What’s new with the Colorado Avalanche? That’s what this page is all about.

The Team Spirit Line Change website begins where the Team Spirit books end.

That’s because hockey never stands still … And I can never squeeze everything I want into 48 pages!

Take a look at some of the Avalanche collectibles I have in my home.

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Updates

2022-23 Season

November 21, 2022: Cale Makar scored his 200th point in the 195th game of his career. No defenseman in history had ever scored 200 points in fewer than 200 games.

Season Preview: Last season’s Stanley Cup winners are missing some pieces from their championship run, but they are still a scary-good team. The Avs boast four of the best offensive players in the game: center Nathan MacKinnon and forwards Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Valeri Nichushkin. The team’s defense is very good, too. Many experts are picking defenseman Cale Makar to win the Norris Trophy. Will the Av’s repeat as Stanley Cup champs? They should be in the mix right to the end.

2021-22 Season

Season Recap: The Avs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4 games to 2 to win the 2022 Stanley Cup. Defenseman Cale Makar—winner of the Norris Trophy and a First-Team All-Star—was named MVP of the finals and also led Colorado with 29 points during the playoffs. Seven different players scored more than 20 goals during the regular season, when the team finished first in the conference with 119 points. Darcy Kuemper, in his first year with the club, was great in goal, winning 37 times. In four playoff rounds, the Avalanche lost a total of four games and swept the Edmonton Oilers in the conference finals.

Season Preview: The Avs look to be the top team in the Central Division, which now includes the Arizona Coyotes. The team has always had good goal-scorers, but now they have a super defense, led by Cale Makar, who was in the running for the Norris Trophy last season. Many experts are picking the team to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.

2020-21 Season

Season Recap: The Avalanche had a sensational regular season, finishing tied with Vegas with 82 points at the top of the West Division. Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Nathan MacKinnon each topped 50 points in the 56-game season. Newcomer Devon Toews was rock-solid on defense. The Avs swept through the first round of the playoffs against the St. Louis Blues and led the Golden Knights 2 games to 0 in the second round, but lost the next four to Vegas to end their season early.

Season Preview: A lot of experts are picking the Avs to win the Stanley Cup in 2021. Their core group of young stars has gained important experience the last two years and Colorado seems ready to take the next big step. Team leaders Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog are true superstars, while defenseman Cal Makar seems ready to join them. If the team can stay healthy, they will be tough to beat this spring.

2019-20 Season

Season Recap: The Avs reached the playoffs for the third year in a row behind solid seasons from Nathan MacKinnon, Andre Burakovsky, Miko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Cale Makar. Colorado beat the Coyotes 4 games to 1 in the playoffs, but lost in 7 games to the Dallas Stars on an overtime goal.

August 31, 2020: The Avs scored four goals in 2 minutes 36 seconds in the first period of their Game 5 playoff win over the Dallas Stars. They missed setting a new record by just 2 seconds.

Season Preview: Is this the season the Avs put it all together and make a serious run at a championship? They seem to get closer every year. New faces from last year’s playoff team include Joonas Donskoi, Nazem Kadri, and Andre Burakovsky. They will back up the high-scoring line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog. Among Colorado’s rising stars are Cale Makar, Sam Girard, and Philipp Grubauer, who will be given a chance to shine in 2019–20.

2018-19 Season

Season Recap: The Avs made the playoffs with 38 victories and won their first postseason series in more than a decade. After beating Calgary 4 games to 1, they lost to the San Jose Sharks in the next round in seven exciting games. Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado’s top player, fell one point short of 100. MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and team captain Gabriel Landeskog, combined for 106 goals during the regular season—and 15 more in the playoffs.

February 25, 2019: Goalie Semyon Varlamov allowed four goals in three victories to earn the First Star of the Week award.

Season Preview: The Avalanche went from worst to first last season thanks to Nathan MacKinnon’s breakout year. Some are saying he may be the most creative and talented scorer in the NHL. If MacKinnon and his young linemates Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog continue to improve—and if the Colorado goalies can keep the puck out of their own net—the Avs could challenge for the conference title. To do so, however, they will need to add more depth behind their spectacular first line.

2017-18 Season

Season Recap: Though they exited the playoffs earlier than expected, the Avalanche had a very good season—almost doubling their 48 points from the previous year. Center Nathan MacKinnon boosted himself into the MVP conversation with a wonderful year, and winger Gabriel Ladeskog was often the best all-around player on the ice.

Season Preview: Colorado’s mix of veteran stars and young talent did not produce many wins last season, and 2017–18 may be more of the same unless a lot of key players have the seasons they are capable of. Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog are budding superstars, but it may be a few more years before the Avs make a run at the Stanley Cup.

2015-16 Season

eason Recap: The young Avs took a slight step backwards in 2015–16, failing to win close games they had the year before. Even so, the talent is there to be a playoff contender, with Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Nate MacKinnon and Tyson Barrie still heading into their prime years. Colorado will need goalie Semyon Varmalov to return to his old form if the team hopes to make a run at the finals.

January 4, 2016: Jarome Iginla scored his 600th NHL goal.

Season Preview: The Avalanche are rebuilding around young talent, and this year could mark a return trip to the playoffs. The team added several solid defensemen, including Nikita Zadorov. They hope he joins Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Matt Duchene, and Erik Johnson to form a winning.

2014-15 Season

December 31, 2014: Borna Rendulic scored against the Flyers to become the first NHL player born in Croatia to score a goal.

Season Preview: Three young stars will lead the Avs into battle in 2014–15, centers Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene, and left wing Gabriel Landeskog. veteran Daniel Briere joins the club and will provide veteran experience. The Colorado defense will feature goalie Semyon Varmalov and defenseman Erik Johnson. All five players rank among the best in the business. Colorado will score goals this year; the question is, can the Avalanche keep opponents off the board?

2013-14 Season

April 13, 2014: Semyon Varlamov finished the year with 41 victories—the most among NHL goalies. He also led the league with 1,867 saves.

April 10, 2014: Semyon Varmolv’s 41st win broke the team record set by Patrick Roy in 2000–01.

March 3. 2014: 18-year-old Nathan MacKinnon broke the NHL record held by Wayne Gretzky when he scored a point in his 13th game in a row. Gretzky scored in 12 straight when he was 18 in 1979–80.

Season Preview: The big news in Colorado this season is not on the ice, but behind the bench. Patrick Roy is the team’s new coach, and Joe Sakic is calling the shots as GM. The team is developing a group of young scorers, and Roy will give them a system in which they can succeed. Hopefully, the defense will hold up—it’s the team’s weakest spot. Gabriel Landeskog should bounce back from a bad concussion lat year and team with Paul Stastny and Alex Tanguay to give the Avs one of the best lines in the West.

More Go-To Guys

You’d think they could have fit Anton’s whole head on this button. (Author’s Collection)

You can’t really tell from this card, but Dale Hunter was a scary dude. He was only 5′ 10″, but every inch of that was muscle. (O-Pee-Chee Ltd.)

  • Serge Bernier — Right Wing
    Born: 4/29/1947
    Played for Team: 1973–74 to 1980–81
    Serge Bernier “jumped” to the Nordiques from the NHL’s L.A. Kings when the WHA started up in 1973. A good scorer in the NHL, he became a great one in the WHA—including 54 goals and 68 assists in his second season. In 2010, he was a member of the first class of players enshrined in the World Hockey Association Hall of Fame.

  • Anton Stastny — Left Wing
    Born: 8/5/1959
    Played for Team: 1980–81 to 1988–89
    Anton Stastny played his entire career beside his brother, Paul, and for four years with their brother, Marian. Anton was a talent scorer and playmaker, and contributed on defense, too. He score between 25 and 40 goals in each of his first eight seasons. He and Paul are the only brothers to record 8 points in a game, and they did it on the same night in 1981!

  • Dale Hunter — Center
    Born: 7/31/1960
    Played for Team: 1980–81 to 1986–87
    Dale Hunter’s job with the Nordiques was to make sure no one pushed around their high-scoring stars. Hunter himself could put the puck in the net—he score 20 or more goals four times for the Nords.

  • Valeryi Kamensky — Left Wing
    Born: 4/18/1966
    Played for Team: 1991–92 to 1998–99
    Along with Joe Sakic, Valeryi Kamensky was one of the young stars who started with Quebec and ended up winning a Stanley Cup in Colorado. He had 22 points in 22 playoff games on the way to the NHL title in 1996.

  • Matt Duchene — Center
    Born: 1/16/1991
    Played for Team: 2009–10 to 2017–18
    Matt Duchene joined the Avs at age 18 and at age 20 became the youngest player to lead the team in scoring.

  • Miko Rantanen — Right Wing
    Born: 10/29/1996
    First Season with Team: 2015–16
    No goalie feels safe when Miko Rantanen is on the ice. He is a brilliant passer and can bang the puck through the tiniest openings. After leading Finland to the Junior World Championship in 2016, he became an NHL All-Star less than three years later.

More Fun Facts

Patrick Roy signed this photo that shows how well he cut down angles and covered the goal. (Author’s Collection)

  • SPIN CITY
    In 1997, Valeryi Kamensky scored a goal against the Florida Panthers while spinning in midair. The amazing play was used in a popular video game and later became a YouTube sensation.

  • RECORD SETTER
    Marc Tardiff scored 316 goals during his years in the World Hockey Association. All but 32 were scored as a member of the Nordiuqes. No one scored more more goals in the history of the WHA.

  • BANNER YEAR
    In 2001–02, Patrick Roy won 40 games, including 9 shutouts. He also led the NHL with a 1.94 goals-against average. All three were still team records at the start of the 2013–14 season.

League Leaders

I remember seeing Marc Tardiff play in a couple of WHA games when I was a teenager. He was clearly the best player on the ice. (Topps, Inc.)

Real Cloutier was an amazing goal-scorer. He was a little past his prime when he played in the NHL, but still a “shooting star” as this magazine says. (Hockey Illustrated)

  • GOALS
    1975–76 — Marc Tardif — 71*
    1977–78 — Marc Tardif — 65*
    1978–79 — Real Cloutier — 75*
    2002–03 — Milan Hejduk — 50

    * Led the World Hockey Association

  • ASSISTS
    1972–73 — J.C. Tremblay — 75*
    1975–76 — Marc Tardif—  77*, J.C. Tremblay— 77*
    1977–78 — Marc Tardif — 89*/**
    2002–03 — Peter Forsberg — 77

    * Led the World Hockey Association
    ** Tied with another player

  • POINTS
    1975–76 — Marc Tardif — 148*
    1976–77 — Real Cloutier — 141*
    1977–78 — Marc Tardif — 154*
    1978–79 — Real Cloutier — 129*
    2002–03 — Peter Forsberg — 106

    * Led the World Hockey Association

  • GOALS-AGAINST
    2001–02 — Patrick Roy — 1.94

  • PLUS/MINUS
    2000–01 — Joe Sakic — + 45*
    2002–03 — Milan Hejduk — + 52, Peter Forsberg — + 52
    2019–20 – Ryan Graves – + 40

    * Tied with another player

In the AVCO Cup Finals

SEASON OPPONENT RESULT
1974–75* Winnipeg Jets Lost 0–4
1976–77* Winnipeg Jets Won 4–3

* Team played as the Quebec Nordiques

In the Stanley Cup Finals

SEASON OPPONENT RESULT
1995–96 Florida Panthers Won 4–0
2000–01 New Jersey Devils Won 4–3

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