Colorado Avalanche

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{{NHL Team Infobox |team_name = Colorado Avalanche |bg_color = #8B2942 |text_color = white |logo = Colorado Avalanche.gif |alternate_logo = Colorado-alternate.gif |founded = 1972 (World Hockey Association, Quebec Nordiques) |home_arena = Pepsi Center |hometown = Denver, Colorado |conference = Western |division = Northwest |team_colors = Burgundy, white, silver,
Air Force blue |head_coach = Joel Quenneville |captain = Joe Sakic |alternate_captains = Rob Blake
Steve Konowalchuk
Ian Laperriere |general_manager = Pierre Lacroix |owner = Stan Kroenke |minor_league = Lowell Lock Monsters (AHL)
San Diego Gulls (ECHL) |league_champs = 1996, 2001 |no_league_champs = 2 |conf_champs = 1996, 2001 |no_conf_champs = 2 |div_champs = 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2002, 2003 |no_div_champs = 9 }}

The Colorado Avalanche are a National Hockey League team based in Denver, Colorado.

1 Facts
2 Franchise History
3 Season-by-season record
4 Notable players
5 See also
6 References

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Facts

Founded: 1972-1973 in the World Hockey Association (WHA); joined the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1979

Formerly Known As: Québec Nordiques (1972-1995)

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.

Main Rivals: Detroit Red Wings, Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars

Division Championships: 8 - 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003,

Conference Championships: 2 - 1996, 2001

Stanley Cup Championships: 2 - 1996, 2001

President's Trophy: 2 - 1997, 2001

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Franchise History

The team started play in 1972 as the Quebec Nordiques of the World Hockey Association. During the seven WHA seasons, the Nordiques won the Avco Cup Championship 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. Image:Patrick roy.jpg

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 and the eventual deals that stemmed from his trade brought such stars as Ray Bourque, Peter Forsberg, Alex Tanguay, Patrick Roy, and Rob Blake among other great players. The original trade brought a first round pick, Steve Duchesne, Peter Forsberg, 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. Roy had, many times in the past made up for mediocre play by 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 another rookie, Peter Budaj.

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Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes

Logo	Season	GP	W	L	T	OTL	Pts	GF	GA	PIM	Finish	Playoffs
Image:Colorado Avalanche.gif	1995-96	82	47	25	10	--	104	326	240	1536	1st in Pacific	Won Stanley Cup
Image:Colorado Avalanche.gif	1996-97	82	49	24	9	--	107	277	205	1361	1st in league	Lost in CF
Image:Colorado Avalanche.gif	1997-98	82	39	26	17	--	95	231	205	1729	1st in Pacific	Lost in CQF
Image:Colorado Avalanche.gif	1998-99	82	44	28	10	--	98	239	205	1619	1st in Northwest	Lost in CF
Image:Colorado Avalanche.gif	1999-00	82	42	28	11	1	96	233	201	1118	1st in Northwest	Lost in CF
Image:Colorado Avalanche.gif	2000-01	82	52	16	10	4	118	270	192	1138	1st in league	Won Stanley Cup
Image:Colorado Avalanche.gif	2001-02	82	45	28	8	1	99	212	169	1007	1st in Northwest	Lost in CF
Image:Colorado Avalanche.gif	2002-03	82	42	19	13	8	105	251	194	1084	1st in Northwest	Lost in CQF
Image:Colorado Avalanche.gif	2003-04	82	40	22	13	7	100	236	198	1293	2nd in Northwest	Lost in CSF
Image:Colorado Avalanche.gif	2004-05¹	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--	--
Image:Colorado Avalanche.gif	2005-06^*	82	43	30	--	9	95	283	257	1168	2nd in Northwest	--

^* Current season stats as of 4/20/2006.

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

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Notable players

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Current squad

As of April 20, 2006 [1]

Goaltenders
Number		Player	Catches	Acquired	Place of Birth
20	Template:Flagicon	Vitaly Kolesnik	L	2005	Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan
31	Template:Flagicon	Peter Budaj	L	2001	Banská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia
60	Template:Flagicon	Jose Theodore	R	2006	Laval, Quebec

Defensemen
Number		Player	Shoots	Acquired	Place of Birth
3	Template:Flagicon	Karlis Skrastins	L	2003	Riga, Latvia
4	Template:Flagicon	Rob Blake - A	R	2001	Simcoe, Ontario
5	Template:Flagicon	Brett Clark	L	2002	Wapella, Saskatchewan
6	Template:Flagicon	Bob Boughner	R	2004	Windsor, Ontario
26	Template:Flagicon	John-Michael Liles	L	2000	Zionsville, Indiana
27	Template:Flagicon	Ossi Väänänen (Injured Reserve)	L	2004	Vantaa, Finland
34	Template:Flagicon	Kurt Sauer	L	2004	St. Cloud, Minnesota
71	Template:Flagicon	Patrice Brisebois	R	2005	Montreal, Quebec

Forwards
Number		Player	Shoots	Position	Acquired	Place of Birth
10	Template:Flagicon	Brad May	L	LW	2005	Toronto, Ontario
11	Template:Flagicon	Cody McCormick	R	RW	2001	London, Ontario
12	Template:Flagicon	Brad Richardson	L	C	2003	Belleville, Ontario
13	Template:Flagicon	Dan Hinote	R	C/W	1996	Leesburg, Florida
14	Template:Flagicon	Ian Laperriere - A	R	C/RW	2004	Montreal, Quebec
15	Template:Flagicon	Andrew Brunette	L	LW/RW	2005	Sudbury, Ontario
18	Template:Flagicon	Alex Tanguay	L	LW	1998	Ste-Justine, Quebec
19	Template:Flagicon	Joe Sakic - C	L	C	1987	Burnaby, British Columbia
22	Template:Flagicon	Steve Konowalchuk - A (Injured Reserve)	L	LW	2003	Salt Lake City, Utah
23	Template:Flagicon	Milan Hejduk	R	RW	1994	Ústí nad Labem, Czechoslovakia
24	Template:Flagicon	Antti Laaksonen	L	LW/RW	2004	Tammela, Finland
38	Template:Flagicon	Jim Dowd	R	C	2006	Brick Township, New Jersey
40	Template:Flagicon	Marek Svatos (Injured Reserve)	R	RW	2001	Košice, Czechoslovakia
53	Template:Flagicon	Brett McLean	L	C	2004	Comox, British Columbia
87	Template:Flagicon	Pierre Turgeon	L	C	2005	Rouyn, Quebec

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Hall of Famers

Ray Bourque

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Team captains

Joe Sakic 1995-present

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Retired numbers

33 Patrick Roy, G, 1995-2003
77 Ray Bourque, D, 2000-01
99 Wayne Gretzky (retired league-wide by the NHL)

The Quebec Nordiques retired the number 3 of Jean-Claude (J.C.) Tremblay, the number 8 of Marc Tardif, the number 16 of Michel Goulet and the number 26 of Peter Stastny. After the move, the Avalanche restored those numbers to circulation.

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Franchise scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point-scorers in the history of the Avalanche and Quebec Nordiques in the NHL. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season. Note: GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points

Player	POS	GP	G	A	Pts
Joe Sakic	C	1155	542	860	1402
Peter Stastny	C	737	380	668	1048
Michel Goulet	LW	813	456	489	915
Peter Forsberg	C	580	216	525	741
Anton Stastny	RW	650	252	384	636
Dale Hunter	C	523	140	318	558
Milan Hejduk	RW	470	197	219	416
Valeri Kamensky	LW	460	166	248	414
Mats Sundin	C	324	135	199	334
Alex Tanguay	LW	379	108	214	322