Colorado Avalanche Playoff History

Last Modified May 10, 2024 15:10 GMT
Colorado Avalanche Playoff History
Colorado Avalanche (Source: Getty Images)

The Colorado Avalanche, a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, competes in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ( NHL). Formerly known as the Quebec Nordiques, the franchise relocated from Canada to Colorado in 1995. The Avalanche have a storied history, winning three Stanley Cup championships in 1996, 2001, and 2022.

Led by legendary players like Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Patrick Roy, the Avalanche quickly established themselves as a formidable force in the NHL, winning their first title in their inaugural season in Colorado. Despite some ups and downs over the years, including coaching changes and shifts in performance, the Avalanche have remained a perennial contender in the league, with their most recent Stanley Cup victory coming in 2022 after a dominant regular season and postseason performance.

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Colorado Avalanche NHL Playoff History and Appearances

The Colorado Avalanche, since their relocation from Quebec, have had a notable history in the NHL playoffs, making 19 appearances overall. Their journey began in the 1995-96 season, their inaugural year in Colorado, where they captured the Stanley Cup by sweeping the Florida Panthers in the finals.

Led by legendary players like Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy, the Avalanche continued their postseason success with multiple division titles and conference final appearances throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, clinching another Stanley Cup victory in 2001. Although they experienced some playoff droughts in the following years, the Avalanche remained competitive, making appearances in the playoffs, including a Presidents' Trophy win for the best regular-season record in 2020-21. Their most recent triumph came in the 2021-22 season, where they clinched their third Stanley Cup by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in the finals.

A table exploring Colorado Avalanche’s playoff history and appearance is provided below:

YearRecordResult
202351-24-7Lost First Round
202256-19-7Stanley Cup Winners
202139-13-4Lost Conference Semi-Finals
202042-20-8Lost Conference Semi-Finals
201938-30-14Lost Conference Semi-Finals
201843-30-9Lost First Round
201722-56-4Missed Playoffs
201639-39-4Missed Playoffs
201539-31-12Missed Playoffs
201452-22-8Lost First Round
201316-25-7Missed Playoffs
201241-35-6Missed Playoffs
201130-44-8Missed Playoffs
201043-30-9Lost First Round
200932-45-5Missed Playoffs
200844-31-7Lost Conference Semi-Finals
200744-31-7Missed Playoffs
200643-30-9Lost Conference Semi-Finals
200440-22-13-7Lost Conference Semi-Finals
200342-19-13-8Lost First Round
200245-28-8-1Lost Conference Finals
200152-16-10-4Stanley Cup Winners
200042-28-11-1Lost Conference Finals
199944-28-10Lost Conference Finals
199839-26-17Lost First Round
199749-24-9Lost Conference Finals
199647-25-10Stanley Cup Winners

Colorado Avalanche Conference History

The Colorado Avalanche have navigated various conference alignments since their relocation from Quebec. They initially placed in the Western Conference's Pacific Division in the 1995-96 season, where they quickly established themselves as a force to be reckoned with, winning the conference and eventually the Stanley Cup in their inaugural year in Colorado. Over the years, the Avalanche have consistently competed in the Western Conference, experiencing highs like Presidents' Trophy wins and conference final appearances, along with periods of rebuilding and restructuring.

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A table exploring Colorado Avalanche's Conference History along with their results is provided below:

NHL Season Avalanche Season ConferenceResults
1995–961995–96Western (#1)Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–2 Won in Conference Finals, 4–2 Won in Stanley Cup Finals, 4–0
1996–971996–97WesternWon in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–1 Lost in Conference Finals, 2–4
1997–981997–98WesternLost in Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4
1998–991998–99WesternWon in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–2 Lost in Conference Finals, 3–4
1999–001999–00WesternWon in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–1 Lost in Conference Finals, 3–4
2000–012000–01Western (#1)Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–0 Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–3 Won in Conference Finals, 4–1 Won in Stanley Cup Finals, 4–3
2001–022001–02Western Won in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–3 Won in Conference Semifinals, 4–3 Lost in Conference Finals, 3–4
2002–032002–03WesternLost Conference Quarterfinals, 3–4
2003–042003–04WesternWon in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 Lost in Conference Semifinals, 2–4
2004–05 Season cancelled due to 2004–05 NHL lockout
2005–062005–06WesternWon in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–1 Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0–4
2006–072006–07WesternDid not qualify
2007–082007–08WesternWon in Conference Quarterfinals, 4–2 Lost in Conference Semifinals, 0–4
2008–092008–09WesternDid not qualify
2009–102009–10WesternLost in Conference Quarterfinals, 2–4
2010–112010–11WesternDid not qualify
2011–122011–12WesternDid not qualify
2012–132012–13WesternDid not qualify
2013–142013–14WesternLost in First Round, 3–4
2014–152014–15WesternDid not qualify
2015–162015–16WesternDid not qualify
2016–172016–17WesternDid not qualify
2017–182017–18WesternLost in First Round, 2–4
2018–192018–19WesternWon in First Round, 4–1 Lost in Second Round, 3–4
2019–202019–20WesternWon in First Round, 4–1 Lost in Second Round, 3–4
2020–212020–21Won in First Round, 4–0 Lost in Second Round, 2–4
2021–222021–22Western (#1)Won in First Round, 4–0 Won in Second Round, 4–2 Won in Conference Finals, 4–0 Won in Stanley Cup Finals, 4–2
2022–232022–23WesternLost in First Round, 3–4

The Colorado Avalanche have won only three conference championships till date, with their victories coming in : 1995-96, 2000-01, 2020-21.

Colorado Avalanche Division History

Upon their relocation from Quebec in 1995, they were initially placed in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They thrived in this division, winning multiple division titles and making deep playoff runs, including winning the Stanley Cup in their first season in Colorado. In subsequent years, they transitioned through different divisional structures, including the Northwest Division and the Central Division.

A table exploring the Colorado Avalanche's division history along with their regular season records is provided below:

NHL SeasonDivision Regular Season
1995–96Pacific (#1)47-25-10
1996–97Pacific (#1)49-24-9
1997–98Pacific (#1)39-26-17
1998–99Northwest (#1)44-28-10
1999–00Northwest (#1)42-28-11
2000–01Northwest (#1)52-16-10
2001–02Northwest (#1)45-28-8
2002–03Northwest (#1)42-19-13
2003-04Northwest 40-22-13
2004-05Season cancelled due to 2004–05 NHL lockout
2005-06Northwest 43-30-9
2006-07Northwest 44-31-7
2007-08Northwest 44-31-7
2008-09Northwest 32-45-5
2009-10Northwest 43-30-9
2010-11Northwest 30-44-8
2011-12Northwest 41-35-6
2012-13Northwest 16-25-7
2013–14Central (#1)52-22-8
2014-15Central 39-31-12
2015-16Central 39-39-4
2016-17Central 22-56-4
2017-18Central 43-30-9
2018-19Central 38-30-14
2019-20Central 42-20-8
2020–21West (#1)39-13-4
2021–22Central (#1)56-19-7
2022-23Central (#1)51-25-7

Notably, the Colorado Avalanche have won the Division Championships 12 times since their formation in 1995. They also won consecutive division titles at 8 in a row from 1996 to 2003. Furthermore, they went on to clinch the division championship in the years: 2013-14, 2020-21, 2021-22, 2023-23.

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FAQs on Colorado Avalanche Playoff History

A. The Colorado Avalanche has won three Stanley Cup championships, in the years 1996, 2001, and 2022.

A. The Colorado Avalanche competes in the Western Conference of the NHL.

A. In the 2021-22 NHL season, the Colorado Avalanche had a record of 56 wins, 19 losses, and 7 overtime losses.

A. Since their relocation from Quebec, the Colorado Avalanche have missed the NHL playoffs 14 times.

A. The Colorado Avalanche have had a storied playoff history, making 19 appearances overall and experiencing highs like winning the Stanley Cup and Presidents' Trophy, as well as periods of rebuilding and restructuring.

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