Colorado Avalanche Quarter-Century Teams unveiled

With 2025 underway, the NHL is celebrating the best of the past 25 years by revealing Quarter-Century Teams for each of the League’s 32 franchises and the Arizona Coyotes.

Each club will be represented by a First Team and Second Team of six players -- three forwards, two defensemen and one goalie -- who played for the franchise from Jan. 1, 2000 - Dec. 31, 2024. The first and second teams were selected by broadcasters, national, local and NHL.com writers who have covered the respective teams, in addition to select former players.

The six players voted to each First Team will be on the ballot for the NHL All Quarter-Century Team that will be chosen via a fan vote that will start in February.

Today, the First and Second Quarter-Century Teams for the Colorado Avalanche. Players are listed in alphabetical order.

COLORADO AVALANCHE QUARTER-CENTURY TEAMS

First Team

Forwards

Peter Forsberg

Nathan MacKinnon

Joe Sakic

Defensemen

Adam Foote

Cale Makar

Goalie

Patrick Roy

Forwards: Forsberg won the Stanley Cup in 2000-01, and the Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring champion and the Hart Trophy as League MVP in 2002-03. MacKinnon led Colorado in goals (349), assists (611) and points (960) in the quarter-century. He won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year in 2013-14; the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship, gentlemanly conduct and playing ability in 2019-20; the Cup in 2021-22; and the Hart in 2023-24. Sakic won the Lady Byng, the Hart and the Cup as the Colorado captain in 2000-01, leading the Avalanche in scoring in the regular season and the playoffs. He ranked second in assists (395), fourth in points (639) and fifth in goals (244) in the quarter century.

Defensemen: Foote was a key part of the 2000-01 championship team. Makar won the Calder in 2019-20 and the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman in 2021-22. Despite ranking seventh in games played by Avalanche defensemen in the quarter-century, he’s first in goals (97), assists (285) and points (382). When Colorado won the Cup in 2021-22, he led them in scoring and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs.

Goalie: Roy was outstanding during Colorado’s Cup run in 2000-01. The following season, he won the Jennings Trophy when the Avalanche allowed the fewest goals in the NHL, and he was runner-up for the Vezina Trophy as the League’s best goalie and a finalist for the Hart. He also won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year with Colorado in 2013-14. In the quarter-century, he was 126-59 with 34 ties in 223 games.

Second Team

Forwards

Milan Hejduk

Gabriel Landeskog

Mikko Rantanen

Defensemen

Rob Blake

Erik Johnson

Goalie

Semyon Varlamov

Forwards: No one played more games for Colorado in the quarter century than Hejduk (900), who ranked second in goals (343) and points (723), as well as fourth in assists (380). He won the Cup in 2000-01 and the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL goal-scoring champion in 2002-03 (50 goals). Landeskog has been captain of the Avalanche since Sept. 4, 2012. He ranked fourth in goals (248), and fifth in assists (323) and points (571), in the quarter-century. Rantanen, another key member of the 2021-22 championship team, ranked third in goals (283), assists (388) and points (671).

Defensemen: Blake led all Avalanche skaters in average ice time (29:26) and Colorado defensemen with 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in the playoffs during their Cup run in 2000-01. He was a Norris finalist in Denver the following season. Johnson played 717 games for Colorado in the quarter century, more than any other defenseman, and won the Cup in 2021-22.

Goalie: Varlamov led Colorado goalies in games played (389), wins (183) and shutouts (21) in the quarter-century, and he was runner-up for the Vezina behind Tuukka Rask, and fourth in the voting for the Hart in 2013-14, when he went 41-14-6 with a 2.41 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.