Colorado Avalanche president and general manager Joe Sakic explained why Jared Bednar is remaining as the team’s head coach.
The Avalanche won the Presidents’ Trophy as the best regular-season team this year by collecting a league-high 121 points.
They entered the playoffs as the Stanley Cup favorite and looked the part in their series wins over the Los Angeles Kings and the Minnesota Wild.
But after getting swept by the Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals, some fans and media speculated that the shocking defeat may cost Bednar his job.
In the end, the Avs kept Bednar around, and he will finish out the last year of his contract as the team’s head coach, with a potential contract extension to be discussed down the road.
Joe Sakic on Why Colorado is Sticking With Jared Bednar
Speaking to reporters at the Avalanche’s year-end media availability, Sakic elaborated on why he feels that Bednar is the right man to lead Colorado going forward.
“He’s got the utmost confidence from the players. We do reflect in exit meetings. It’s clear from everybody, from players to staff, that he’s the right guy. They respect him, they love playing for him, and that’s a big thing. When we look at it for this group, he’s the best coach for the group, and we’re confident in that decision,” Sakic said.
“He’s not just the coach. He’s the voice of the organization. The players really believe in him — and I’m going with the players.”
Jared Bednar is NHL’s 2nd-Longest Tenured Coach
Bednar was hired by Colorado before the 2016-17 season, and he has been the Avs’ head coach ever since. In the entire league, only Jon Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning has been tenured with one team for longer than ten years.
After missing the playoffs in Bednar’s rookie season as an NHL head coach, he has guided Colorado to nine straight playoff appearances. In 2022, the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup with Bednar guiding the team from behind the bench.
He’s proven he’s a winner in a league that sees constant turnover at the head-coaching position. In the NHL, just winning sometimes isn’t good enough to keep your job, as many of the head coaches who have won Stanley Cups in the last decade are no longer with their teams.
As Sakic said, the Colorado players have a deep respect for Bednar, and as a long-time former player himself, that is clearly something that Sakic valued quite a bit when deciding to bring back Bednar for another year.
As great as Bednar has been for Colorado, it would have been understandable if the Avalanche cut bait with him after being swept by Vegas.
But Sakic is sticking by his man and giving him at least one more year on the job to get things right. This Avalanche team is built to win now, and Sakic is confident that Bednar is the right guy to be the leader of the group. Now, it’s up to him to go out there and lead Colorado to another Stanley Cup.
Joe Sakic Explains Why Jared Bednar Remains the Avalanche HC