There was ‘no chance’ Jared Bednar was going anywhere, Friedman says

There was some speculation, as far-fetched as it might have seemed, that Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar might not return beyond this season.

That chatter quickly fell by the wayside when the organization announced a contract extension for its longtime coach.

And according to insider Elliotte Friedman, there was “no chance” that Bednar was ever going to leave the organization.

During the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, the renowned insider highlighted how Bednar is essentially irreplaceable in Colorado.

“If we get right of them or we lose them, it’s going to be impossible to get the same kind of person.”

The comment came in relation to how replacing coaches like Jared Bednar or Tampa Bay Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper is virtually impossible.

Sure, there are other great coaches out there. But there is a legitimate concern that replacing a person like Bednar would be extremely difficult.

But Friedman pointed to another interesting reason why the relationship between Jared Bednar and the Colorado Avalanche remains strong.

Jared Bednar tenure with Avalanche hasn’t gone “stale”

Friedman made an interesting point about how some coaches, as good as they are, see their relationship go “stale” with their team. It’s that cliché about a new voice being needed to help spur a team that has sort of gone downhill.

The example Friedman used was Mike Sullivan in Pittsburgh. After two Stanley Cups, things hadn’t really gone very well for the Penguins. So, there was a mutual decision that a change was needed for both the coach and the organization.

“Sometimes that staleness can even end the tenure of an excellent coach.”

Friedman’s words are true in every sport. But just like how there seems to be an inevitable stagnation, guys like Bednar and Cooper have managed to keep their teams going despite the length of their tenures.

“But you look at Cooper in Tampa and you look at Bednar in Colorado, and the organization and obviously the coaches feel it’s not stale. It can still work.”

Yes, it can still work and it has.

While there has been some justifiably frustration with the fact that the Avalanche have been unable to win another Stanley Cup since 2022, the bottom line is that Colorado wold be hard-pressed to find anyone better than Bednar to lead the team.

There is a clear symbiosis between Bednar and his players. And that’s the most valuable thing about having a coach like that.

At the end of the day, Jared Bednar has been a valuable piece of the Avalanche’s success. And he’s also a major reason why players want to go to Colorado and play for a guy who knows how to win.

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