Colorado Avalanche Decade in Review: 20 Memorable Moments

DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 30: Joonas Donskoi #72 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates a goal against the Florida Panthers with his bench at the Pepsi Center on October 30, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Panthers defeated the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /

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DENVER – SEPTEMBER 22: Adam Foote #52, captain of the Colorado Avalanche, stretches during warm up prior to facing the Los Angeles Kings during preseason NHL action at the Pepsi Center on September 22, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Kings defeated the Avalanche 4-2. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

3. Memorable Moment: Adam Foote’s Last Shift

In the summer, one of the final greats of the Golden Era — and the last remaining member of that original team that came over from Quebec — Adam Foote announced his retirement.

The announcement didn’t carry as much fanfare as the Forsberg one did. Indeed, Foote made the announcement on April 8, 2011 and still played one more game for the Avs — the final game of the season.

The Avs weren’t making the playoffs — we all knew that. Adam Foote knew it was his last-ever game, and it was a meaningless one.

And yet in his final shift, he played the same hard-nosed hockey he had for the past 1,153 games:

Look at him backchecking, hassling the Canucks players, and even getting tantalizingly close to earning a penalty with some of his physicality. He went out the way he came in — rough and ready.

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