Saint Pat;" Montreal coach Mario Tremblay kept Roy in goal for the first 9 goals. After being pulled from the game, Roy told Montreal team president Ronald Corey that it was the last game he would ever play for the Canadiens. On December 6 Roy was traded to Colorado along with Mike Keane for Andrei Kovalenko, Martin Rucinsky, and Jocelyn Thibault. With an already strong team and the addition of a hall of fame caliber goaltender, there was little anyone could do to stop them as Colorado steamrolled its way to its first Stanley Cup victory, which they won in a four game sweep of the Florida Panthers. The Stanley Cup winning goal was scored by defenseman Uwe Krupp in triple overtime.

The following season, the team had a good year, but was unable to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, falling to the eventual champion Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals 4-2.

The team continued to have strong teams that went deep into the post season, but failed to reach the Stanley Cup Finals, until the 2000-01 NHL season. The proceeding season (1999-2000) they picked up Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque who until that time had only ever played for the Boston Bruins and wanted one more shot at a Stanley Cup. Bourque had requested a trade and the Bruins facilitated a deal. On the 6th of March, 2000, Bourque was traded to Colorado with Dave Andreychuk for Brian Rolston, Martin Grenier, Samuel Pahlsson, and a first round pick. But the team was not done trading when they got Bourque. The following season, they further strengthened their defense with the acquisition of star defenseman Rob Blake and defensive center Steven Reinprecht from the Los Angeles Kings for Adam Deadmarsh and Aaron Miller on the 21st of February, 2001.

The 2000-01 Avalanche were again a dominant powerhouse. They easily won the President's Trophy with a staggering 118 points and were poised to win Ray Bourque his first Stanley Cup after twenty-two years on the ice. Star forward Peter Forsberg had emergency spleen surgery after their second round series against the Los Angeles Kings and missed the rest of the playoffs. The Stanley Cup Finals was a grueling, very physical series between the Avalanche and the New Jersey Devils. After seven hard fought games the Avalanche had their second Stanley Cup championship. It is a tradition for the team captain to take the Stanley Cup from the commissioner and raise it above his head first and skate a lap around the rink before handing it to his teammates. But Joe Sakic broke that tradition in 2001 when he refused to lift the cup and in a true show of class handed it to Ray Bourque, who lifted it instead.

As defending Stanley Cup champions, the team held their training camp in Stockholm, Sweden the following season, participating in the NHL Challenge. Colorado has however been unable to recapture that moment of glory. They have consistently been an excellent team, in fact the 2003-04 NHL season was the first time since moving to Colorado that the team has not won its division, and it lost that by only one point to the Vancouver Canucks. Many people thought that 2003-04 might be the year that Colorado would win its third Cup because they had pulled an apparent coup by signing both Teemu Selänne and Paul Kariya who had been a powerful duo with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. But the tandem did not live up to many people's expectation and the hype surrounding the acquisition. Neither player was resigned after the end of the 2005 lockout.

The Salary Cap hit the Avalanche hard, forcing them to give up superstar center Peter Forsberg and long time Avalanche defenseman Adam Foote. Colorado did sign Pierre Turgeon and Patrice Brisebois during the summer in a money-saving effort to replace Forsberg and Foote. The team has struggled at times this year, but it has led to the rise of the overshadowed rookie Marek Svatos, along with other youths on the team. At the Trade Deadline, GM Pierre Lacroix made a questionable trade, sending goalie David Aebischer, who had recovered from some early-season difficulties to reassert himself as the #1, to the Montreal Canadiens for struggling former MVP goalie Jose Theodore. Avalanche fans and hockey analysts alike have questioned the move, which leaves the Avs' playoff hopes in the hands of Jose Theodore.

In the 2005-2006 post-season the Avalanche defeated the Dallas Stars in 5 games then lost in 4 games to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the second round. A day after the loss, GM Pierre Lacroix resigned.

Another popular top player also parted ways with the Avs when Alex Tanguay was traded for Jordan Leopold (who had fallen out of favour with Calgary Flames GM/coach Darryl Sutter) to the Flames on June 24, 2006. However, Sakic signed a new contract to stay on for another season. The Avs also have signed free agent Center Tyler Arnason to a one-year deal.

Meanwhile Rob Blake after 4 and a half years of service failed to reach an agreement with the Avalanche and on July 1, 2006 signed with his former team the LA Kings for a two-year deal. Dan Hinote also moved on signing with the St. Louis Blues.

Season-by-season record

¹ Season was cancelled due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

Notable players