This story originally appeared in Mile High Sports Magazine. View the full digital edition.
Twenty years ago, Colorado was about to become reacquainted with the NHL. It had been thirteen seasons since the Rockies left town for New Jersey, a void on the Denver sports landscape that was finally filled when the Quebec Nordiques became the Avalanche.
In the time since, there have been a slew of great players, motivating coaches and savvy executives that have helped lead the franchise to amazing heights. There are have also been plenty of memorable games, unforgettable moments and indelible images.
As the Avs celebrate their 20th anniversary, dropping the puck on a season that will hopefully see them return to the playoffs for the 14th time since moving to Colorado, it seemed appropriate to look back on some of the people that have made the past two decades such a joyous ride for hockey fans.
Enjoy this look back at the names and faces that helped pen Avalanche history so far. Here’s to writing some new chapters this season! {James Merilatt}
1. Joe Sakic
Center (1988*-2009), Executive Advisor (2011-13), Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations (2013-Present)
• Franchise leader in games (1,378), goals (625), assists (1,016) and points (1,641)
• 12-time NHL All-Star
• Conn Smythe Trophy (1995-96)
• Hart Memorial Trophy (2000-01)
• Lady Byng Trophy (2000-01)
• Two-time Stanley Cup champion (1996, 2001)
• Team captain (1990*-2009)
• Hockey Hall of Fame (2012)
“In the day and age that we live in now, where it’s all about ‘me,’ especially with athletes who are always trying to direct attention to themselves, I always loved the fact that when Joe Sakic scored a goal – didn’t matter if it was a goal in February in a 5-1 game and it was the fifth goal, or whether it was the overtime winner in a playoff game – it was the same reaction. A lot of guys would use their top hand to hold up the stick as high up as they could. But Joe would always use his lower hand, so when he put his stick up in the air it was only going half way. It was the symbol of who he was. It was ‘Yes, I scored a goal, but I’m just a part of this team. Let’s not get overly excited; it’s just what I do. Yea, I did it, but it’s not all about me.’ I just loved that about him.” – Mike Haynes, television play-by-play voice of the Colorado Avalanche
*Began tenure while club was Quebec Nordiques
2. Patrick Roy
Goaltender (1995-2003), Head Coach (2013-Present)
• Franchise leader in wins (262), saves (11,924), shutouts (37), and goals against average (2.27)
• 11-time NHL All-Star (five with Colorado)
• Three-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner (one with Colorado)
• Three-time Vezina Trophy winner, two-time runner-up (one with Colorado)
• Five-time William M. Jennings Trophy winner (one with Colorado)
• No. 2 all-time in NHL wins (551)
• Four-time Stanley Cup champion (1996, 2001 with Colorado)
• Hockey Hall of Fame (2006)
• Jack Adams Award (2014)
“Hands down, he was the greatest goaltender in the history of the National Hockey League. There are none better. The thing about Patrick Roy was how amazingly competitive this guy was. He just brought it every single night. He was so competitive; I’m not sure I’ve ever watched another athlete with his intensity and level of competitiveness. But it was more than that – he was unbelievably talented but I think what a lot of people don’t realize is what a student of the game he was. I can remember many times watching him in practice; a play would come towards him, he’d make the save, kind of stand up in the crease and then he’d sit there and almost flip the puck around in his glove, like he was visualizing and recording in his mind exactly what had just happened. He was always thinking, always trying to get that next little edge. He was the best.” – Marc Moser, radio play-by-play voice of the Colorado Avalanche
3. Peter Forsberg
Center (1994*–2004, 2007–08, 2010–11)
• Franchise leader in plus/minus (210)
• No. 5 franchise points (755)
• Five-time NHL All-Star
• Hart Memorial Trophy (2002-03)
• Two-time Stanley Cup champion (1996, 2001)
• Hockey Hall of Fame (2014)
“For me, it’s really tough to separate Sakic and Forsberg, for this reason: One played the perfect game; the way Sakic saw the game, the things that he did, everything was just technically perfect. He’d go game after game without making a mistake. The other (Forsberg) was like this wonderful, wild animal when he played. He had no idea, when he played, what he was going to do next. At no point, did you ever feel like he was completely in control of what his next move was going to be. After the game, I’d say, ‘Do you remember that play in the second period?’ He’d say, ‘No, not really.’ He was all emotion and he was the most powerful player I ever saw play. I asked Ray Bourque once who the strongest player he ever played against was and he didn’t even hesitate – it was Peter Forsberg. His imagination was enormous. The things he could do on the ice, to be perfectly honest, I have not seen a player since that’s been able to play the game the way Peter Forsberg did.” – Peter McNab, color analyst for the Colorado Avalanche
*Began tenure while club was Quebec Nordiques
4. Milan Hejduk
Right Wing (1998-2013)
• No. 2 franchise games played (1,020)
• Franchise top-five goals (No. 4, 375), assists (No. 5, 430), points (No. 4, 805) and plus/minus (No. 5, 101)
• Three-time NHL All-Star
• Played all 82 games in five different seasons
• Maurice Richard Trophy (2002-03)
• Stanley Cup champion (2001)
• Team captain (2011-12)
“‘Hedjy,’ as they called him, had the best hands I’d ever seen. Silky smooth. I’m talking about a guy who won the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy. He was a gamer – and a class act, quite possibly the nicest player I’ve ever met.” – Kyle Keefe, studio analyst for the Colorado Avalanche
5. Adam Foote
Defenseman (1991*-2004, 2007-11)
• Franchise leader in defensive point shares (53.1)
• No. 2 franchise plus/minus (129)
• No. 3 franchise games played (967)
• No. 4 franchise penalty in minutes (1,279)
• Two-time Stanley Cup champion (1996, 2001)
• Team captain (2009-11)
“Foote won’t be remembered for his All-Star appearances – he had none. But throughout his career he remained the measuring stick for all young defensemen. I once remember a scout telling me he often described blueliners in scouting reports as ‘a young Adam Foote, without the mean streak.’ No one had his mean streak.” – Zach Fogg, co-host of Afternoon Drive, Mile High Sports AM 1340
*Began tenure while club was Quebec Nordiques
6. Rob Blake
Defenseman (2000-06)
• Seven-time NHL All-Star (four with Colorado)
• No. 9t franchise plus/minus (55) and defensive point share (21.4)
• 19 points in 23 games in 2001 Stanley Cup Playoffs
• Stanley Cup champion (2001)
• Hockey Hall of Fame (2014)
“What you do on the ice, and what you do off the ice, can be two completely different things. Rob Blake was as hard an open ice or along the boards hitter as ever played in the National Hockey League. Scary. He would get that big rear end in the way of guys – they couldn’t get out of the way – and he would just crush them. He loved to hit. But off the ice, you couldn’t find a more pleasant, great guy to talk to. He’s a perfect guy for what hockey is all about. You play hard; you hit hard on the ice. But you’re just really nice off the ice. He’s the perfect guy for what hockey is all about.” – Mike Haynes, television play-by-play voice of the Colorado Avalanche
7. Alex Tanguay
Left Wing (1999-06, 2013-Present)
• Franchise leader in shooting percentage (20.1)
• No. 3 franchise plus/minus (127)
• Franchise top-ten goals (No. 8, 163), assists (No. 8, 303) and points (No. 7, 466)
• NHL All-Star (2004)
• Stanley Cup champion (2001)
• Scored Game 7 Stanley Cup game-winning goal (2001)
“Tanguay should never ever have to buy dinner or a drink in Denver. Two goals in Game 7 … that’s all. I was at the game and I’ve still never been in a louder atmosphere. I still get chills.” Renaud Notaro, co-host of Notaro & Big Dee, Mile High Sports AM 1340
8. Chris Drury
Left Wing (1998-02)
• Calder Memorial Trophy (1998-99)
• Made playoffs in all four years with Colorado
• 11 game-winning goals in playoffs, four as a rookie
• 2002 Olympic Silver Medalist (USA)
• Stanley Cup champion (2001)
“Tenacious. Relentless. Ultra-clutch. I mean, that’s what comes to mind when I think about Chris Drury. I don’t even know how to describe it exactly; he just had this crazy knack for coming through in the clutch when the Avs needed it the most. And he did it on the biggest stage, seemingly always. It’s a rare thing to find a player that clutch. He won at every level of his left – he was just a winner, period – from Little League all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. He was just super clutch.” – Marc Moser, radio play-by-play voice of the Colorado Avalanche
9. Paul Stastny
Center (2006-14)
• No. 9 franchise goals (160), assists (298) and points (458)
• No. 9 franchise even strength goals (112) and power play goals (47)
• NHL All-Star (2011)
• NHL All-Rookie Team (2006-07)
• Calder Memorial Trophy runner-up (2006-07)
“‘Pauly Walnuts’ was the Rodney Dangerfield of the Avalanche during his tenure with the club – ‘He gets no Respect!’ – at least not as much as he deserved. He was Mr. Avalanche during his time with the team, a quiet leader and a glue guy, which became very evident this last season, as he was sorely missed. Stastny, to me, was a phenomenal Avalanche player, complete with his missing teeth, hockey accent and willingness to give life and limb to the game. He epitomized what a hockey player is and did most of it in Burgundy and Blue.” – Marcello Romano, co-host of Morning Mayhem with Danny and Cello, Mile High Sports AM 1340
10. Pierre Lacroix
General Manager (1994*-2006), President (2006-13), Advisor (2013-Present)
• Two-time Stanley Cup champion as GM (1996, 2001)
• Six conference finals appearances as GM
• 11 consecutive playoff appearances as GM (10 as Avalanche)
• 473-259-106-30 regular season record (443-246-101-30 as Avalanche)
“The number one thing about Pierre was passion. He was as passionate about his team and his guys and the way the team was going to play – he was an absolute genius as far as looking at his team and seeing what they needed next. There’s no better case in point, than Owen Nolan, who was an absolute superstar in the National Hockey League. And he gets traded for Sandis Ozolinsh. It was a one-for-one deal that had everyone saying, ‘What is he doing?’ But Ozolinsh was exactly what the team needed. And I’ll tell you what else Pierre was; he was an absolute riverboat gambler. The higher the stakes, the better he liked it. He loved those big deals. He loved bringing those players into the building – guys like Fleury, Blake, Bourque, who were going to excite the fans. He could make the subtle little changes here and there, but he loved giving the fans that he liked to watch. Take all of that, and he was one of the most passionate hockey men I ever met.” – Peter McNab, color analyst for the Colorado Avalanche
11. Sandis Ozolinsh
Defenseman (1995-00)
• Franchise leader in regular season goals (72) by a defenseman
• Franchise leader in playoff goals (18), assists (49) and points (67) by a defenseman
• Seven-time NHL All-Star (three with Colorado)
• Stanley Cup champion (1996)
• James Norris Memorial Trophy second runner-up (1997)
“You have to have Roy, but as much as Roy was the person you have to have to win a Stanley Cup, not very far behind him was Sandis Ozolinsh. He was absolutely tremendous for this team. He was gigantic. People forget, he was 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds – and he could skate. I’ve never seen a more fearless guy. In the midst of the tightest games, he’d be standing in the other team’s crease. He scored more big goals and made more big plays by just being in places that other defensemen just didn’t dare go. He just jumped into the play. Talk about adding that spice! The Avalanche had everything you could ever want up front, and then you threw him into the mix, and it just ‘glued’ the offense of the Avalanche – the best offense in the league. He could read the play, get in the right spot at the right time, and he was talented – but was just not afraid. He loved to make the big play at the right time.” – Peter McNab, color analyst for the Colorado Avalanche
12. Valeri Kamensky
Left Wing (1991*-99)
• No. 7 franchise goals (166) and power play goals (51)
• No. 10 franchise assists (248), points (414) and even-strength goals (110)
• NHL All-Star (1998)
• Stanley Cup champion (1996)
• 10 goals, 12 assists and +11 plus/minus in 1996 Stanley Cup Playoffs
“What a super talented winger Kamensky was! Because those Avalanche had so much talent, I think his talent was somewhat overshadowed, but he was a tremendously talented player. He was a great compliment to Peter Forsberg; they were just unbelievable together. Kamensky was just shy and not as boisterous and I think that made him really underrated when it comes to the great Avalanche players, but boy was he great. You just don’t appreciate what you really have until it’s gone, and he had really, exceptional talent. Quiet. Understated. Super talented and underrated – that was Valeri Kamensky.” – Marc Moser, radio play-by-play voice of the Colorado Avalanche
*Began tenure while club was Quebec Nordiques
13. Claude Lemieux
Right Wing (1995-2000)
• No. 9 franchise game-winning goals (23)
• No. 9 NHL career playoff goals (80)
• Four-time Stanley Cup champion (1996 with Colorado)
• 15 consecutive playoff appearances (four with Colorado)
• TSN (Canada) No. 2 “Most Hated Player of All Time”
“He is as polarizing a player that I can think of in NHL history. There is no middle ground with Lemieux. Avs fans loved him and opponents hated his guts. He gave the Avs a nasty edge.” – Renaud Notaro, co-host of Notaro & Big Dee, Mile High Sports AM 1340
14. Ray Bourque
Defenseman (1999-2001)
• 19-time NHL All-Star (one with Colorado)
• NHL all-time leader points by defenseman (1,579)
• No. 3 NHL career plus/minus (528)
• No. 9 NHL games played (1612, 94 with Colorado)
• Five James Norris Memorial Trophies, six runners-up (one with Colorado)
• Stanley Cup champion … finally (2001)
“I could go on forever on him, being a teenager from New England who actually watched Bourque when he first came into the league as a big Bruins fan. My favorite all-time memory of him though: I got to drink beers with him the night he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. I was in Toronto covering the induction, and at the end of the night it was just me and him and a couple others talking about his entire career over a few Molson Goldens at the bar in the Toronto Westin Bayshore Hotel. His willingness to just hang out with regular people said it all about him as a player and person.” – Adrian Dater, longtime Avalanche beat writer
15. Adam Deadmarsh
Right Wing (1994*-2001)
• No. 8 franchise penalty minutes (723)
• No. 10 franchise power play goals (45)
• Stanley Cup champion (1996)
• First misspelled name on Stanley Cup to ever be corrected (“Deadmarch”)
• Olympic Silver Medalist (2002, USA)
“Deadmarsh was a full-blown wrecking ball. He would would pump in 25-30 goals and have over 120 penalty minutes. For a guy that weighed 205 pounds, he sure played like a middle linebacker at 245.” – Kyle Keefe, studio analyst for the Colorado Avalanche
*Began tenure while club was Quebec Nordiques
16. Bob Hartley
Head Coach (1998-2002)
• Stanley Cup champion (2001)
• Four consecutive division titles
• 193-108-48-10 regular season record
• 49-31 playoff record
“Hartley was a super intense coach. He always used to call me ‘Kylester’ and follow it up with a big high five. I remember he played centerfield on our softball team; I played left. We went for the same fly ball and hit heads; I thought I’d killed the coach! He got up right away. I did not.” – Kyle Keefe, studio analyst for the Colorado Avalanche
17. Marc Crawford
Head Coach (1994*-98)
• Stanley Cup champion (1996)
• Four consecutive division titles (three as Avalanche)
• 165-88-41 regular season record (135-75-36 as Avalanche)
• 31-21 playoff record (29-17 as Avalanche)
“He had the best sense of humor of anybody I’ve met in hockey. Just flat out funny. Great storyteller, just could make you laugh. But a lot of hockey guys have two sides to them. Boy oh boy was he intense. Boy could he get mad. He was one of the funniest and one of the quickest temper guys I’ve ever met in hockey.” – Mike Haynes, television play-by-play voice of the Colorado Avalanche
*Began tenure while club was Quebec Nordiques
18. Semyon Varlamov
Goaltender (2001-Present)
• Franchise leader in save percentage (.918)
• Franchise leader in single-season wins (41, 2013-14)
• No. 2 franchise shutouts (14) and saves (5,854)
• No. 3 franchise wins (106) and goals against average (2.59)
• NHL All-Star (2014)
• Vezina Trophy runner-up (2014)
“Varlamov’s career in Colorado still has plenty of time to be molded, but 2013-14 was really the season when Avs fans breathed a sigh of relief with Varly, as the young goaltender they surrendered so much for – probably too much – proceeded to make his case as the MVP of the NHL en route to Colorado’s return to the playoffs under Patrick Roy.” – Zach Fogg, co-host of Afternoon Drive, Mile High Sports AM 1340
19. Gabriel Landeskog
Left Wing (2011-Present)
• Calder Memorial Trophy (2012)
• Team captain (2012-Present)
• Youngest team captain in NHL history
• Played in 81 or more games in three of four NHL seasons
“Other than the fact that my wife still calls him ‘Gaby Baby’ – because, well, she thinks he’s good looking or something – I think Landeskog is a tremendous player and person. He’s never made any excuses for anything at all. I think that’s why he makes a good captain. You’ll never hear Gaby Baby crying about anything that happened on the ice.” – Adrian Dater, longtime Avalanche beat writer
20. Matt Duchene
Center (2009-present)
• Led NHL rookies in points (55) and goals (24t) (2009-10)
• Calder Memorial Trophy second runner-up (2010)
• NHL All-Star (2011)
• Olympic Gold Medalist (2014, Canada)
“At only 24 years old, Duchene is already an all-time beloved Av to many and a guy. He has already accomplished a ton – including winning a gold medal – despite not yet hitting his prime. The future is very bright for Duchene; I’m looking for him to turn into a perennial All-Star.” – Danny Williams, co-host of Morning Mayhem with Danny and Cello, Mile High Sports Radio AM 1340
Compiling a “greatest” list is always a risky proposition for a publication. You’re bound to leave someone out, rank someone too high or too low, and certainly few people will agree on the final results. Such was the case with this list, compiled with a combination of fan voting, expert opinions and editorial staff gut instincts.
Like the many that have come before, and the many that will follow, this list will yield praise, disapproval, scorn and certainly debate. We hope, more than anything, it yields great memories, as it certainly did for us
What I am most proud of about this “greatest” list, however, is that it includes three individuals who weren’t directly on the ice for their contributions. The games, after all, are just a part of the story when it comes to building a world-class organization like the Avalanche.
Thanks to everyone within the organization. After all, you taught Denver how to be a title town. Here’s to many more titles in the next 20 years. {Casey Light}