Previous Seasons
After succumbing to a dismal season, the worst ever for the Avalanche (32-45-5) the Avalanche were dejected and demoralized. Team Captain Joe Sakic played a career low 15 games and the team as a whole scored a league low 199.
How frustrating was it to Avalanche fans for their team to miss last season’s playoffs by 1 point! This is the first time the former Quebec squad has missed the post season since they moved to Denver. They are definitely getting it together – On the ice, they Avalanche do live up to their name and pack quite an offensive punch. Another positive is bigger role for young players Marek Svatos and Wojtek Wolski. On the negative side –bit of a downfall, really – is Colorado’s sub-par goaltending, something that they definitely will need to look into.
After their first disappointing season in the short history in Denver, the fans that line up to get Colorado Avalanche tickets hope that the 2005-2006 season will return the team to its former place among the National Hockey League's elite. Despite losing Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote to the newly restructured salary cap, head coach Joel Quenneville appears ready to mold the franchise back into the Stanley Cup Champions they once were at the beginning of the millennium. With a little luck, Quenneville can put Avalanche tickets back on top.
After struggling through financial difficulties as the Quebec Nordiques, the franchise was sold to new ownership in Denver in 1995 where the team enjoyed immediate success. With the trade for goalie Patrick Roy in the team's first year in the Rocky Mountains, the Avalanche hockey team was able to dominate the NHL league's competition. Under head coach Marc Crawford's leadership, the team swept the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup finals after a thrilling third overtime victory in the fourth game. Colorado Avalanche hockey tickets became the prime form of entertainment in Denver. While the team was absent from the national hockey league's championship for the next five years, fans in Colorado continued to support one of the NHL's most consistent teams as the Avalanche appeared in the playoffs year after year.
However, the team's appearance in the playoffs was not enough for the front office, and Bob Hartley replaced Crawford after the team failed to make a playoff run during the following two seasons. Defenseman Ray Borque, later elected into the Hall of Fame, played with the Avalanche during the 2000-2001 season when the team won the President Trophy with the league's best record. Borque proved to be the necessary addition for the team's return to the Stanley Cup. While the victory was not as defining as the team's first championship, fans in Colorado witnessed a battle between the home team and the New Jersey Devils. Borque won his first and only championship before retiring, and the team appeared to be back to its winning ways. The team's two titles, won in fewer than ten years, solidified fans of Denver's Colorado Avalanche hockey as one of the premier cities for hockey in North America.
While Avalanche tickets failed to deliver a division championship in 2003-2004, a first in Avalanche team history, veteran captain Joe Sakic will work to help the team return to greatness. The 2005-2006 season has brought new players Ovechkin and Svatos, leading the NHL rookies with each scoring 25 goals. Colorado fans are excited and just wait for one of the rookies to score, block, or steal the puck. Fans at the Pepsi Center hope that Patrice Brisebois' first year in the NHL can provide the team with another defensive boost. While Roy no longer guards the goal, many fans expect Peter Budaj to evolve into an equally powerful asset for the franchise as the team works to make another postseason appearance in 2006. Between Budaj and Sakic, Avalanche tickets, and a trip to the Pepsi Center are one of the best bets in hockey.
After a dismal 2008-09 record of 32-45-5 the Avalanche franchise fired Head Coach Tony Granato and his entire coaching staff. The franchise then turned and fired the General Manager Francois Giguere. Giguere was replaced with Greg Sherman and the head coaching position was filled by Joe Sacco. In early July, Joe Sakic retired after 20 NHL seasons. The Avalanche retired his jersey on October 1, 2009. The team made some offseason acquisitions to include goalie Craig Anderson and Left Wing enforcer David Koci. Left Wing Ryan Smyth was traded to the LA Kings for Tom Preissing and Kyle Quincey. As of this writing, the Avalanche are 30-18-6 and in second place in the Northwest Division.
ABOUT THE COLORADO AVALANCHE
In 1979, the Quebec Nordiques left the World Hockey League to join the National Hockey league. In the WHA the team was moderately successful…here they were also somewhat successful for a time but it didn’t last. Although the Nordiques gained some of their former success back, the team was in financial trouble and as a result was sold and moved to Denver in 1995 to become the Colorado Avalanche.
The Colorado Avalanche went to the playoffs their first ten seasons in Denver, and won eight division titles in that time. They also became the first team in the NHL to ever win a Stanley Cup the year after relocation and only the second in North American professional sports to win a Championship the year after a move. They also have to their credit two Conference Championships and a second Stanley Cup.
The home of the Colorado Avalanche has been the Pepsi Center since 1999 and before that they played in the McNichols Sports Arena. The Pepsi Center cost 160 million dollars to build and seats just over 18,000 fans for hockey. The construction of the arena was part of a total upgrade in sports venues for the city, becoming part of a complex with INVESCO Field and Coors Field. The complex is easily accessible from major roadways and a light rail train that has a station on the western side of the complex.
Off the ice, the Colorado Avalanche is active like most sports teams, giving back to the fans and community that supports them so much. They arrange and host events such as golf tournaments, fashion shows, and galas. They also support many programs for youth that encourage academic excellence and healthy living through fitness and eating right. They also sponsor programs that foster leadership skills and community involvement as well as quality time with parents and children. They provide fundraising programs for youth hockey teams, and tips for coaches.
The mascot for the Colorado Avalanche is Bernie the St. Bernard. He is present at home games, energizing the fans and helping to cheer on his favorite team. Bernie also appears throughout the community occasionally showing up at birthday parties and charity events.
Of course what successful sports franchise would be complete without a little rivalry? The rivalry between the Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings is considered by fans and the press to be one of the most intense in the history of the NHL.
In game six of the Western Conference Final in 1996 one of the Red Wing players was injured after being checked by an Avalanche player. The next season resulted in the famous “Brawl in Hockeytown” when the two teams met for the last time that season. The game ended after nine fights, 11 goals, 39 penalties, and 148 penalty minutes. There was even a fight between the goalies. The rivalry was most intense during the next few
years when the teams met up often in the post season. It has cooked off some in recent years but still remains.
On the ice and off the Colorado Avalanche is a fascinating team. They play great hockey and a game at Pepsi Center is never boring. Off the ice the team is helpful and considerate of their fellow citizens, volunteering time and resources to improve the lives of those around them.
