Defensemen
Left Defense | Right Defense | Scratches |
|---|---|---|
Ray Bourque (40) | Brent Burns (40)* | Patrice Brisebois (RD, 37) |
François Beauchemin (37) | Adam Foote (39) | Jack Johnson (LD, 37) |
Jan Hejda (37) | Erik Johnson (37) |
First Pair: Ray Bourque, Brent Burns*
Ray Bourque, 40
Avalanche: 1999-00 - 2000-01 | 94GP, 15G, 58A, 73P, 54PIM
NHL Career: 1979-90 - 2000-01 | 1,518GP, 395G, 1,111A, 1,506P, 1,087PIM
There are some moments that transcend the grit and grind of the NHL and rise into legend in the pop consciousness, known by those who don't even follow the sport. One of the most famous bits of hockey iconography that rise beyond the confines of the rink is the moment Ray Bourque lifted the Cup for the first time as the Avs claimed the 2001 championship against the New Jersey Devils.
Bourque was one of the best defensemen of his time and of all-time; his legacy is shared between the Mile High City and Beantown; the former grateful for the support in clinching a Stanley Cup victory, the latter appreciative that their beloved Bourque got to raise Lord Stanley's Cup a mile high.
Brent Burns, 40*
Avalanche: N/A
NHL Career: 2003-04 - Active | 1,497GP, 261G, 649A, 910P, 855PIM
The NHL's current ironman streak holder, Brent Burns, just signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche; said deal carries a $1mil AAV but includes the potential for up to $4mil more in bonuses: If Burns plays at least 10 games, he will earn an additional $3mil, and if he plays at least 72 games and averages 23 minutes of ice time a night, he'll be awarded with an extra $1mil. Burns will likely play on the third pair with Sam Malinski, and there's a potential spot for him on the second powerplay unit, as well.
Initially drafted as a forward, Burns quickly made the transition to playing defense, and he's simultaneously been one of the most feared (by opposing players) and loved (by fans and each organization for which he has played). His off-ice regiments are legendary, and he's incredibly in-shape for a player who will turn 41 next season: his 22nd in the NHL. He's the only remaining player to have played for an NHL club before the 2004-05 lockout.
Second Pair: François Beauchemin, Adam Foote
François Beauchemin, 37
Avalanche: 2015-16 - 2016-17 | 163GP, 13G, 39A, 52P
NHL Career: 2002-03 - 2017-18 | 903GP, 76G, 212A, 288P
The Sorel, Quebec native was a stalwart defender for 14 seasons, 10 of which were spent with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks/Ducks. In the 2006-07 playoffs, he recorded eight points in 20 games as the Ducks won their first Stanley Cup. After his two seasons playing for the Avs, he would play an additional season back in Anaheim, retiring less than two months before turning 38.
Beauchemin's time in Colorado was polarizing, as he put up some of the worst defensive numbers of his career while wearing Avs colors. He did, however, log some heavy minutes during two forgettably-bad seasons; in the 2015-16 season, Beauchemin averaged 25:05 TOI while playing in all 82 games. For context, that's only 38 seconds less a night than Cale Makar averaged in his Norris Trophy-winning 2024-25 campaign.
Adam Foote, 39
Avalanche/Nordiques: 1991-92 - 2003-04; 2007-08 - 2010-11| 967GP, 56G, 203A, 259P, 1,279PIM
NHL Career: 1991-92 - 2010-11 | 1,154GP, 66G, 242A, 308P, 1,534PIM
Initially drafted by the Quebec Nordiques, 22nd overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, Foote would go on to play 19 seasons in the NHL despite the physical toll that his style of play took on his body. While Foote's legacy as a player — outside of the vacuum of the Mile High City — is complicated, he's inarguably one of the most beloved players in Avalanche history. If one were to ask a fan of the Columbus Blue Jackets, however, one might receive a different perspective on the hard-nosed defenseman.
Despite the turbulence of his return to Denver after parts of three seasons in Ohio, he was welcomed back by Avs Faithful and was named the second-ever captain in team history upon the retirement of Joe Sakic. After two and a half seasons as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks, he will be the team's new bench boss heading into the 2025-26 season.
Third Pair: Jan Hejda, Erik Johnson
Jan Hejda, 37
Avalanche: 2011-12 - 2014-15 | 286GP, 13G, 46A, 59P
NHL Career: 2006-07 - 2014-15 | 627GP, 25G, 110A, 135P
Fittingly, the last defensive pairing of Jan Hejda and Erik Johnson is one that actually played together in a top-line role for the majority of four seasons in Colorado. Hejda first arrived in Denver at the start of the 2011-12 season, and he quickly became an important, defensively-minded defenseman that the coaching staff could utilize to shut down opposing teams' top talent.
Hejda retired at the end of the 2014-15 season, and he soon thereafter began working as a player agent for Edge Sports Management. He still lives in Colorado with his family, spending time as a youth hockey coach and an ambassador for the Colorado-based non-profit Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation (which helps fund and support local families and hockey teams). Additionally, as of this year, he also serves as one of the directors for a hockey academy based in Illinois.
Erik Johnson, 37
Avalanche: 2010-11 - 2022-23; 2024-25 | 731GP, 69G, 179A, 248P
NHL Career: 2007-08 - Active | 1,023GP, 95G, 253A, 348P
What is there to say about "The Condor" that hasn't already been said? He played on a number of awful, awful squads but remained as hard-working as ever; he served as a steady, reliable defenseman, an ambassador for an Avs team finding its identity in the 2010s, and a mentor for players like Cale Makar, Gabriel Landeskog, and Nathan MacKinnon.
Despite time spent with the St. Louis Blues, Buffalo Sabres, and Philadelphia Flyers, Erik Johnson will forever be an Av. He currently doesn't have a contract, and the Avs seemingly just signed his replacement in Brent Burns, but EJ mentioned only a few months ago that he isn't planning to retire, so it remains to be seen what's in store for him as he approaches his 40s.
Scratches: Patrice Brisebois, Jack Johnson
Patrice Brisebois, 37
Avalanche: 2005-06 - 2006-07 | 113GP, 11G, 38A, 49P
NHL Career: 1990-91 - 2003-04; 2007-08 - 2008-09 | 1,009GP, 98G, 322A, 420P
Across 18 NHL seasons, the Montréal, Quebec native played all but two for his hometown Montréal Canadiens. The two seasons he spent elsewhere were spent with the Avs. "Breezer," helped the Canadiens win Canada's most recent Stanley Cup in 1993, and was an offensively-gifted staple of the Habs' defensive core throughout much of the 1990s and 2000s.
As a member of the Colorado Avalanche, Brisebois received a lot of criticism from a fanbase still hungry for more Stanley Cup contention but settling for the inevitable post-success decline. Despite this, and despite some crucial mistakes made in the 2006 Western Conference Semi-Finals against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Brisebois mostly played well in an Avs uniform. After missing much of the 2006-07 season because of a back injury, he returned to Montréal and retired at age 39.
Jack Johnson, 37
Avalanche: 2021-22; 2022-23 - 2023-24 | 179GP, 6G, 23A, 29P,
NHL Career: 2006-07 - Active | 1,228GP, 77G, 265A, 342P
Speaking of hard-working players who battled criticism: it's Jack Johnson! While his offensive numbers have never once raised eyebrows, and while his career plus/minus (an admittedly-outdated statistic) of minus-127 is fifth-worst among active NHLers, he has still forged an NHL career that has spanned 19 seasons.
He is currently without a contract, so — much like the other Johnson on this list — his future remains unclear, but whether or not he ever laces up his skates for an NHL team again, he will have left his mark on the sport of hockey as both a Stanley Cup Champion and an Olympic silver-medalist.