The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play their home games at Ball Arena, which they share with the NBA's Denver Nuggets and Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League.
Peter Mattias Forsberg is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player and former assistant general manager of Modo Hockey. Nicknamed "Peter the Great" and "Foppa", Forsberg was known for his on-ice vision and physical play, and is considered one of the greatest players of all time. Although his career was shortened by persistent injuries, as of 2021, he stands ninth all-time in career points-per-game and fifth all-time in career assists-per-game in the NHL, only behind Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr, and Connor McDavid. In 2017 Forsberg was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.
Joseph Steven Sakic is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He played his entire 21-year National Hockey League (NHL) career, which lasted from 1988 to 2009, with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. Named captain of the team in 1992, Sakic is regarded as one of the greatest team leaders in league history and was able to consistently motivate his team to play at a winning level. Nicknamed "Burnaby Joe", Sakic was named to play in 13 NHL All-Star Games and selected to the NHL First All-Star Team at centre three times. Sakic led the Avalanche to Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001, being named the most valuable player of the 1996 playoffs, and honoured as the MVP of the NHL in 2001 by the hockey writers and his fellow players. He is one of six players to participate in the first two of the team's Stanley Cup victories, and won a third Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022 while serving as the team's general manager. Sakic became only the third person, after Milt Schmidt and Serge Savard, to win a Stanley Cup with the same franchise as a player and general manager.
Keith Matthew Tkachuk is an American former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) in a 18-year career with the Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, St. Louis Blues and Atlanta Thrashers, retiring in 2010. His sons Matthew and Brady play for the Florida Panthers and the Ottawa Senators, respectively. He is one of five American-born players to score 500 goals, and is the sixth American player to score 1,000 points. He is considered to be one of the greatest U.S.-born players in NHL history. He is one of 47 players to have scored 500 goals, but he is one of five eligible players to not be a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Robert Bowlby Blake is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He is the current general manager of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was originally drafted by the Kings in 1988, appearing in the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy and serving as team captain for five seasons in his initial 11-season stint with the club. In 2001, Blake was traded to the Colorado Avalanche and was a member of their 2001 Stanley Cup championship team. It was his only Stanley Cup as a player, though he won the Cup again as a member of the Kings' front office in 2014. After a two-season return to Los Angeles, Blake signed with the San Jose Sharks in 2008, retiring as its captain after the 2009–10 season. Four years later, in 2014, Blake was elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Milan Hejduk is a Czech–American former professional ice hockey forward. Nicknamed "the Duke", he spent his entire 14-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Colorado Avalanche and retired holding the record for most career games as an Avalanche player with 1,020. In 2003, he won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer. He is a member of Czech Ice Hockey Hall of Fame.
Jari Pekka Kurri is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. Beginning in 1980, he played right wing for five National Hockey League (NHL) teams: the Edmonton Oilers, the Los Angeles Kings, the New York Rangers, the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, and the Colorado Avalanche. Kurri played 17 seasons in the NHL and was the first Finnish player to be enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame, in 2001. He was a member of a Stanley Cup–winning team five times, all with the Oilers. He is perhaps best remembered as Wayne Gretzky's foil. In 2017, Kurri was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.
Michael John Keane is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger. Undrafted, Keane played over 1,100 games in the National Hockey League from 1988 until 2004. He then played five seasons for his hometown Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League until he retired in 2010. Keane is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, having won with the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, Colorado Avalanche in 1996, and the Dallas Stars in 1999. He is one of only 11 players in NHL history to win the Cup with three or more different teams. On September 3, 2013, the Winnipeg Jets announced the hiring of Keane as Assistant of Player Development.
Andrew D. Brunette is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is currently an associate coach for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). As a player, Brunette played over 1,100 career games in the NHL with the Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, Minnesota Wild, Colorado Avalanche, and Chicago Blackhawks between 1996 and 2012. He previously served as interim head coach for the Florida Panthers, as an assistant coach for the Minnesota Wild, and as the Wild's assistant general manager.
Adam Foote is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, the current Assistant Coach of the Vancouver Canucks of National Hockey League, and the former head coach of the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League. He was best known for his physical presence and gritty play as a stay-at-home defenceman.
Scott Allen Young is an American former professional ice hockey right winger and a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. In July 2017 he was named director of player development for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Christopher J. McAllister is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Colorado Avalanche and New York Rangers.
Aaron Michael Miller is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. Over the course of his 14-year career in the National Hockey League (NHL), Miller played for the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche, the Los Angeles Kings and the Vancouver Canucks. In 2002, he was selected as a member of United States hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where he won a silver medal. Prior to making his professional debut, Miller earned a degree in business from the University of Vermont.
Paul Stastny is a Canadian-born American professional ice hockey center for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets and Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Jared Bednar is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously coached the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League, leading them to a Calder Cup championship in 2015–16. He also led the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL to a Kelly Cup championship in the 2008–09 season. Bednar won the Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2022, becoming the first coach to win the current ECHL, AHL, and NHL trophies.
Bradley Malone is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who plays for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played with the Colorado Avalanche, with whom he was drafted, and the Carolina Hurricanes.
David Matthew Warsofsky is an American professional ice hockey defenseman. He is currently playing with Augsburger Panther of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Christopher Wagner is an American professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Wagner was selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Tyson Jost is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for the Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Cale Douglas Makar is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was selected with the fourth overall pick by the Avalanche in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
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