Six Former Avs Among 100 Greatest NHL Players

Six former members of the Colorado Avalanche were among the 100 Greatest NHL Players that the league unveiled on Friday.
Forwards Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Jari Kurri and Teemu Selanne, defenseman Ray Bourque and goaltender Patrick Roy were named to the list that was picked by a panel of 58 individuals representing more than 1,800 years of experience in the game of hockey. Avalanche TV broadcaster Peter McNab was among the members that voted.
Former Quebec Nordiques forwards Peter Stastny and Mats Sundin were named to the NHL 100 list as well.

Joe Sakic, who was the team's captain for 16 consecutive seasons (17 overall), was drafted 15th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1987 and became the franchise's all-time leader in all three scoring categories. The Burnaby, British Columbia, native led the Avalanche to the 1996 and 2001 Stanley Cup championships, winning the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP in 1996. He also won the 2001 Hart Trophy as league MVP and picked up the Lester B. Pearson Award (NHLPA MVP) and Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship) that year as well. Sakic, who is currently the Avalanche's executive vice president/general manager, retired in 2009 as the eighth-highest scorer in NHL history with 1,641 points (625 goals and 1,016 assists). The forward is also first in franchise history in power-play goals (205), short-handed goals (32) and game-winning goals (86). He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012 in his first year of eligibility.

Peter Forsberg was drafted by Philadelphia in 1991 but was acquired in a trade with the Quebec Nordiques in 1992. He began his NHL career with the Nordiques in 1995-96 and won the franchise's second Calder Trophy as the league's rookie of the year. He won the 2003 Hart Trophy as the NHL's MVP and the Art Ross Trophy after recording 106 points in 75 games. Forsberg, a member of the Avalanche's 1996 and 2001 Stanley Cup teams, ranks third in franchise history in assists (538) and fifth in both goals (217) and points (755). A native of Ornskoldsvik, Sweden, Forsberg helped his country win gold at the 1994 and 2006 Winter Olympics and is a twice member of the Triple Gold Club (Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold, and World Championship title). He entered the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014.
Patrick Roy was acquired by Colorado in a trade with Montreal in December 1995 and retired as the franchise's all-time leader in wins (478), goals-against average (2.27), save percentage (.918), shutouts (37), appearances (478) and minutes (28,317). He won the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 1996 and 2001, bringing his championship total to four. He took home the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2001, becoming the only player to be named playoff MVP three times--and he did it in three different decades (also 1986 and 1993). Roy retired as the winningest goaltender in NHL history with 551 victories and still holds the league record for the most playoff wins with 151. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006. Roy coached the Avs from 2013-2016.

Ray Bourque played 22 NHL seasons and closed his career winning the Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001. Bourque is the NHL's all-time leader in goals (410), assists (1,169) and points (1,579) by a defenseman. He recorded 73 points (15 goals and 58 assists) in 94 regular-seasons games with Colorado after being acquired in a trade with Boston in February 2000. Despite only playing in the 2000 and 2001 playoffs with the Avs, Bourque still ranks 23rd in franchise scoring in the postseason with 19 points (five goals, 14 assists).

Jari Kurri played his final NHL season with the Avalanche in 1997-98. He recorded 22 points that year, including his 600th NHL goal. Kurri played 17 total seasons in league that also included games with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Anaheim Mighty Ducks. He won five Stanley Cups with the Oilers and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Teemu Selanne finished his NHL career with the most points by a Finnish player, recording 1,457 in 1,451 games with the Winnipeg Jets, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks and Avalanche. He played in Colorado during 2003-04 campaign, recording 16 goals and 16 assists. Selanne won the Stanley Cup in 2007 with the Ducks.
Peter Stastny joined the Nordiques in 1980-81 and won the Calder Trophy as the league's most outstanding rookie after recording 109 points (39 goals and 70 assists) in 77 games. He became the first-ever rookie to score 100 points and went on to register 1,048 in a Quebec uniform. When Stastny retired following the 1994-95 season with the St. Louis Blues, his 1,239 points (450 goals and 789 assists) were the 17th highest in league history. His No. 26 was retired in Quebec in February 1996, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998.
Mats Sundin was the No. 1 overall selection by Quebec in 1989, becoming the first European player to be chosen first in the draft. Sundin played his first four NHL seasons with the Nordiques, where he recorded 334 points (135 goals and 199 assists), numbers that still rank 12th all time in the franchise's annals. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.
The 100 Greatest NHL Players were honored in a special ceremony at Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday night as part of All-Star Weekend. The league named the first 33 players who starred in the NHL's first half century (1917-1966) on Jan. 1 at the Centennial Classic in Toronto, while the remaining 67 members of the list--those that played predominantly from 1967 to present day--were announced at the ceremony.