The Colorado Avalanche Lines
Are the Colorado Avalanche, the betting favorites to win the 2021 Stanley Cup, the team to bet on this hockey season? Let’s help you find out!
Our NHL betting guide gives you all you need to know to place hockey bets, with a look at all the various betting terms, markets, and strategies.
We’ll also showcase daily NHL betting odds, so you can bet on your favorite hockey teams with confidence.
Colorado Avalanche Betting Lines
To win a hockey bet, you should have a basic understanding of the game’s odds and betting lines.
For example, in a single hockey match, the betting lines may look something like this:
- St. Louis Blues +240
- Colorado Avalanche -312
The use of a plus or minus sign is an industry standard in American sports betting. Bookmakers in the UK use the decimal odds (also called fractional or British odds).
The negative sign refers to the favorite team that’s expected to win the hockey game. The number that follows the minus symbol shows how much you need to stake to win $100.
In the example given above, if you bet on the Avalanche, you’ll have to bet $312 to win $100. Should they win, the potential payout will be $412, which includes your initial stake.
The positive symbol indicates the underdog. The number beside the symbol shows how much you’ll win if you bet $100.
If you placed a bet on the Blues and won, you could win $240 for a $100 bet.
Other hockey teams in the NHL that you can bet on include:
- Anaheim Ducks
- Arizona Coyotes
- Dallas Stars
- Edmonton Oilers
- Minnesota Wild
- Nashville Predators
- New York Rangers
- Ottawa Senators
- Philadelphia Flyers
- San Jose Sharks
- St. Louis Blues
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Vancouver Canucks
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Colorado Avalanche: Fast Facts
Based in Denver, the Colorado Avalanche (also called the Avs) are an American professional ice hockey team of the National Hockey League (NHL). As a member of the West Division, the team competes in the Western Conference.
The Avs are based in the Ball Arena, a multi-purpose complex in Denver. They share the arena with the Denver Nuggets, an NBA (National Basketball Association) team.
You can find the Avalanche’s home arena on Speer Boulevard, one of the main highways in downtown Denver. A light rail station is located on the western part of the arena.
In 2000, Stanley Kroenke was named the official owner of the Ball Arena, the Nuggets, and the Avs.
Conference and Division Titles
As of 2021, the Avs have two Stanley Cups and nine division titles under their belt.
Since relocating to Denver, the Avs have set the league record for having won nine division titles in a row, from 1995 to 2003.
The following season, 2002–03, saw the Avs claim the NHL record for most consecutive division titles, breaking the Montreal Canadiens' winning streak of eight, which the team won between 1974 and 1982.
Stanley Cups
- 1995 to 1996
- 2000 to 2001
Division Titles
- 1995 to 1996
- 1996 to 1997
- 1997 to 1998
- 1998 to 1999
- 1999 to 2000
- 2000 to 2001
- 2001 to 2002
- 2002 to 2003
- 2013 to 2014
Team Roster
In hockey, the players, except for the goalies posted near the team’s goal, are scattered on the top line, the second line, the third line, and the fourth line.
Coaches put the best offensive players on the top line. Meanwhile, the second line is composed of second-tier offensive members.
More defensive players make up the third line or the checking line. These players usually skate against the opposing team’s first and second lines.
The fourth line, also called the energy line, is made up of the team’s most physically oriented players. The players in this line are usually composed of players with limited scoring potential but strong skating abilities.
All teams have taxi squads. The players included in the squad usually practice with the team but don’t always join in during official games.
Players in the taxi squad can replace the regulars in case of injuries and other emergencies during the offseason.
In August 2016, Colorado Avalanche selected coach Jared Bednar as the team’s new coach.
As of 2021, Colorado Avalanche’s roster included the following players:
- Forward
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
Andre Burakovsky
Matt Calvert
J.T. Compher
Joonas Donskoi
Tyson Jost
Nazem Kadri
Gabriel Landeskog
Nathan MacKinnon
Valeri Nichushkin
Logan O'Connor
Mikko Rantanen
Brandon Saad
- Defense
Bowen Byram
Samuel Girard
Ryan Graves
Erik Johnson
Cale Makar
Devon Toews
- Goalies
Pavel Francouz
Philipp Grubauer
History of Colorado Avalanche
Originally based in Quebec, Canada, the Colorado Avalanche was founded in 1972 as the Quebec Nordiques. The Nordiques were a part of the World Hockey Association (WHA) until the league merged with the NHL in 1979.
The Nordiques won the WHA championship in 1977. High-scoring forwards Marc Tardif and Réal Cloutier performed power plays to bring home the Avco Cup.
After they joined the NHL, the Avalanche immediately adapted to the intense competition. They advanced to the conference finals during the 1981 to 1982 and 1984 to 1985 seasons, with center Peter Stastny and left winger Michel Goulet leading the team.
Unfortunately, the Nordiques began a five-year streak in which they placed last in their division. The streak began in the 1987 to 1988 season.
During the five-year streak, the team also posted the worst record in the entire league three times.
Still, the team continued to thrive and produced a series of high draft picks. Training camp and the new members helped Nordiques return to the playoffs in the 1992 to 1993 season.
During this time, the team’s profitability continued to be challenged. While they experienced success on the ice, they spent much of their first 23 years coping with financial problems.
Following unpaid debts, the team’s owner finally sold the franchise to entertainment giant COMSAT (Communications Satellite Corporation), a global telecommunications company based in Denver, in July of 1995.
COMSAT considered different names for the team, including the Blizzards, Extreme, and the Black Bears. It also debated whether to brand the team as a Denver team or as a regional franchise representing either Colorado or the entire Rocky Mountain region.
When COMSAT decided to name the team Rocky Mountain Extreme, the fans’ reaction was so negative that the name was changed to the Colorado Avalanche.
The newly relocated team transferred to the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, and Patrick Roy was added to the roster.
A popular goaltender, Roy left the Montreal Canadiens to join the Avs. His standout play in goal was a perfect defensive complement to high-scoring centers Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg.
With the three members, the Avs easily won another division title. The team remained one of the leading hockey teams in the Western Conference through the late 1990s. They played in the conference finals three times from 1996 to 2000.
During the 2000 to 2001 season, the team won 52 games, which is the Avs’ greatest number of wins in a single season in franchise history.
During the same season, the team brought the New Jersey Devils to their knees in the finals. The Avs won their second Stanley Cup in this season.
The team secured its ninth division title in 2002 to 2003. Unfortunately, this would be the last season they’d secure a division title until the early 2010s.
The end of the 2002 to 2003 season marked the beginning of the Avalanche’s era when their play level began to fall off. Although the team posted winning records, they didn’t have many postseason wins.
In the 2010s, their record just got worse as they entered another streak of consecutive years missing a spot in the finals.
In the 2017 to 2018 season, the Avs added 21 wins to their previous season’s total to qualify for the finals, but they were eliminated in the opening round.
The next season, they advanced to the playoffs’ second round. Sadly, the team lost the seven-game series.
The Avs have had their fair share of brilliant hockey players since the beginning. Some of the popular players who skated for the Avs include Ian Cole, Matt Nieto, and Nikita Zadorov.
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Most Notable Colorado Avalanche Players
Uwe Krupp
Uwe Krupp will forever be remembered in Avalanche history as the skater who scored the goal that won the franchise's first Stanley Cup.
In the third overtime with both teams at 0, Krupp blasted a shot that beat Hall of Famer goalie John Vanbiesbrouck and gave the Avs a 4-0 series sweep over the Florida Panthers.
Although Krupp played only three seasons with the Avs, he was an anchor on the ice. He scored 55 points and recorded a plus-37 rating during his time with the team.
In 2009, before a game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Philadelphia Flyers, Krupp was named a member of the Avalanche Alumni Association.
In 2017, the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation)'s Historical Committee announced Krupp would be inducted into its Hall of Fame.
Ray Bourque
Hall of Fame defenseman Ray Bourque joined the Avs from the Boston Bruins. Bourque requested the trade to have a chance in the playoffs, and ended up joining the Avs.
He only played two seasons for the Avs. Despite this, he left a lasting impact on the team.
During his short time with the Avs, he was able to build a stellar defensive play for the team, supported by Rob Blake and Adam Foote.
Bourque was a beacon of consistency and stability in the Avalanche defensive zone. The legendary defenseman had an offensive spark as well.
He led all Avs defensemen in scoring during the 2000 to 2001 season. In the same season, he blasted a shot past goalie Martin Brodeur 31 seconds into the third period, winning the game for the Avs.
Adam Foote
Adam Foote played his entire league career with the Avs, aside from a three-year stint with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2005 to 2008.
While Foote isn't known for offensive plays, he is undoubtedly one of the grittiest shutdown defensemen in Avalanche history.
He managed to record more than 1,500 penalty minutes in the 1,154 career regular season games he played.
During his time with the Avs, he gave the team exceptional defensive plays and leadership. He was best known for his gritty play as a stay-at-home defenseman.
Foote retired at the end of the 2010 to 2011 season. After his playing career, he began coaching with the Avs.
Milan Hejduk
Milan Hejduk joined NHL in 1998 and has only played for the Colorado Avalanche during his 14-year NHL career.
One of Hejduk’s most notable traits was consistency on the ice. He has played in all of the more than 70 games per season except for two. During that time, he has tallied 757 points for the Avs.
Hejduk received the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top goal scorer in 2002 to 2003 when he blasted 50 goals and recorded 98 points during the regular season.
Nicknamed "The Duke", he retired holding the record for most career games as an Avalanche player with 1,020.
Rob Blake
Rob Blake joined the Avs through a trade in the last half of the 2000 to 2001 season.
Blake was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in 2001 and became a member of their 2001 Stanley Cup championship team. He possessed a deadly hip check that upped the team’s defensive capabilities.
With Blake and Adam Foote on the ice, the Avs secured one of the best shutdown defensive pairs in the league.
All in all, Blake contributed 43 playoff points, 208 regular season points, and over 300 penalty minutes.
Claude Lemieux
Claude Lemieux endeared himself to ESPN watchers and garnered attention as public enemy No. 1 to opponents. He was especially feisty against the long-time Avs rival, the Detroit Red Wings.
During his time with Colorado Avalanche, the hard-hitting skater tallied 267 regular season and playoff scores. He also racked up more than 500 penalty minutes.
He defended his team, angered his opponents, and amassed points on the board. Lemieux was the complete package for the team for several seasons, including a 71-point regular season in 1996. He retired in 2009.
Alex Tanguay
Alex Tanguay is one of the Avalanche’s legendary scorers. He recorded a whopping 400 regular season points in 450 games between 1999 and 2006.
Tanguay also tallied 50 points in the playoffs for the Avs.
The highlight of his postseason career came in the 2000 to 2001 season. Skating alongside Peter Forsberg and Milan Hejduk, Tanguay was part of one of the most effective scoring lines in the NHL league. He recorded 21 playoff points that season.
He’ll be forever immortalized for scoring two goals in the deciding game 7 of the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals, which the Avs won.
Peter Forsberg
Known for his on-ice vision and physical play, Swedish legend Peter Forsberg is considered to be one of the best hockey players, both in Avalanche and NHL history.
He joined the Avs and brought a complete package with him: vision, incredible skill, and creativity, coupled with gritty, physical plays.
Forsberg, also known as Foppa, played in 708 NHL regular season games. During this time, he recorded 885 total points. He contributed to the Avs 171 points in 13 playoffs.
Forsberg is known for creating a dangerous offensive situation out of nothing. He is famous for making life harder for opposing defensemen.
Forsberg’s hockey career was cut short by injury and several failed attempts at a comeback. His accident proneness made him miss several important games during his career, which probably prompted him to retire in 2011.
Patrick Roy
From 1995 to 2003, Avalanche fans witnessed how Roy became one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history. During his Avalanche career, he averaged 2.28 goals against and a .917 save percentage.
The Hall of Fame member received three Jennings Trophies and three Conn Smythe trophies. He also brought home three Vezina Trophies during his goaltending career.
Roy was also famous for his slight arrogance on the ice. He had an iconic "Statue of Liberty Save," which involved him aiming the puck in the face of the player who tried for a goal and was denied.
Roy was a fiery competitor who backed up his words with solid performance on the ice. The Avs have been looking, unsuccessfully, for the perfect replacement since Roy’s retirement in 2003.
Joe Sakic
Joe Sakic was the captain of the Avs for 13 years. He’s also one of the few skaters to play his entire career with one franchise.
The Nordiques drafted Sakic in 1987, and Sakic followed when the team moved to Denver. He stayed with the team through their transition to becoming the Avalanche.
Before he retired in 2009, he amassed 1,641 points in 1,378 regular season games. He tallied 188 points in 172 playoff games.
Sakic led the Avs to two Stanley Cups in 10 playoff appearances and eight division titles.
One of NHL’s true class acts, Sakic was a constant finalist for the Lady Byng award. The recognition is given to the player with the most sportsmanlike performance.
Sakic also received an All-Star Game MVP award, Hart Memorial Trophy, and Conn Smythe Trophy. He also has a Lester B. Pearson Award and an Olympic gold medal under his belt.
Now that you know more about the Avs, you can finally start placing bets on this team.