The franchise was originally founded in 1972 as the Quebec Nordiques, serving as one of the twelve inaugural teams of the World Hockey Association 1)
In 1979, the Nordiques were one of four WHA teams absorbed into the National Hockey League during the landmark merger between the two leagues 2)
Facing financial difficulties in Canada and a lack of arena funding, the team was sold and moved to Denver in the summer of 1995 3)
The “Avalanche” name was chosen to reflect the power of the Colorado Rockies; other finalists included “Black Bears” and “Outlaws” 4)
The team was famously almost named the “Rocky Mountain Extreme,” but the name was scrapped after public outcry over its corporate feel 5)
The “A” in the primary logo represents a snow-capped mountain, while the puck-like comet circling it represents an avalanche 6)
In 1996, the Avalanche became the first relocated team in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup in their very first season in a new city 7)
While in Quebec, the team made history by signing the Stastny brothers, who were the first players to defect from a communist country to play in the NHL 8)
The Avalanche still pay homage to their roots by wearing uniforms featuring the classic Quebec Nordiques fleur-de-lis during special games 9)
Valeri Kamensky scored the first goal in Colorado Avalanche history on October 6, 1995, during the team's inaugural home game 10)
Joe Sakic’s #19 was retired in 2009; he remains the franchise leader in goals, assists, and points 11)
Peter Forsberg’s #21 was raised to the rafters in 2011 to honor his two championships and Hart Trophy win with the team 12)
The Avalanche are the only NHL franchise to have played in at least three Stanley Cup Finals and won every single one (1996, 2001, 2022) 13)
In 2022, the team ended a 21-year championship drought by defeating the back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning 14)
The 2021-22 Avalanche team set a franchise record with 119 points during the regular season, finishing with a 56-19-7 record 15)
In 1989, the franchise made Mats Sundin the first European-born player ever to be selected first overall in the NHL Draft 16)
Peter Forsberg is one of only three players in history to win the Stanley Cup, World Championship, and Olympic Gold twice each 17)
Ray Bourque holds the record for the most games played in NHL history (1,612) before winning his first Stanley Cup with Colorado in 2001 18)
The Avalanche set an NHL record by selling out 487 consecutive home games between 1995 and 2006 19)
Before moving to their current arena, the Avalanche played their first four seasons in Denver at the historic McNichols Sports Arena 20)
The franchise holds the NHL record for the most consecutive division titles, winning nine straight between 1995 and 2003 21)
In 2013, the Avalanche selected Nathan MacKinnon first overall; he went on to win the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie 22)
In 2003, Forsberg became the first and only Avalanche player to win the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player 23)
Patrick Roy holds the franchise record for the most wins by a goaltender, recording 262 victories during his tenure in Colorado 24)
During the current 2025-26 season, the Avalanche have one of the league's best home records, winning 21 of their first 25 games at Ball Arena 25)
Colorado is currently leading the NHL in goals per game for the 2025-26 season, averaging 3.88 goals per contest 26)
As of February 2026, Nathan MacKinnon leads the team with over 90 points, placing him near the top of the league scoring race 27)
The franchise’s success was built on the 1992 trade of Eric Lindros, which brought Peter Forsberg and five other players to the team 28)
In 2012, Gabriel Landeskog became the youngest captain in NHL history at the time, at just 19 years and 286 days old 29)
In 2022, Cale Makar became the first defenseman in the 21st century to win both the Norris and Conn Smythe Trophies in the same season 30)
One of the most famous brawls in sports history occurred on March 26, 1997, between the Avalanche and the Detroit Red Wings 31)
Uwe Krupp scored the game-winning goal in triple overtime of Game 4 to clinch the 1996 Stanley Cup against Florida 32)
In 2001, Joe Sakic famously refused to hoist the Stanley Cup first, handing it immediately to veteran Ray Bourque 33)
Head coach Jared Bednar is the only coach to have won championships in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL 34)
In the 1989-90 season, the Quebec Nordiques recorded only 12 wins, which remains the lowest single-season total in franchise history 35)
General Manager Pierre Lacroix is the architect of the 1996 and 2001 teams, having orchestrated the trades for Roy, Bourque, and Blake 36)
Adam Foote, a key defenseman on both the 1996 and 2001 Cup teams, had his #52 jersey retired in 2013 37)
Milan Hejduk, who played his entire 1,020-game career for the Avalanche, had his #23 retired in 2018 38)
Patrick Roy’s #33 was the first number retired by the team after moving to Colorado, raised to the rafters in 2003 39)
The ice surface at Ball Arena is maintained by a complex refrigeration system that utilizes over 10 miles of piping beneath the floor 40)
Unlike most NHL teams, the Avalanche practice on-site at Ball Arena when they are not traveling for away games 41)
The venue was originally known as the Pepsi Center from its opening in 1999 until its renaming to Ball Arena in 2020 42)
The team’s official mascot, a St. Bernard named Bernie, debuted in 2009 after the retirement of the yeti mascot 43)
In 2020, the Avalanche hosted an outdoor Stadium Series game at the U.S. Air Force Academy's Falcon Stadium 44)
The Avalanche won the 2021 Presidents' Trophy for the league's best record, finishing with 82 points in a shortened season 45)