The Colorado Avalanche don’t have the long and storied history that some NHL franchises boast, but they have been pretty good since relocating to the Rocky Mountains before the 1995-96 season. During their time in Colorado, the Avs have won three Stanley Cups, and have gotten acquainted with many fan favorites along the way.
If their recent success is any indication, the Avalanche will have to make more room in the rafters in the near future. Currently, however, six players have had their numbers retired. Here’s a look at each of those pillars of the franchise:
19 – Joe Sakic
The greatest player in Avalanche history was the first to get his number retired by the club, seeing his jersey secured in the rafters on Oct. 1, 2009. Joe Sakic led the Avalanche to their first two Stanley Cups, and leads the team in almost every offensive category. Sakic boasts the most goals (625), assists (1,016), points (1,641), power-play goals (205), shorthanded goals (32), and games played (1,378) in franchise history. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
Drafted by the Quebec Nordiques with the 15th pick of the first round in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft, Sakic had already been selected to five of his 12 All-Star Games when the team relocated to Colorado before the 1995-96 season. They famously won the Stanley Cup in that first campaign as the Avalanche – with Sakic taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy. He led Colorado to their second Cup in 2001 – adding the Hart Memorial Trophy, the Ted Lindsay Award, and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy to his personal trophy case.
Related: What Joe Sakic Means to the Avalanche
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Sakic also had his fingerprints all over Colorado’s third Stanley Cup victory. Acting as the team’s president and general manager in the run up to the title, Sakic was integral in securing solid contributors through the draft and multiple trades. Notable deals include a 2019 swap with the Toronto Maple Leafs that brought Nazem Kadri to Colorado, and another that brought goaltender Darcy Kuemper to the Avs from the Arizona Coyotes. There is no one more immersed in Avalanche history than Sakic, which makes it deserving that his jersey was the first in team history to get lifted to the rafters.
21 – Peter Forsberg
Peter Forsberg played almost his entire career with the franchise – but he didn’t start out that way. Taken by the Philadelphia Flyers with the sixth overall pick in…
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