Milestone No. 19: The Avalanche acquire Patrick Roy from the Canadiens

The Fan is turning 30! For three decades, the station has been covering Denver sports, serving as a media outlet of record for the biggest events over the past 30 years.

There have been a lot of them. From championships to MVPs, from historic seasons to improbable victories, The Fan has been there for all of them.

What were the best of the best? During a six week span, Denver Sports will chronicle the moments that stood out the most. It’s a countdown from No. 30 to No. 1, in a series called “Mile High Milestones.”

Enjoy the trip down memory lane!

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Denver hadn’t had an NHL team since 1982. That’s when the Colorado Rockies headed east, departing for New Jersey and becoming the Devils. For the next 13 seasons, the Mile High City was devoid of professional hockey – at least at the highest level.

Minor league hockey returned to McNichols Arena in 1994-95. And the Grizzlies enjoyed immediate success, going 57-18 during their lone season in Denver and winning the IHL title.

More importantly, the team averaged more than 12,000 fans per home game, proving that the Mile High City was a legitimate hockey town. That drew the attention of investors, as COMSAT Entertainment Group saw potential. They purchased the Quebec Nordiques, moved them to Colorado and renamed them the Avalanche.

Already an upstart, the Avs had immediate success. Loaded with young talent, including Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg and Adam Foote, Colorado got off to a 15-4-4 start.

Three-straight defeats at the end of November and beginning of December, however, brought everyone within the franchise back down to earth. Giving up 16 goals in those three losses had Pierre Lacroix thinking that a change needed to be made in net.

Lucky for the general manager, opportunity was about to present itself. Patrick Roy, a goaltender who had already won three Stanley Cups in Montreal, was on the market. The two-time Conn Smythe winner was left in net by Canadiens head coach Mario Tremblay during a 11-1 loss to Detroit, suffering through a performance in which he gave up nine goals on 26 shots.

After the defeat, Roy was fuming. He said he’d never play for the Canadiens again, opening the door for Lacroix.

Four days later, the GM acquired the future Hall of Fame goalie, as well as winger Mike Keane, in exchange for Andrei Kovalenko, Martin Rucinsky and Jocelyn Thibault. It was a steal, one that would set the stage for a mini-dynasty in Colorado.

It was a move that had everyone in town talking, not just hockey fans. Even John Elway, the most-famous person in the state, was weighing in, famously acting like he thought the goaltender’s last name was pronounced like Roy Rogers’ first name. The move made general sports fans take notice of the Avs; it also jumpstarted the rest of the season.

The Avalanche would finish the regular with a 47-25-10 record. Their 104 points won the Pacific Division, earning them the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

Colorado would then go on a great run in the playoffs. They beat Vancouver in six to kick things off, followed by another six-game series victory over Chicago.

In the Blackhawks series, Roy would make his presence felt. Not only did he give up just one goal in a pair of victories, but he also stood tall in a triple overtime win in Game 4 and a double OT victory in Game 6.

But it was a quote from the goaltender during that series that stole the show. When Blackhawks star Jeremy Roenick talked trash about Roy’s performance in Game 3, the goaltender shot back.

“I can’t really hear what Jeremy said,” Roy quipped. “I’ve got my two Stanley Cup Rings plugging my ears.”

Colorado would go on to beat Detroit in the Western Conference Finals. The Avs won the series 4-2, with Roy giving up just five goals in the team’s four victories.

From there, hoisting the Cup was just a formality. Getting through the gauntlet that was the West was the difficult part of the process. The Avalanche rolled through the Stanley Cup Final, sweeping the Panthers in four games.

In their first season in Colorado, the Avs won the title. It was the start of something great.

The Avalanche would win their division in each of their first eight seasons in Denver. They’d reach the Western Conference Finals six times and win a pair of Cups.

It all occurred with Roy between the pipes. On a team loaded with talent, he was the difference maker. His arrival in December 1995 changed the trajectory of the franchise, as well as professional hockey in the Mile High City.

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THE COUNTDOWN

30: Ubaldo Jimenez has a magical season

29: Todd Helton get enshrined in Cooperstown

28: Valeri Nichushkin goes missing in the postseason – twice!

27: The Avalanche win their second Stanley Cup

26: The Nuggets come back from two 3-1 deficits in the bubble

25: The seemingly never-ending Broncos ownership saga

24: Hurricane Josh hits the Mile High City

23: The Rockies trade Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals

22: The Nuggets reach the Western Conference Finals in 2009

21: John Elway gets enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame

20: The Avalanche hoist third Stanley Cup in franchise history

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Wanna hear more about this Mile High Milestone? Tune into “The Rundown” at noon or check out the show on YouTube to hear Richie Carni and a special guest take a walk down memory lane.