Avalanche of Colorado

The Avalanche of Colorado is a professional frankness from Hockey, established with Denver in the state of the Colorado to the the United States. It evolves/moves in the North-western division of the National league of hockey (LNH). The Avalanche gained the Coupe Stanley twice, in 1996 and 2001.
The frankness was founded with Quebec, and named the Nordiques of Quebec, until their removal in Denver in 1995. The Avalanche gained eight titles of division, and was qualified for the eliminatory Séries with each one of its first ten seasons in the LNH, the series ending in 2007. The Avalanche is also known to have been the first team in the history of the LNH to gain the Stanley Cut the season following its removal.

Of their arrival in Denver in 1995, until the end of the season 1998-99, the Avalanche played its home matches in the skating rink Mc Nichols Arena . Since, the Avalanche plays Pepsi Center. The competition of the Avalanche with the Red Wings de Détroit is remarkable, in particular because the two teams met five times in seven years in eliminatory series, between 1996 and 2002.

History of the frankness

Arrived of Quebec, the Avalanche starts season 95-96 with a solid team with at the head of the players the such captain Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and the defender Adam Foote. Few people could then envisage the series of events which was going to contribute to get the reinforcement to them from which they were going to benefit the semi-season. December 2nd, 1995, Patrick Roy kept as with its practice the goal of the Canadian of Montreal. This evening there take place the greatest defeat of the history of the team (11-1) vis-a-vis the Red Wings de Détroit. Replaced by the trainer Mario Tremblay after having boxed 9 of the 11 goals, Roy moved behind the bench of glorious and went to find Ronald Corey to say to him that he would play never again for the club of hockey Canadians. Thus, on December 6th, 1995, Patrick Roy and Mike Keane were exchanged with the Avalanche in exchange of Martin Rucinsky, Andrei Kovalenko, and of the guard Jocelyn Thibault. In eliminatory series of the Cut Stanley, after having finished with the second rank of the Conference of the West, Colorado faces the Canucks of Vancouver and gains series 4 matches with 2. In half finale of conference they are measured with the Blackhawks of Chicago, and the Avalanche gains the series 4 parts against 2. The final of conference gives place to a shock of the Titans: The Avalanche and the Red Wings de Détroit which want to reach one second consecutive final. This series will mark the beginning of an intense competition between the two clubs. Thanks to two invaluable victories at the time of the first matches in Detroit, the Avalanche gains the sixth matche by 4 goals with 1 in residence and is qualified for the first final of Stanley Cut of the history of the concession. The adversaries are this time the Panthers of Florida, qualified at the time of the decisive seventh matche in the series which cash opposed them to the Penguins de Pittsburgh on large the Mario Lemieux. The Avalanche gains without difficulty the first three victories 3-1, 8-1 and 3-2. At the time of the fourth matche, one will not have less than 3 additional periods to make a Master. Finally, a throw of the German defender Uwe Krupp finds the bottom of the net of Panthers thus ensuring the first Cut Stanley of the Avalanche of Colorado, old the Nordiques of Quebec. Joe Sakic will raise the Stanley Cut thus for the first time of his career. This last is in addition selected better players of the eliminatory series and gains the Trophée Idiot Smythe.

The season 1996-1997 is full with promises since the team finishes finish first with the final classification of the season with 107 points. Colorado gains the first eliminatory series 4-2 vis-a-vis Chicago, then the Oilers d' Edmonton are eliminated in half finale from conference 4-1 by Joe Sakic and his fellow-members. The final of conference opposes them to Red Wings which is avenged for the failure undergone one year earlier and eliminates the Avalanche. Strait will gain cut 4 later matches at 0 a few days.

In 1997-1998, after one regular good season, Colorado will know one of the most improbable reversal of situation as of the first turn of the series. Whereas they lead 3 matches to 1 fâce in Oilers d' Edmonton, the men of Marc Crawford, then trainer of the Avalanche, need only one victory but do not manage to eliminate Oilers. Strait will gain the Stanley Cut for the second consecutive time.

The season 1998-1999 marks a revival with the arrival of young talents of which Milan Hejduk and Chris Drury. Colorado carries out the exploit to eliminate Red Wings, then doubles holding of the title, in half finale of conference. The following series will oppose them to the Stars of Dallas which will gain the series 4 victories against 3 before gaining the Stanley Cut against the Sabers of Buffalo.

Anecdotes around the Avalanche

The series of matches played closed counters

The Avalanche of Colorado holds record LNH of the more long series of matches played in residence with closed counters, with 487. The series began on November 9th 1995, at the time of the eighth match played by the Avalanche of Colorado in residence with an multitude of: 16061 spectators in the Mc Nichols Arena against the Stars of Dallas. Almost 11 years later, the series ended on October 16th, 2006, at the time of a match against Blackhawks of Chicago, with an multitude of: 17681 spectators, is 326 less than the capacity of the Pepsi Center . The Avalanche recorded its 500e match played in residence with closed counters at the time of their 515e match in Denver on January 20th, 2007, against Red Wings de Détroit

Competition with Red Wings de Détroit

In 1996, the Avalanche of Colorado met the Red Wings de Détroit in finales of the conference of the West and gained the series 4-2. During the sixth match, while the player of Red Wings, Kris To drape, patinated towards the bench, it was charged against the balustrade, face ahead, by Claude Lemieux, of the Avalanche. To drape had to undergo a surgery reconstructrice of the face and had the jaws enclosed in wire during five weeks. After the incident, Lemieux received many threats of players and fans of Red Wings, in particular of their guard Chris Osgood. This incident marked the beginning of a competition which is often regarded by the press and the supporters as one of the strongest competitions in the LNH

The following season, at the time of the last meeting of the regular season between the Avalanche and Red Wings, on March 26th, 1997, a brawl burst. The match finished with 9 combat, 11 goals, 39 penalties, 148 minutes of penalty, a triplet (of Valeri Kamensky), and a brawl between the guards Patrick Roy and Mike Vernon. Claude Lemieux was one of the players more particularly aimed by the players of Red Wings. Red Wings ended up carrying it in prolongation, 6 goals with 5. The match was called thereafter the “ Blood range ” (the match of blood).
The two teams met again in finales of conference, with the victory of Red Wings, which were going this year to gain the Coupe Stanley.

The five following years, the Avalanche and Red Wings met three times in eliminatory series. The Avalanche gained the first two confrontations, losing the third.

Skating rinks

The Avalanche has known two skating rinks for its first season:

the McNichols Arena between 1995 and 1999
the Pepsi Center since 1999.

The McNichols Arena had: 16061 places for hockey and went back to 1975. Called Big Mac , the room was used as skating rink for the frankness from the Worldwide association from hockey the Spurs from Denver then for that from the Rockies from Colorado (of the LNH) then Flames from Colorado from the central Ligue from hockey. The room accommodates two of the four matches of the finale of the Coupe Stanley 1996. It was shaven in 1999, to leave room to the carpark of new INVESCO Field At Mile High.

The construction of the Pepsi Center began in November 1997 and the inauguration of the room took place in October 1999 with a concert of Céline Dion. Its cost of construction was of 160 million USD. Pepsi Center accommodated in 2001 the Match of the Stars of the LNH.

The room can accommodate until: 18007 people.

Shirts and logos

Logos

The logo of the Avalanche of Colorado east made up of the letter “has”, color Bordeaux wine, surrounded by an avalanche of snow forming “C” descending of the left side of the letter and finishing in a metal disc of hockey. There is a blue oval around the logo.

The alternative logo of the team is the foot of Bigfoot , and is reproduced on the shoulders of the shirts residence and outside of the Avalanche.

Shirts

The shirts of the Avalanche did not change since their first season. The colors of the team are the Bordeaux wine, the Bleu and the Blanc.

Shirt residence, which was the external shirt until 2003 when the LNH decided to reverse the shirts residence and outside, is with dominant Bordeaux wine and dark blue. There are two black and white lines in zigzag along the shirt, one on the shoulders, the other close to the belly. Between them, the shirt is Bordeaux wine and it is dark blue outside these lines. Similar lines make the turn of the neck. The logo is placed in the middle of the shirt. At the top of each shoulder, is the alternative logo.

The external shirt is identical, but with different colors. The Bordeaux wine part of the shirt residence is white on the external shirt, the blue part is Bordeaux wine, and the black and white lines become white and blue dark.

The Avalanche introduced during the season a 2001-02 third shirt. It is with dominant Bordeaux wine. “Colorado” is written in diagonal of the shirt, where is the logo on the other shirts. In bottom, there are three horizontal broad lines: the first and the last are black and that of the medium is white. With half of the handles, there are five lines, black, white and Bordeaux wine of outside towards the interior on each side.

Players and trainers

See also: : category: Player of the Avalanche of Colorado

Current manpower

On November 16th 2007

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Attackers

Players of the past

With the temple of famous the

This section introduces the important players in the history of the Avalanche who acquired one of most beautiful rewards in the LNH, the access to the Temple of re-elected hockey. To be allowed with the Temple of the fame, the file of each petitioner will have to pass in front of eighteen members of the committee and to receive at least the three-quarters of the votes (fifteen members). Each year, are allowed to the maximum:

four players ,
two builders . This category corresponds to the people who do not play directly hockey but have a significant impact on hockey. It can be a question trainers, presidents, owners of franknesses or of personalities of the media.
a referee or line judge.

For the players, the referee or line judge, the person must have taken his retirement of his career in ice for at least three years. In the past, there were exceptions for the players equipped with an exceptional talent which, according to the committee, deserved to be established before the three regulatory years. That was the case for ten players.

Patrick Roy played Colorado of 1995 with 2003 and gained two Coupes Stanley with the Avalanche. Roy gained 551 victories during its career, which makes of it the guard the most victorious of the history of the LNH. It allowed with the temple of was re-elected in 2006.

Ray Bourque played 22 seasons in LNH with the Bruins of Boston and was transferred, with its request, Colorado in 2000, to be likely to gain a Stanley Cut during its career. In 2000-01, the Avalanche gained the Stanley Cut, thus offering to Bourque has Coupe after which it had run during 22 seasons

Jari Kurri is the only different former player of the Avalanche to being member of the temple of the fame. He played his last season of career with the frankness.

Bryan Trottier, which was trainer-assistant of the Avalanche in 2001 at the time of the second Cut, was introduced with the temple of re-elected in 1997, for its career of player.

Withdrawn numbers

The Avalanche withdrew two numbers since the beginning of its history: the 77 of Ray Bourque and the 33 of Patrick Roy.

The 99 of Wayne Gretzky was withdrawn by all the teams of the LNH in 1999.

The withdrawn numbers of the time of the frankness from Quebec were given in circulation after the removal to Denver.

Captains

The Avalanche knew one truth captain since its emménagement in Denver. Even if Sylvain Lefebvre were by interim the captain of the frankness at the time of the season 1997-98, Joe Sakic were always the true captain of the frankness.

Other personalities of the frankness

Managing directors

The Avalanche had only two general manager since 1995, Pierre Lacroix and François Giguère which comes to replace it in 2006.

Trainers

The Avalanche remains also a stable team on the level of the trainers with only four trainers since 1995.

Records of the frankness

Individual records

Joe Sakic marked since the beginning of its career the history of the frankness from Colorado. Always in activity, it is at the beginning of the season 2007-08, the player who holds the majority of the records of the frankness. 27 78 79.

Thus, he is the player who took part in the greatest number of matches of the Avalanche, as well in regular season (811 matches) as at the time of the eliminatory series (150). He is also the best striker of the regular team with 376 goals in seasons and 75 of more for the series. He holds the record of the number of goals over one season with 54 goals in 2000-01 and series with 18 goals in 1996. Among the 54 goals of the regular season, 12 were decisive for its team.

In 1995-96, it carries out one season with 120 points and 35 others at the time of the series, totals not to date exceeded by another player. He is also the player having carried out the greatest number of decisive master keys during his career with the Avalanche (963) for the regular season even if with this exercise, Peter Forsberg beats it for the total in series (93) like for the total over one season, with 86 assistances in 1995-96. At the time of the series of 2002, it carries out 18 assistances for a record of the frankness.

Milan Hejduk and Forsberg divides the record over one season of the best ratio + of the frankness with +52 in 2002-03.

On the level of the penalties, Adam Foote is the leader of the frankness over the duration with 809 minutes in regular season and 266 in eliminatory series whereas at the time of the inaugural season, Chris Simon collected 250 of them. On the level of the series, it is once again Adam Foote more penalized with 62 minutes collected in 1997.

Paul Stastny, wire of famous the Peter Šťastný, holds also certain records of the frankness of which that of the greatest number of points for a beginning at the time one season with 78 points in 2006-07. During this same season, Stastny also carries out 20 matches by marking a minimum a point, which constitutes a record for a recruit in the LNH.

From a point of view defenders, Kārlis Skrastiņš begins 495 consecutive matches between 2000 and 2007 that it is within the Predators of Nashville or under the shirt of the Avalanche, a record in the LNH.

Lastly, with the level of the goalkeepers, Patrick Roy holds about the same role as Sakic: he knows the greatest number of victories at the time of the regular season (262), at the time of the series (81) and over one season (40 in 2000-01), he has the greatest number of Blanchissage S of the frankness in season (37), in series (18) but also over a season 9 in 2001-02. He also has the lowest average of goals boxed over one season with 1,94 goals by matches at the time of this same season.

Records of team

The team has the greatest number of consecutive titles of division of the National league of hockey with nine titles of 1995 with 2003.

Their greater total of point for one season rises at 118 points in 2000-01 per 52 victories. Despite everything, it is in 1995-96, that the players of the Avalanche register the greatest number of goals with 336 goals including 10 goals at the time of a victory 12 to 2 in December 1995 against the Sharks de San Jose.

The Avalanche also holds the record of the LNH for the greatest number of played matches with closed counters with 487 full houses between 1995 and 2006.

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