Mile High Sticking
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Colorado Avalanche Decade in Review: 20 Memorable Moments

By Nadia Archuleta

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)
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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Colorado coach Joe Sacco explained his plan for the last three minutes of the third period. The Colorado Avalanche fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2 at the Pepsi Center Thursday night, April 5, 2011. Karl Gehring/The Denver Post (Photo By Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /

2011-12 Basics

GM: Greg Sherman
Coach: Joe Sacco
Captain: Vacant (Oct-Nov), Milan Hejduk (Nov-Apr)
Alternate Captains: Milan Hejduk (Oct-Nov), Paul Stastny, Rotating 
Record: 41–35–6

The Colorado Avalanche made a very important draft pick that summer — Gabriel Landeskog with the second-overall selection. It was the highest they’d ever chosen in a draft.

In the summer, they also made two important trades — they sent over a first rounder in return for goalie Semyon Varlamov. They also sent John-Michael Liles to Toronto in return for a draft pick.

Colorado started the year off without a captain. On November 14, the final holdout of the old guard, Milan Hejduk, took over as captain. It would be his only year as captain.

For the second time in as many seasons, the team didn’t make the playoffs. It was the first time since the franchise moved to Colorado that they’d missed the playoffs twice in a row.

Team leaders

Goals: Gabriel Landeskog (22)
Assists: Ryan O’Reilly (37)
Points: Ryan O’Reilly (55)
Penalty minutes: Cody McLeod (164)
Plus/minus: Gabriel Landeskog (+20)
Wins: Semyon Varlamov (26)

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