- Jared Bednar is no longer coaching in a contract year in Colorado
- Joe Sakic called him “the best coach for this group” in the announcement
- Read below for the terms and the franchise records Bednar already owns
Jared Bednar isn’t a lame duck anymore.
The Avalanche announced Wednesday morning that their head coach signed a four-year contract extension. Bednar was heading into the final year of his deal, so the new contract kicks in for 2027-28 and keeps him behind the Colorado bench through the 2030-31 season.
Colorado made it official with a nod to his decade in Denver:
Joe Sakic, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, explained in the team’s statement why he never wavered on his coach.
“Jared has done an outstanding job over the last decade, and there’s no doubt in my mind he’s the best coach for this group,” Sakic said. “He commands the room and has complete confidence of the players. We’re excited to continue to have him in charge, and we believe that his presence maximizes the team’s potential while this core group is intact.”
That’s a different tune from two weeks ago. Bednar opened training camp admitting his talks with Sakic hadn’t gotten anywhere, telling reporters “We’re not there yet” at media day. His players went to bat for him that day, and the front office got it done before the Avs played a regular-season game.
Bednar spoke about the new deal in the same release.
“I’m extremely happy and grateful to continue leading this group,” Bednar said. “My family and I have loved being a part of this organization from the beginning, and I can’t thank the Kroenke family and Joe Sakic enough for their support. I look forward to working hard each day this season and beyond to accomplish our goal of winning another Stanley Cup.”
His numbers are hard to argue with. Bednar is entering his 11th season in Colorado and holds the franchise records for regular-season wins (445) and playoff wins (60). He’s 445-262-75 across 782 games, and the Avs have made the playoffs every year since his first season in 2016-17.
Among coaches with at least 100 regular-season games, his .617 points percentage ranks 17th all time. His .594 playoff winning percentage sits sixth among coaches with at least 50 postseason games.
We had the news up on X this morning, pointing out that Bednar is now the NHL’s second-longest-tenured head coach locked in for five more seasons:
Last spring is why the contract question lingered at all. Colorado won the Presidents’ Trophy with 121 points, then got swept by Vegas in the Western Conference Final.
Sakic is betting the coach who delivered the 2022 Stanley Cup is the right one to get this MacKinnon and Makar core a second ring.
