Joe Sakic, Chris MacFarland Promoted by Avalanche

Fresh off of winning the Stanley Cup, the Avalanche have decided to shake up their front office. 

Colorado announced Monday that executive vice president and general manager Joe Sakic has been named the team’s president of hockey operations after completing his seventh season as the organization’s general manager. The move clears the way for assistant GM Chris MacFarland to take over as the fifth GM in franchise history.

Sakic, a Hockey Hall of Famer and former Avalanche star, first took over as Colorado’s GM in Sept. 2014. He oversaw a complete rebuild of the organization that eventually resulted in the team making the playoffs for four straight seasons before winning the 2022 Stanley Cup over the Lightning. 

For his efforts, Sakic was named the 2021–22 recipient of the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award at last week’s NHL draft.

By promoting Sakic, MacFarland is able to move up the ladder, which will keep him in Colorado for the time being. The 52-year-old was pursued by a number of teams seeking a GM in the past few seasons, but the Avalanche refused to grant those suitors permission to interview him.

MacFarland has been considered a crucial piece of Colorado’s front office and has worked with Sakic in all hockey-related matters since joining the organization in 2015. He previously worked in the Blue Jackets‘ hockey operations department for 16 years. 

Sakic and MacFarland will have plenty of work to do this offseason if they hope to lead Colorado back to the top of the mountain. The Avalanche have only 16 players under contract for next season, meaning plenty of decisions will have to be made in the coming months.

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