15 Fact About Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado. The team was founded in 1972 as the Quebec Nordiques and played in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In 1995, the Nordiques moved to Colorado and became the Avalanche. The Avalanche are members of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Here are 15 interesting facts about the Avalanche.

1. The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).

2. The Avalanche were founded in Quebec City, Quebec, as the Quebec Nordiques in 1972 as one of the inaugural franchises of the World Hockey Association (WHA). The franchise joined the NHL in 1979 as a result of the NHL–WHA merger.

3. Following the 1994–95 season, they were sold to COMSAT Video Enterprises, who then renamed them the Colorado Avalanche after relocating them to Denver. In the following year, they won their first Stanley Cup Championship.

4. Among teams in the four major North American professional sports leagues, only the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys and New England Patriots have won more titles than the Avalanche since their 1995 Stanley Cup victory.

5. As of 2019, the Avalanche have won nine division titles and made seven appearances in the Conference Finals.

6. Prior to the Nordiques’ relocation to Denver, they played home games at the Colisée Pepsi from 1972 to 1995. The Nordiques were unable to secure a lease renewal with the Colisée and announced their intention to relocate to Denver in May 1995. The Quebec City arena was ultimately demolished in 1997 to make way for a new arena, now known as the Videotron Centre.

7. The Avalanche played their first game at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver on October 6, 1995, defeating the Detroit Red Wings 4–3.

8. In their first season in Denver, the Avalanche won the Pacific Division title and reached the Western Conference Finals, where they were defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks.

9. The following year, they qualified for the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference and upset top-seeded Detroit in the first round of the playoffs before falling to eventual conference champion Colorado Avalanche in six games.

10. In 1998, they won their second Stanley Cup Championship by defeating the Florida Panthers in a four-game sweep. This was also their first season as members of the Northwest Division of the NHL.

11. The Avalanche continued their success in the 1999–2000 season, winning their third Stanley Cup Championship by defeating the Dallas Stars in six games.

12. In the 2000–01 season, they won their fourth division title and reached the Conference Finals for the fifth time in seven years, but were defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion, the New Jersey Devils.

13. The following year, they failed to qualify for the playoffs. In the 2003–04 season, they won their fifth division title and reached the Conference Finals for the sixth time in nine years, but were once again defeated by the Devils.

14. The Avalanche missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year in 2004–05. In 2005–06, they qualified for the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference and defeated the top-seeded Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the playoffs, but were defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion, the Carolina Hurricanes, in seven games.

15. The Avalanche returned to the playoffs in 2006–07, but were defeated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion, the Anaheim Ducks, in six games.

Conclusion

The Avalanche have had a rocky start to the season, but they are still a team to be reckoned with. As the season progresses, we will see how they fare. In the meantime, here are 15 fun facts about the Colorado Avalanche.