Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar highlight Avalanche’s NHL quarter-century team

The Colorado Avalanche‘s quarter-century team was unveiled by the NHL on Monday.

Representing the top talents who have suited up for the Denver-based club over the past 25 years, the first team includes forwards Peter Forsberg, Nathan MacKinnon, and Joe Sakic, defensemen Adam Foote and Cale Makar, and goaltender Patrick Roy.

Seeing two separate stints with the Avalanche totaling 11 seasons and 544 appearances, Forsberg’s time in Colorado was underscored by two Stanley Cup championships, including the 2001 title where despite being limited to 11 games he finished with 14 points. Two seasons later, in 2002-03, the Swedish-born forward headlined the NHL with 106 points and took home the Hart Trophy as the league’s MVP.

Joining the Avalanche following his first-overall selection in 2013, MacKinnon has played part of 12 seasons in Colorado where through 838 career contests he has amassed 352 goals and 620 assists for 972 points to rank second in franchise scoring. Along the way, MacKinnon has claimed a bevy of accolades, including the 2013-14 Calder Trophy as well as the Hart Trophy last season when he finished with a career-high 140 points. MacKinnon claimed the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche after putting up 24 points in 20 games in the 2022 postseason.

The Avalanche’s all-time leader in every major offensive category include goals (391), assists (624), and points (1,015), Sakic was also a two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Avalanche as he captained the squad to league titles in 1996 and 2001. In 1996, Sakic took home the Conn Smythe Trophy after putting up 34 points in 22 playoff contests. The latter year also saw Sakic recognized as the NHL MVP after he paced the Avalanche with 118 points in 82 outings. A dominant playoff performer, Sakic registered 188 points through 172 postseason appearances with the Avalanche.

An elite defensive-minded rearguard, Foote saw two separate showings with the Avalanche, underscored by Stanley Cup wins in 1996 and 2001. In all, Foote’s time in Colorado totaled 760 appearances, the most by a defenseman in franchise history. Foote also ranks sixth among blue-liners with 221 points and third with a plus-107 rating.

A perennial Norris Trophy contender, Makar has spent part of seven seasons with the Avalanche following his fourth-overall selection in the 2017 NHL Draft. Makar’s time in Colorado is underscored by the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs where he led the Avalanche with 29 points in 20 postseason appearances to help the franchise claim its third Stanley Cup championship. Among his other accolades, Makar was also the 2019-20 Calder Trophy recipient as well as the 2021-22 Norris Trophy winner.

The Avalanche’s all-time winningest goaltender, Roy spent the final eight seasons of his career in Denver, underscored by Stanley Cup championships in 1996 and 2001. En route to the 2001 championship, Roy put up a dominant postseason showing with a .934 save percentage and 1.70 goals-against average. The following season, the Quebec-born netminder took home the William M. Jennings Trophy after combining for the fewest goals against. In only 478 regular-season games with the Avalanche, Roy found the win column 262 times.

Colorado’s second team features forwards Milan Hejduk, Gabriel Landeskog, and Mikko Rantanen, defensemen Rob Blake and Erik Johnson, and goaltender Semyon Varlamov.

Spending his entire career in Colorado totaling 14 seasons and 1,020 appearances, Hejduk amassed 375 goals with 430 assists for 805 points to rank third in all-time scoring. Capturing the 2001 Stanley Cup with the Avalanche, that spring saw the Czech-born forward produce 23 points counting seven goals and 16 assists in as many games en route to the championship. In 2002-03, Hejduk captured the Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy after leading the NHL with 50 goals.

The second-overall selection from the 2011 NHL Draft, Landeskog’s time in Colorado has covered 738 career contests across 11 seasons. Through it all, the Swedish-born forward has amassed 248 goals with 323 assists for 571 points, while also nearing point-per-game production in the postseason with 27 goals and 40 assists through 69 playoff outings. Making an immediate impact in the NHL, Landeskog took home the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year in 2011-12 after putting up 52 points in 82 games. Landeskog captained the Avalanche to the franchise’s third Stanley Cup title in 2022.

Sitting fifth in Avalanche all-time scoring with 680 points in 617 career contests, Rantanen has spent part of 10 seasons in Colorado, underscored by back-to-back triple-digit point seasons coming in the past two campaigns. The Finnish-born forward has continued that dominance in 2024-25 where through the first 47 games he has collected 25 goals and 38 assists for 63 points. The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs saw Rantanen lead all Avalanche forwards with 25 points in 20 games en route to Lord Stanley.

Playing part of five seasons in Colorado from 2000-06, Blake’s time in Denver totaled 322 contests in which he registered 62 goals and 146 assists for 208 points to rank ninth among defensemen in franchise history. A dominant offensive presence in the postseason, the big-time blue-liner also put up 43 points in 68 playoff appearances with the Avalanche, including 19 points in 23 games in 2001 en route to the Stanley Cup.

Skating 13 seasons with the Avalanche from 2010-23, Johnson sits second to only Foote among defensemen with 717 games played with the Colorado franchise. Along the way, Johnson collected 68 goals and 178 assists for 246 points to rank fifth all-time in scoring among Avalanche rearguards. Johnson reached the pinnacle in 2022 when he hoisted the Stanley Cup as part of the Avalanche.

Behind only Roy in games played (389) and wins (183) with the franchise, Varlamov spent part of eight seasons with the Avalanche from 2011-19. Through it all, the Russian-born netminder was especially dominant during the 2013-14 campaign where through 63 outings he found the win column 41 times to mark the most victories in a single season by an Avalanche goaltender.