Avalanche claim third Stanley Cup championship | June 26, 2022 | Colorado’s Top 150 Sports Moments
Happy birthday, Colorado — and Colorado sports.
Leading into the state’s 150th birthday Aug. 1, The Denver Gazette has partnered with the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame to publicize the definitive list of Colorado’s top 150 sports moments.
For Nos. 50 to 1, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian Dave Plati coordinated a 19-member committee to rank in order what they considered the top moments. The No. 1 moment will be revealed July 31. Plati and Broncos icon Jim Saccomano will unveil the list weekly on a Colorado Sports Hall of Fame podcast at coloradosports.org/podcast/.
No. 16 — June 26, 2022
The Colorado Avalanche claim their third Stanley Cup, winning 2-1 at Tampa Bay to polish off the Lightning in six games. The Avs swept Nashville, beat St. Louis in six games and swept Edmonton to win the Western Conference. Defenseman Cale Makar won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs, scoring eight goals with 21 assists for 29 total points, leading the Avs to a 16-4 postseason record. It completed a hat trick for the state, as Denver East was the national high school champion and the University of Denver the NCAA champ.
—Dave Plati, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian