No lame-duck season: Avs lock up Jared Bednar on opening day

Jared Bednar will not spend the season coaching on the final year of his deal, the the Colorado Avalanche announced a four-year extension for their long-time coach

BY JAKE SHAPIRO

Sep 30, 2026, 8:44 AM

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Watch: Did the Avalanche Get It Right with Jared Bednar and Chris MacFarland? | Shapiro and Piro | 23 mins

The most successful coach in the history of the Colorado Avalanche will not spend the season coaching on the final year of his deal — the team announced a four-year extension with Jared Bednar on Wednesday morning about 12 hours before the puck drops on the 2026-27 season.

The deal takes Bednar, who is entering his 11th season in Denver, through the 2030-31 season. The coach, 54, is the winningest coach in Avalanche/Nordiques franchise history with a 445-262-75 (.617) record in 782 regular-season games behind the bench. More important, he owns a 60-40-1 (.594) record in 101 postseason contests, the sixth-best playoff winning percentage all time, of course capped by the 2022 Stanley Cup ring.

“Jared has done an outstanding job over the last decade, and there’s no doubt in my mind he’s the best coach for this group,” said Avalanche President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Joe Sakic in a news release. “He commands the room and has complete confidence of the players. We’re excited to continue to have him in charge, and we believe that his presence maximizes the team’s potential while this core group is intact.”

The extension comes after plenty of questions were raised when Vegas swept the Avs in the Western Conference Final this past spring. The loss revived recurring doubts about the team’s toughness and mettle, as the more talented, Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche were sent home by the underdog Knights.

Still, the Avalanche have made the postseason in all but one of Bednar’s seasons, the lone exception being his first, 2016-17. Colorado’s run of nine straight playoff trips makes Bednar the 13th coach in NHL history to reach the playoffs nine straight times with the same franchise.

“I’m extremely happy and grateful to continue leading this group,” said Bednar in a news release. “My family and I have loved being a part of this organization from the beginning, and I can’t thank the Kroenke family and Joe Sakic enough for their support. I look forward to working hard each day this season and beyond to accomplish our goal of winning another Stanley Cup.”

Bednar remains the only head coach to win a championship in the NHL, AHL and ECHL: the 2009 Kelly Cup with South Carolina, the 2016 Calder Cup with Lake Erie and the 2022 Stanley Cup.

The Avs open the season against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.