Colorado Avalanche News, Trades & Rumors

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Like several other franchises, the Colorado Avalanche began as a World Hockey Association (WHA) franchise, the Quebec Nordiques, for the 1972-73 season. They won one WHA championship (1977) prior to joining the NHL for the 1979-80 season. The Nordiques had moderate success in the NHL, making the playoffs nine times in their 16 seasons; however, they fell short of advancing past the conference finals. Following the 1994-95 season, mounting financial struggles led to the team being sold and relocated to Denver, Colorado, where they became known as the Avalanche. The Avalanche found immediate success by winning the Stanley Cup in their first season after relocation and captured another championship in 2001. More recently, the team won its third Stanley Cup in 2022.

Non-Canadian-Born Captains to Win the Stanley Cup
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On Monday, June 24, 2024, the Florida Panthers captured their first Stanley Cup title in a thrilling Game 7 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. When NHL commissioner Gary Bettman came out to hand over hockey’s Holy Grail, he called captain Aleksander Barkov to the podium and handed off the 132-year-old trophy. When the Tampere, Finland native hoisted the Cup, he became the 10th skater in league history to be captain of a championship team born outside of Canada. For almost 60 years, from 1939 to 1998, only captains born in Canada led their teams to a title win. In the past…

Kaprizov Tampering, Necas Deal, Benn Injury, & More NHL Rumors
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In today’s NHL rumors rundown, is one insider convinced there might be some tampering going on when it comes to Kirill Kaprizov? Meanwhile, is Martin Necas reconsidering his stance on staying with the Colorado Avalanche? Jamie Benn is out with a collapsed lung, and there is more on pending UFAs. Finally, how long will Vasily Podkolzin be away from the Edmonton Oilers? Is There Tampering Happening With Kaprizov? Elliotte Friedman commented on Kirill Kaprizov‘s contract negotiations with the Minnesota Wild and hinted that he thinks, though he can’t prove it, that a potential tampering issue may be involved. During the FAN Hockey…

Colorado Avalanche Season Preview: Forwards
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The Colorado Avalanche have the 2024-25 season in their distant memory. With the 2025-26 season about two weeks away, the Avalanche are fully geared up to make a run at the franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup championship. We have already previewed the defensemen and goaltenders, so now it is time to take a look at the forward group. This is as solid a group as there is, though many around the league are curious to see how the team handles the contract situation with winger Martin Necas. Until that is dealt with, the Avalanche still have an impressive array of forwards,…

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NHL’s Top 5 Defenses
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*this archive was originally written by Eugene Helfrick Defense wins championships. It’s a saying as old as hockey itself, but there is truth to this wisdom. A stout defense can both limit the opponent’s scoring chances while place additional pressure on them in the offensive zone. When a defense is…

 

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Avalanche FAQ

What year were the Colorado Avalanche founded?

The Colorado Avalanche began as a World Hockey Association (WHA) franchise, the Quebec Nordiques, for the 1972-73 season.

When did the Colorado Avalanche play their first game?

They played their first NHL game (as the Quebec Nordiques) on Oct. 10, 1979, a 5-3 loss to the Atlanta Flames. 

Who is the current head coach of the Colorado Avalanche?

Jared Bednar is the current head coach for the Colorado Avalanche.