5 – The generous – Chris Drury

We talk about Tanguay being decisive during a match… Well Chris Drury mustn’t be forgotten.  During the four seasons spent with the Avalanche, Chris Drury became famous for his numerous game-winning goals. Even if he hasn’t the record of Wayne Gretzky or the skill of Mario Lemieux, he managed to get the job done. If Joe Sakic said “I’m just a player who wanna win”, Chris Drury is one of the guys that fit the best to this sentence.  He retired after one last season with the Ranger.

4 – The last memory – Milan Hejduk

Milan Hejduk is the last player of the current Avalanche roster to have won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche.  Now 35, Hedjuk is still up for at least one more season. Awarded with the Maurice Richard trophy in 2002-2003, he still find the way to put the puck into the net in 2011. He is the little amount of experience that can change the season of a team and he proves it by helping the team during hard times.

3 – The shooting star – Peter Forsberg

Peter Forsberg was a star that’s for sure. Two Stanley cup, the Art-Ross Trophy in 2002-2003, never a negative -/+ during his whole NHL career… The list is longer but it could have been even longer without all those injuries, that’s why he is a shooting star. He practically never played a whole season because of his wrist, shoulder, leg… Even if he was magic on the ice (and has his jersey retired), I think that he could have been up for something even bigger. Congrats anyway.

2 – The Wall – Patrick Roy

Roy – Forsberg, Forsberg – Roy… Compare them is a hard challenge but I prefer goalies so let’s go for Patrick Roy. He was a top goalie even before being traded to the Avalanche after a disastrous game in Montreal. Probably a precursor for goalkeepers, he helped the team to win the 2 Stanley Cup (earning his third Conn Smyth Trophy by the way). Maybe Martin Brodeur is better than him but I thank him for his involvement during his last 8 seasons, all of them with the Avalanche…  

1 – The Eternal – Joe Sakic

Ask any Colorado Avalanche fan or even any NHL follower, I bet that 99% of them know Joe Sakic. Captain of the avalanche during 15 seasons, he put the franchise to where we know it. As an Avs, he raised twice the Stanley Cup, won numerous trophies, played in 13 All-star games… Most of all, he was a great person on and off the ice. Sure, he was a great player on the ice but he also gets involved on various charity works. I guess we could spend two or three pages why he is so great and why it was obvious that he would be the number one on this list but I would rather write: Nice Job, you are and you will stay the heart of the Colorado Avalanche.

Such players as Duchene, Lemieux, Budaj or Blake aren’t in this Top 10. I hesitate but I can’t put everyone on it. I think that each Avalanche player should be writen there but it would have been too long :D

• The 10 best Avalanche Players (1.)